There are several things a homeowner should look for when determining the best time to replace a roof. Here’s what to look for:
On the exterior:
If there’s curled, buckled, or missing shingles, it’s a sign that the roof’s durability is starting to fade. Buckled shingles can occur because of moisture in the attic forcing nails to push up and out of the roof’s decking. This can cause leaking, passage for other unwanted outside elements, and can lead to shingles blowing off in high winds or during a storm.
Another sign is missing granules from the shingles. This indicates that the roof is rapidly losing its weatherproofing properties. One can easily check by looking in the gutters for granule build up.
Looking at the exterior of the roof, are there any stains, discoloration, or patches of algae? Tar streaking stains and algae growth are caused by bacteria eating away at the shingles. Some shingle companies, sadly when installing a roof do the cheap and easy way by using fillers like limestone. Bacteria eats through limestone rather easily. This leaves a roof increasingly vulnerable to weather damage.
And the interior:
Be sure to pay attention to the environment of the attic. The attic temperature is ideally consistent with the outdoor temperature. There should be sufficient ventilation that allows air to circulate in and out of the attic efficiently. If the attic is not ventilated properly this can cause condensation, mold, sagging, and other issues compromising the structural integrity of the roof. This is (hopefully) obvious, but there should be no outside light visible through the roof! If light from outside is visible through the roof, it’s a sure sign that it needs replaced.
Chimney leaks, or other leaks throughout the span of the home, could mean the roof and/or chimney flashing have been compromised.
Other signs:
Lastly, if there’s an increase in heating or cooling bills, it could mean the roof’s ventilation isn’t functioning as it should. If the roof needs replacing it allows for easy escape of air conditioned or heated air to due to poor ventilation. This results in expending more energy, higher bills, and wasting money.
These are all things homeowners should be aware of. Check it out and give us a call. Or give us a call, and we’ll check it out!