How to Know It’s Time to Replace Your Roof

Despite a roof typically being among the most crucial home alterations to make, not everyone knows when they should make the decision to contact roofing professionals and explore their replacement options.

Homeowners can worry that they’re making the decision prematurely or that their roof is still in excellent condition, despite its age. If you’re unsure whether now is the right time to explore roof replacement, the following signs can point to that being the case.

You’re Missing Shingles

You might start researching the average replacement roof cost when you realize your roof is missing shingles. Both missing shingles and missing granules on those shingles can be signs that adverse weather like hurricanes and thunderstorms have put a great deal of strain on your roof and won the fight. Sometimes, high winds can result in shingles lifting or coming unattached completely.

While roof repair is a suitable solution for an unexpected missing or damaged shingle, that’s not always an option. Some roofing inspectors and replacement companies can determine that the condition of surrounding shingles makes repairs past the point of being a viable option. In this case, they would likely recommend an entire roof replacement.

Your Roof Shingles Are Buckled or Curled

While shingles are a robust roofing material that can stand the test of time, they don’t last forever. With time and adverse weather conditions like wind, they can sustain damage and begin curling or buckling. When they start to curl or buckle, they’re no longer providing a weather-tight seal on your roof, leading to potentially significant damage the next time a thunderstorm or hurricane hits your area. While roofing experts can often replace buckled or curled shingles, it’s a less viable option when several of them show signs of this damage. At this point, you might like to start saving money for a new roof.

You’re Missing Roof Components

The roofing materials, like asphalt shingle, metal, steel, and clay, are undoubtedly the most critical components of your roof, but they aren’t all that matter. They work in partnership with fascia, gutter guards, and flashing to ensure your home remains dry and damage-free.

While damaged, defective, or missing roofing materials are undoubtedly an excellent reason to consider roof replacement, damage to any of your roof’s supporting structures and components can also be. When these components aren’t in excellent condition, they potentially increase your roof’s risk of damage.

While you might not need to opt for total roof replacement once you spot damage to your fascia, flashing, gutter guards, or other materials, it can be worth contacting a roofing team to find out what they recommend to solve the issue.

Your Roof Is Sagging

A sagging roof rarely indicates anything positive. Typically, sagging roof materials can be a sign that the underlying materials are moisture-damaged or rotting. View your roof from the street if you’ve identified trapped moisture or rotting boards in your home. You might notice sagging around the roof’s lowest points when a healthy house roof would be straight.

If you suspect sagging, contact a roofing expert without delay. They can identify the extent of the damage and help you decide whether repairs or total replacement is in your best interest.

You’ve Noticed Water Damage

Your roof is supposed to protect your home structure from water damage, and it can typically do this job for a long time. However, it won’t do it forever. Roof replacement might be required sooner rather than later if you’ve noticed any moisture marks, stains, or peeling paint around the walls and ceilings of your home.

Inspect the attic to see if you can notice any damp rafters that might indicate where the majority of the water is getting in. You can then call in roofing experts to inspect your roof and offer solutions.

You Can See Moss and Fungi

Moss, mold, and fungi can be more damaging to roofing materials than you think. Moss, in particular, can function like a sponge, absorbing water and causing your roof to be constantly wet. With time, this moisture can end up underneath your tiles, rotting the timber components.

While the average owner can stay on top of moss and fungi by scraping them away with a stiff brush when it builds up in shaded parts of the roof, not everyone catches it in time or understands that it’s a problem. Sometimes, it’s not until that moisture has made its way into the roof that homeowners realize they have a severe issue.

If you’ve removed moss, mold, and fungi from your roof but believe the problem is more significant than you can see, consult a roofing expert without delay.

It’s Older Than the Expected Lifespan

The average house roof can last an incredibly long time, with metal roofs often lasting up to 50 years and asphalt shingles keeping your home dry and comfortable for more than a decade. If you know when the roof was installed, and it has now been longer than the anticipated lifespan for the roofing materials, it’s likely that roof replacement will be required in the near future.

However, you don’t necessarily have to start replacing it immediately. A roofing inspector can inspect your roof and inform you of any defects or areas of concern. By receiving regular inspections, you might also be able to ensure your roof remains in excellent condition for longer.

A Roofing Professional Has Told You So

People call roofing professionals for many reasons. They might be worried about damage after a severe weather event or preparing to buy or sell a property. Some people want to keep their roofs in excellent condition, so they schedule annual inspections to identify faults.

Whatever your reason for calling in a roofing professional, you might know that roof replacement is required because they’ve recommended that you do so. Typically, this means that faults with a roof a beyond what can be economically repaired.

Making any significant home alteration can require a great deal of thought, but roof replacement is not something you’ll want to delay. If you can relate to these situations above, now might be the right time to begin exploring your repair or replacement options.