Top 5 Reasons It’s Time To Replace Your Roof

Let’s be real – how often do you really bother to think about your roof? It’s right up there, protecting you and your loved ones from hectic rains and winter storms, but does it ever cross your mind to check up on it?
Probably not.

Have you been slacking off on this matter? Here are five reasons it’s probably time to replace your roof:

1. It’s Been Around For A While

Your roof is not a lady, so don’t be afraid to check out exactly how long it’s been around. Figuring out the age of your roof is a prime indicator of whether or not it’s time to replace it.

Take some time and go through your home’s documentation, and find out how long it’s been since the roof has either been installed, repaired or replaced.

Depending on the material of your roof, and how much time has passed, it might be time to consider undergoing replacement!

For instance:

• Asphalt shingles are expected to last about 20 years;
• Wood shingles can be good for 30 years;
• Metal has a life expectancy of 40 to 60 years.

If you happen to have a roof made up of asphalt shingles, and the calendar is fast approaching two decades, then it’s time you start looking for an expert.

2. You Can See The Light (And Not The One You’re Thinking)

Go ahead and take a little trip up to your attic. It surely isn’t the most inviting place at your beautiful and comfortable home and more of an improvised warehouse for broken toys and old clothes.

However, it can provide you with valuable insights into the health of your roof. If the light is getting in, that means there’s an opening for other, slightly less friendly things, like cold and rain.

If there’s a big leak, guess what? It’s replacing time.

3. The Granules Are Everywhere

If you happen to notice an unprecedented amount of granules randomly spread inside the gutters and ditches around your house, and your roof is about to reach its 10th year of proud existence, then you have yourself a problem.

What keeps the sunlight from severely corrupting your roof’s health are the granules – think of them as working for your shingles the way sunscreen works for your skin.

What happens when they start to come off is similar to what happens to skin cells when they aren’t protected. They heat up to an unnaturally high temperature, and that leads to serious damage.

For your roof, this mostly means sucking years off of its original life expectancy, so if granules are falling off, it’s best if you just replace it.

4. There’s A Little (Or A Lot) Missing

With time, and due to dreadful environmental conditions, it’s fairly common that shingles detach, are blown away by the wind, and just simply disappear.

This is not so much a practical issue as it is an aesthetical one. Getting new shingles to replace the ones that are missing is pretty easy, but don’t expect them to match exactly the ones your roof already has.

You can try to at first, but keep in mind that if you keep adding new shingles to replace those that disappear over the years, your roof might start to look like people can play chess on it.

Replacing your roof in its entirety when you see several shingles missing is a better option in the long run!

5. It’s Caving In

This one is a no-brainer, or at least it should be. Once you see your roof is starting to sag, even in the slightest, it’s time to start worrying.

More than worrying, you should think about taking immediate action – aside from not looking exactly pretty, a sagging roof can indicate that your roof is about to fall apart.

Causes of sagging roofs include:

• Damages brought about by water;
• Too much weight pressure;
• Bad roof structure;
• Old age.

If you wait too long to replace your roof after you notice it’s beginning to cave, you may be in for some disastrous consequences. This really isn’t the kind of situation to play with, so get re-roofing!

 

So there you have it! Just in case you find yourself with a little bit of free time, it’s a good idea to check how your roof is doing, and start treating it right. You’ll be glad you did!