Getting on roofs can be dangerous. Sometimes the best way to tell if your roof is at end of life is with close examination. But wouldn’t it be nice if there are easy ways to tell if you need a new roof without having to get on your roof? We’ve got 3 of the most common signs that you can see just by walking outside and looking, no hassle.
1. Excessive granule loss
Granules are all those tiny rocky specs on top of shingles. They play a key role in protecting from weather damage. As shingle age, they always shed granules. Upon first installation of shingles, a noticeable but not huge amount of granules should shed, but those are loose ones that get washed out after first couple uses.
The remaining granules are designed to remain for the life of the shingles. However, when integrity of the shingles begins to deteriorate, these granules will wash off as well. Your roof can go for many years with only a small amount of granule loss, but the loss will rapidly speed up at advanced age.
You can check for excessive granule loss by looking at the outlets from your downspouts. If you never noticed a bunch of granules there, but you do now, it’s a sign that your roof is at end of life. It can be enticing to think that shingles can work without the granules, but the important way to look at it is that excessive granule loss is a sign that the shingles are deteriorating enough that tiny cracks are forming that water can get through.
2. Shingle malformation
Another sign other than excessive granule loss is when shingles change shape. They can curl and bend. Instead of sitting flat on your roof, they’d sit convex or concave. On most homes, this can be spotted from the ground.
The cause is often similar to what causes excessive granule loss, but there is an additional possible cause: attic ventilation and condensation problems. If your attic doesn’t ventilate properly, pressure can push up through the roof from inside. Over time, your roof can look like it’s almost being pushed out from inside.
To remedy this during a roof replacement, you’ll want both exhaust and intake ventilation added. Generally speaking, the sooner you can fix this problem the better, because bad ventilation can cause a ton of plywood damage that’ll need to be replaced if it goes too long.
3. Neighbors are replacing their roofs
If you live in a development, all the roofs were put on at the same time (usually) with the same product by the same installers. If your neighbors are replacing their roofs, it’s typically a sign that the entire neighborhood needs new roofs. It would be rare for one or two roofs to manage better than the rest in this situation.
One or two replacements in your neighborhood wouldn’t mean you also need to replace yours, but it can. Maintenance can change longevity of a roof. So if you have a neighbor who used high-powered pressure washer to clean his roof, chances are he’s going to have to replace his roof many years before you will.
If you have noticed any of these signs with your roof, please give us a call. Our estimates are free, and we offer the most reliable manufacturer’s warranty in the industry: the GAF Golden Pledge.