The Reasons Why A Roof Replacement May Be Needed

As someone who owns a home, managing your house and being sure it remains up to code at all times is amongst your more important responsibilities. Akin to most investments in life, homes require maintenance as years pass to provide maximum comfort and security. The longer you have lived in your house, the more likely you have thought about investing in a new roof to replace your old roof. However, before jumping to the decision to get a new roof, there are a few obvious signs to keep an eye out for to determine whether or not the time is proper for you and your property. With only a little research, you've probably come across the "25-30 year rule" for a roof's lifespan. That figure is used as a benchmark. Most residential roofs need a replacement during that timeframe. But, there are quite a few factors at play, and all roofs are unique.

All roofs take a substantial amount of external wear and tear throughout each passing year. Direct sunlight, strong winds, debris, vermin, tropical storms, rain, or extreme weather conditions – all of these have an impact on a roof's lifespan. How often your roof needs to be replaced depends on many things:

Weather.Yearly maintenance and care.Age of the materials.Quality of the materials.How well it was installed, to begin with.Were repairs addressed when needed?Keeping pests and rodents away.External debris build-up.

You Have An Old Roof

Typically an asphalt shingle roof has about 10-20 years, with metal and tile roofs tending to have a longer lifespan. If your roof is nearing its average replacement age, you should probably start thinking about a roof replacement. In addition, if previous roof repairs were installed over the top of your pre-existing roof - a practice called overlaying - you should assuredly be thinking about a roof replacement. Overlaying is a patch job that can mask larger roofing problems beneath the shingle surface.

Perform An Interior Roof Check

Before jumping to conclusions about getting a roof replacement, start with conducting your research at home by examining the state of your roof from the inside out. Bring a flashlight with you to your attic or to the area in your home where the interior of your roof is visible and look for the following indicators to a more serious problem:

Beams of Light: Light beams are indicators of roofs that need replacements or repairs. To see the full extent, check your attic with good sunlight during a time of day to catch and identify any light beams.

Leaks: Check the attic for drips and potential water damage. When the roof starts leaking, other areas of your property and its foundation are put at risk, especially if you decide not to repair the roofing issue as fast as possible. Areas that are very damp can lead to further rot along with mold and fungus that can contribute to breathing and other health ailments.

Streaks and Stains: Thoroughly look over all of the inside of your attic and look for potential spots, stains, and streaking. Check any oddly colored area of your roof for additional information on its cause and potential leak culprit. Stains and streaks located in the interior of your attic can signal a bigger and more serious issue involving your roof's durability.

Curling Or Missing Shingles Are Visible

The issue with most roofs is that they're overlooked and out of sight. Usually, not taking a good look until a stain or dark spot is clearly visible from the street or yard.

Old or worn shingles are very simple to spot if you search for them. Missing shingles may be replaced individually, but it's usually a sign of the larger problem. Likewise, large swaths of cracked or weakened shingles (or ones that are visibly crumbling) indicate that your roof needs a replacement.

Shingles can curl in two ways – cupping when the edges turn upward and clawing when edges remain flat and the middle starts to come up. Both of these situations could mean that:

Moisture has built up underneath the asphalt due to inadequate ventilation in the attic. Shingles were poorly installed. Old age and wear from direct sunlight and weathering.

Bald spots on your shingles mean that the granules have begun falling off, exposing the asphalt underneath. Tip: Inspect your gutter system for shingles granules. If rain carries them into your gutters, it's more than likely you need a re-roof.

Moss, Dark Spots And Algae Growth

Dark spots (or generally grimy-looking shingles) are caused by moss and algae growth. These might not be directly tied to when you need to replace your roof (or get it repaired), but such fungus can spread out and cause unnecessary damage to other sections of the roof.

Have you seen fungus or other types of nature growing on top or out of your roof? If so, don't worry. The natural world tends to grow over any structure in its path if it is not adequately cared for and maintained.

When inspecting your roof and the moss you have discovered, make sure to do so by examining both the interior and exterior of your roof. While most plant growths are likely to be seen from the exterior of your roof, if there is a bigger issue on deck, nature may also be showing up on its own inside the house without your knowledge.

In most scenarios, treating the growths from a roof can remedy the problem without money needing to be outlayed quickly. But, if you do notice substantial growths on your roof or even inside your home, it is highly advisable to call a roofing contractor to determine the root cause and reason for the growths.

When a roof has been completely covered in natural growths, there's a strong probability the roof needs to be replaced in its entirety to stop the process in its tracks.

The good news is that moss growth and accumulation are not typically signs that you need to repair or replace your roof. Rather, moss is moreso an eyesore on your roof and one that is quite common in humid areas like Florida.

If your roof needs a full roof replacement, there then becomes a number of decisions that need to be made. Beginning with the roofing material to use, will you stick with asphalt or consider tile? Which roofing contractor to work with? If by chance, there's a valid insurance damage claim. For many homeowners having liquid cash to get a roof replacement may not be a possibility. There is financing available for homeowners offered by affordable roofing companies. Ensure to do proper research before making your choice of contractor.