Need a new roof? Would you know if you did? In many situations, the signs can be pretty glaring, but other times they won’t be. A fortified roof above your head is pretty crucial if you’ve become used to having a nice, inviting, and leak-free home. Here’s how to find and address potential headaches before they become big ones.
If you’ve done just a little digging into this question, you’ve more than likely crossed the” 20″ year rule for replacing your roof. That number is used as a benchmark. Most residential roofs need replacing during that timeframe. But, there are quite a few variables to consider, and all roofs are unique.
Roofing systems take a lot of external wear and tear throughout each passing year. Direct sunlight, powerful winds, debris, rodents, tropical storms, rain, or extreme weather conditions – all of these have a direct correlation with a roof’s lifespan. How often your roof needs to be replaced depends on many factors:
- Weather
- Proper maintenance and care
- Age of the materials
- How good the materials used are
- How well it was installed, to begin with
- Were repairs addressed when needed?
- Keeping pests and rodents away
- External debris builds up
Your Roof Is A Few Decades Old
Normally an asphalt shingle roof lasts about 12 to 15 years, with metal and tile roofs tending to have a longer lifespan. If your roof is nearing its typical replacement age, you should probably start thinking about your next roof. If other roof repairs were installed over the top of your existing roof – a practice is known as overlaying – you should assuredly think about getting a new roof. Overlaying is a quick fix that can mask bigger roofing issues beneath the shingle surface.
Begin By Inspecting Your Roof From the Inside Out
Once you have started to brainstorm the idea of investing in a new roof, start with conducting your own research at home by examining the state of your roof from the inside out. Take a flashlight with you to your attic or to the space in your house where the interior of your roof is visible and look for the following indicators of a more serious problem:
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Beams of Light: Light beams are common in roofs that need replacements or repairs. To really scope out the situation, inspect your attic during a time of day with good sunlight to catch and identify any light beams.
Leaks: Examine the interior of your roofing area for drips and potential water damage. If your roof is beginning to leak, other vital structural areas of your house and its foundation are at elevated risk, particularly if you do not address the roofing problem as fast as possible. Very damp areas can lead to additional decay and mold and fungus that can contribute to breathing and other health ramifications.
Streakin & Staining: Thoroughly look over all of the interior of your roof and try to locate potential spots, stains, and streaks. Inspect any oddly colored area of your roof for additional information on its cause and potential leak culprit. Stains and streaks within the interior walls of your roof are red flags to a larger and more serious problem revolving around your roof’s durability.
Look For Shingle Issues
The problem with most roofs is that they’re overlooked and out of sight. Usually not taking a good look unless there is a stain or dark spot viewable from the street or yard.
Old or worn shingles are quite simple to pinpoint if you search for them. Missing shingles may be replaced one by one, but it’s usually an indicator of a bigger problem. Large areas of broken or loose shingles (or ones that are visibly falling apart) indicate that your roof needs a replacement.
Asphalt shingles have two ways to curl – the first is cupping when the edges turn upward or clawing when edges remain flat, and the middle starts coming up. Both could indicate that.
Moisture has built up underneath the asphalt because of poor ventilation in the attic.
Shingles were inadequately installed.
Blistering and direct sunlight wears asphalt down significantly.
Bald spots on your shingles indicate that the granules have started to fall off, exposing the asphalt underneath. Tip: examine your gutter system for shingles granules. If rain carries them into your gutters, it’s more than likely you need a re-roof.
Excessive Growths On Your Roof
Dark spots (or generally dirty-looking shingles) are caused by fungus and algae growth. These may not be directly tied to how often you need to replace your roof (or that it needs repair), but these issues can spread out and begin damaging other parts of the roof.
Noticing fungus or other types of natural growth on top or out of your roof? If so, don’t worry. Nature tends to grow over any man-made building in its path if it is not adequately cared for and maintained.
When inspecting your roof and the moss you have noticed, be sure to do so by examining both the inside and outside of your roof. While most plant growths are likely to be visible from the exterior of your roof, when there’s a larger problem at-hand, nature may also be thriving on its own inside the house without your knowledge.
Quite often, treating the moss from a roof is a way to quickly remedy the problem without money needing to be outlawed. But, if there is excessive growth on your roof or inside the property, it is highly advisable to work with a professional to identify the root cause and reason for the growths.
When growths in nature have totally overtaken a roof, you may need to replace the roof in its entirety to stop the process in its tracks.
Fortunately, algae growth and accumulation are not normally signed that you need to fix or replace your roof. Rather, moss is moreso an eyesore on your roof and one that is rather common in hot places like Southern Florida.
If the situation calls for a new roof installation then there then becomes a number of decisions that need to be made. Beginning with the roofing material to use, will you stick with asphalt or consider metal? Which roofing contractor will you hire? For those in Florida who need help this page has great roof replacement information https://www.coralspringsroofingexperts.com/roof-replacement If you perhaps have a valid insurance damage claim. For many homeowners having the money required in the bank to get a new roof may not be viable; there is financing accessible for qualified homeowners offered by reputable companies such as Coral Springs Roofing Experts. Ensure to do due diligence before making any final decisions.
