Know When Your Roof Actually Needs Replacement

Most homeowners in the United States will face the need to reroof at least once in their lifetimes.  Depending on when a roof is purchased and how much expertise the roofer has, homeowners may only buy one roof their entire lives.  However, as more home buyers enter the market, many of them are unaware of whether or not their roof actually needs replacement.  Additionally, you may have a storm chaser that instructs you to get a new roof, when in actuality you could get by with just a repair.  There are several easy tips to determine if your roof needs replacement.

The Age of the Roof

The best clue you can use for arguments to replace your existing roof or to reroof before purchase, is the roof’s age.  Current roofs on the market that are more than 20 years old may have a tough time keeping up with today’s building codes, which are designed to make your home last longer. 

Over time materials wear down and roof failures can occur.  Older roofs tend to leak more, waste more energy, and display lost cosmetic appeal.  Newer roofs can fail too.  However, newer roofs tend to fail from problems with the installation process or the installers.  Newer roofing materials have a very low rate of failure, especially from defective manufacturing.

Finding Clues from the Outside

Grab your favorite pair of binoculars and head outside to a location that will grant you a good clear view of your roof.  Use the binoculars to looking for problem areas or possible clues.  Clues that you will see, if your roof needs replacement, are;

·        Cracking shingles

·         Shingles that are curled back (away from the roof)

·         Shingles that are lifted off of their support structures (also can look blown back)

·         Smooth dark spots (missing granules)

With each one of these exterior roofing components missing or worn, water has a higher chance of entering the home.

Spotting Clues from the Attic

One more place a home owner can look at is the attic.  The attic will give you the view from the underside of the roof and the roof sheathing.  On a sunny day, enter the attic and look for any lights that are coming through the roof sheathing.  The tiny pinhole lights that you may find are openings to the outside and should not exist.

Air can move through these holes, greatly reducing your home’s cooling and heating efficiency.  Water can also enter through these pinholes as well.  During the colder winter months, water may freeze and expand, increasing the diameter of the pinhole.  During summer or warmer months, water will enter the roof system, causing water damage and/or water stains.

If your home has any additional structures like a chimney, be sure to look at those from the attic side as well.  Any openings or spaces that you see are most likely due to missing flashing, which is a critical water barrier in a quality roofing system.

Most professional roofing companies offer an inspection program like Houston roofing repair, Schulte Roofing’s 17 point Inspection.  These programs cover many more points that will give you a better picture of the current condition of your roof.  To get professional, local advice, contact your local roofing contractor.