The cost of repairing a roof and the cost of replacing a roof are very far apart. Most of the time, you can escape an entire roof replacement if you notice signs of damage early enough and fix them. You should be able to know when it’s time to call in a roofer to prevent further roof damage or any other damages.
The most common sign that a roof needs replacement is if a roof is old and looks worn out. Your roof is said to be old when it is more than 25 years old for asphalt shingles and more than 35 years old for steel shingles. However, a homeowner might not know how old a roof is, especially if he/she isn’t the initial owner. A telltale sign that your roof is old will be when your neighbors start replacing their roofs. But then you would ask yourself, what if the houses in your neighborhood were not built at the same time? Well, if this is the case, you will know if your roof is old if it looks worn out and out of trend.
There are other signs that, when noticed, should make you start thinking of calling in the roofing pro. Three out of these signs will be listed and explained in this article. Here they are:
Three signs that mean you need to replace your roof.
- Sun Rays in your attic: this is the most common problem and a sign that occurs when a roof gets old. You can only notice this if you go up to your attic during sunny days and as often as time permits. When you see sun rays, even the tiniest of them, through your attic, it means that there is a leakage. This is the time when you call a roofer for roof repair. Be reminded that if sunlight could penetrate through your shingles, then wind, snow, and even rainwater can come in. Another sign of roof repair is when you see water patches in your attic. It becomes dangerous if the water patches increase every time, and it means that you have an active roof leakage. Your roof might be repaired or replaced entirely, depending on the nature of the damage or how old your roof is.
- Cracked or differently shaped shingles: cracking of shingles is usually caused by a strong wind. When you notice that your shingles are cracked, then you should call a roofer. The cracking of a shingle may lead to leakage and moss build-up. If your shingles are cracked, your roof may be repaired if the cracking occurs in just one section. It may be replaced if the shingles cracked at different parts of the roof.
On the other hand, differently shaped shingles can come in two different forms, curling, and clawing shingles. Shingles curling occur when the edge of the shingles starts bending upwards, while shingles crawling occur when shingles remain flat, but its center begins to rise. What causes shingles to change shape is if your insulation and ventilation systems are not correctly installed. Therefore, if you notice changes in the shape of your shingles, hurry and call your roofer, to avoid problem escalation.
- Sagging or dropping roof: this is the most dangerous sign that your roof is damaged. If your roof starts sagging or dropping, it will likely be because your roof has been leaking for a long time, and you did not notice. This long time leaking will, in turn, lead to the rooting of boards and the plywood used for your roof’s under decking. A sagging or damaged roof may also occur because of some foundation issues. Either of them, when you notice this on your roof, you should invite a roofer to take a critical look at it. A sagging or dropping roof may not collapse or cause harm as soon as it is noticed. However, you are advised to call in the pro before the year runs out because you might not know how bad the internal damage on your roof is. Trust me, you won’t want to come home to surprising roof damage, especially if you have kids around.
Finally, having little or no knowledge of roofs should not be an excuse not to know that something is wrong with your roof. The three signs mentioned above are the most prominent and easy-to-notice signs that a roof needs to be worked on. Therefore, you are advised to make hay while the sunshine by paying attention to the changes that occur in your roof. Also, by calling a roofer like roohome to take care of roof damages immediately, you discover them.
