You open your eyes Monday morning only to notice a new water stain on the ceiling, you think to yourself confused, “well that wasn’t there before”. It’s Monday, the last thing you want to think about is a problem happening to your home. The day goes passes upon pulling into the driveway after work; you see a few shingles are missing from your roof. You begin to wonder if you need a new roof. In our Aspen blog we have written an article about Five Reasons to Replace Your Roof, but what are the signs leading up to confirm that you might need a new roof?
The Signs
Water Damage
Usually, a homeowner begins to notice signs of whether or not they need a new roof when they are actually in the home. According to NRCA (National Roofing Contractors Association), homeowners should have their house inspected at least twice a year (spring and fall). The best place to start the inspection? Inside the home! Heavy moisture in the attic system can occur for many reasons. You can see signs that there is moisture damage to the roof and throughout the home through water stains, dark spots, and trails in the drywall.
Structural Damages
When inside the home you may also notice, if there are any structural damages, such as sagging of your roof deck. Structural damages can occur for many reasons. A prominent sign of damage can be roof sagging, due to rotten or saturated sheathing (usually under the Underlayment). Sheathing can rot due to the compromised underlayment.
Once you have done a quick personal inspection inside your home you can go outside to check for a few more signs. Looking up you might notice……
Worn or Missing Shingles
Curling shingles and whole sections of shingles missing are clear signs that you need a roof inspection. Occasionally one can make repairs to small sections of roofs. It is when the damage covers the entire roof that you should start looking into new roofing options before your roof begins to resemble a checkerboard.
Loose Flashing around Vents and Chimneys
Sometimes an untrained eye may not be able to tell if the flashing is loose. Without proper flashing, your home is more prone to potential leak risks. Flashing is used to protect objects on your roof, like a chimney for example. Any thin metal sheet or strip that covers a seam to prevent and seal out water from your home can be flashing. Flashing though, made to be weather resistant can become loose over time due to corrosion. Small holes can occur, screws originally anchoring the flashing into place can pull out, or the metal eventually can wear away.
Wearing Uniformity
Are the shingles wearing down at the same speed, or are they uneven throughout the roof? Are you noticing granules accumulating in your gutters or driveway? If so, the shingles are probably more than halfway through their lifespan.
Next Steps…
If you see any of these signs or a heavy combination of signs, your roof could be telling you that it needs replacing. The next step that you can take is to call a local contractor such as Aspen! Aspen Contracting always has free inspections and always values their customers by “Doing the Right Thing through Higher Standards and Integrity. So contact Aspen to set up a free inspection today.