The roof is the most fundamental part of your home. After all, without a roof, you don’t really have a shelter. And a faulty roof not only can lead to significant and costly problems, it can also create a hazard for you, your family, or for anyone who comes to visit.
It’s recommended that your roof be replaced every 12 to 25 years, depending on the type of roofing materials used in its construction. And not replacing your roof within the recommended time frame can lead to major issues.
One of the more costly repair jobs you can perform is the complete overhaul of an entire roof. And if your shingles no longer protect your roof, you’re liable to incur significant water damage which can cause even more issues within the structure itself.
If you think your roof is in need of repair but you’re not quite sure how to tell, the following will offer a few tips for telling when it’s time to replace your roof.
Start by Looking Inside
It might be counterintuitive, but the first place to look for a faulty roof isn’t the roof itself, it’s inside the home. And this is when you need to grab your flashlight and head up into the attic.
Even though roofs must adhere to a specific building code, this doesn’t make them impervious to damage. Water damage is most often the cause of a faulty roof. And this is simply the result of a roof taking the brunt of inclement weather over many years. But there are many ways to visually acknowledge that your roof needs repair.
A few of these indicators are as follows:
- Light between beams
- Water stains
- Pools of water inside the attic
- Bulging wood
- Saturated roofing boards
- Large holes
- Wet or damp joists
Additionally, in areas of the country where snow and ice are prevalent, water damage can be incurred more frequently.
For example, if you live in MInneapolis, you likely have several months of snow and icy conditions. And if you notice any of the aforementioned indicators, your best strategy is to contact a Minneapolis roofing contractor to assist you with repair or replacement.
Check Your Shingles
Aside from interior damage that will be evident when you check your attic, you’ll also want to closely inspect the shingles as well. And there are several tell-tale signs that your shingles may need to be replaced.
Asphalt shingles are the most common in many areas of the country. As such, if you find that you have buckled shingles, or if they’re not lying flat against the plane of the roof, these are sure signs that replacement is needed.
Additionally, if you have wooden shingles and these appear cracked, highly discolored or worn, then you may want to have a local roofing contractor come out and do a full inspection.
And perhaps the most obvious, if you’re missing several shingles or they peel right off the roof with little effort, it’s likely time to get your shingles replaced.
Walk the Property
It’s time to really get up close and personal if you want to look for evidence that it may be coming time to have your roof replaced. And there are several signs to consider.
First, check your gutters. If you see whole shingles or a significant amount of granules from the shingles in the gutters, this is a sign to call a roofing contractor. Additionally, looking on the ground around the gutters for granules is also a tell-tale sign.
Another method to see if your roof needs replacing is by walking your property after a heavy rainfall or a storm with high winds. If your roof needs replacing, chances are you’ll have shingles that have blown off the roof around the perimeter of your property.
You’ll also want to get the ladder back out and check flashing, chimney seals, skylights and other corners of the home and look for areas where shingles might be missing or are coming apart.
Remember that on most older homes, flashing was predominantly made of tar. And over time, like shingles, tar can lose its grip. In this case, installing new, metal flashing might be a remedy that will allow your roof to last a bit longer.
You can’t have a home without a roof. And unless you want to invest hundreds of dollars in tarps, keeping up with your roof is going to be a huge money saver over time. And in addition, by properly maintaining your roof, you’ll also keep your home;’s value in check as well.