You don’t have to wait until it leaks in spring to think about the roof over your head. In other words, it makes perfect sense to ensure that you have a solid roof if you’re serious about keeping your living space comfortable. But, how do you tell that’s time to replace your roof?
What follows is a rundown of signs to watch out.
Your Roof is Approaching It’s Silver Jubilee
While you may not know it, an asphalt shingle roof has a lifespan of 20 to 30 years. In essence, this means that if you have a 40 or 50-year-old roof, then you could very well be setting yourself up for trouble. Sure, it may look appealing from the ground, but that’s not to say you don’t need to replace it. So, if your roof is over 25 years, you have about 5 to 10 years to do something, depending of course, on the overall condition. You need a new roof if you live in an urban area and your neighbors start to replace their roofing.
Curling Shingles
For starters, your roof’s shingles can curl in two ways. Cupping occurs at the edges, causing your shingles to turn upward. Clawing, on the other hand, happens when the sides remain flat, and the middle area begins to come up. Either way, curling shingles are a sign of weathering and can lead to leaks if not addressed soon enough. You may have up to 5 years left from when you first notice shingles on your roof. Again, this depends on the extent of the situation – it can be less than one year in extreme cases.
Missing Shingles
You shouldn’t have a problem replacing a couple of shingles if you’re a DIY enthusiast. Even then, it is essential to note that you cannot get a new shingle that has the color of the old one. Why? Well, granules colors keep changing from year to year. Beside, weathering causes the hues to change significantly. You may not have a time limit when it comes to missing shingles. Even then, you have to keep patching your roof to ensure that the situation doesn’t aggravate into something serious. Still, you may have to invest in a brand new roof if it starts to look like a checkerboard.
Cracked Shingles
You’re likely to deal with cracked shingles if you live in a windy area. Indeed, you can replace a couple of broken shingles. However, start thinking about replacing your roof if the cracking is spread all over as opposed to occurring in a particular area of your roof. You have about five years to spend your money on a new roof if you’re dealing with cracked shingles.
Missing Granules in the Gutter
You have nothing to worry about if you start to see missing granules in your new asphalt shingle roof. For starters, these are loose, additional ones. But, there’s a reason for concern if you have your roof for 10 to 15 years. Remember, granules, at their very core, seek to keep the sun at bay. And, once they start to fall, it implies that your roof’s quality begins to decline. Your roof is most likely halfway its lifespan if you start to notice a couple of granules in the gutter. So, be sure to do your math to figure out when you need to do a replacement.
Shingles Covered with Algae or Moss
Fine, there is no reason for alarm with this one. It is more or less a cosmetic issue. What does this mean? It implies that you may consider replacing your roof if you care how it looks from the outside. Plus, most new shingles are algae-proof. Still, do not wipe, scrub, or wash away the green matter. In essence, you will be chipping off the granules and by extension, making your shingles useless. Okay, you don’t need to invest in a new roof if you can stand the look. But if it bothers you, consider using a wash that is one part water and one part bleach to get rid of the accumulated green stuff. Or, you can install zinc strips on the peaks of your roof to help counter the problem.
Hire a Professional to Mount the Roof
You’re better off allowing an expert to replace the roof on your behalf. See, installing a new roof is not only tedious but also requires a specific level of expertise. You should, therefore, pay an experienced roofing company to take care of the situation – it’ll save you a lot of stress.
