In this article, we will talk about the telltale signs that you may need a new roof.
The first sign that your roof is starting to fail is missing granules. This is very easy to see when you’re close up on the roof, but it’s tough to notice when you’re down on the ground. The granules are the stones that the manufacturer puts on top of the shingle, which is your first line of defense against UV and any rain or weather coming down onto your roof. So if they start coming off your shingles, your shingle will start wearing out and failing.
The second sign that your roof is starting to fail is blistering shingles. You would start seeing little bubbles on top of your shingles, or small craters because of a dead blister if that blister did end up popping, cracking, and breaking right off the shingles. So you’re looking for either little tiny holes which kind of looks like hail damage. It’s not quite hail damage, but it’s a blistered shingle that either is bubbled or broken, and now you have a crater in your shingle. What that’s going to do is it’s going to cause a little pocket which water will sit in.
The third telltale sign that you may need a new roof is buckling or curling shingles. This is most easily seen on three table roofs but does happen to architectural shingles as well. Your shingle starts to dry out; all the oils from the manufacturer are coming out of the shingles. The shingle will begin to curl on the bottom, or it’ll start curling underneath itself. It can raise the adhesive off of the roof lifting your shingles, making them more prone to blow off and making it more prone to driving rain getting below your shingles.
Another sign that you may need a new roof is that your shingles are missing or exposed plywood. If you have exposed plywood, your roof is probably already leaking. If you have missing shingles but no exposed plywood or plywood that you cannot see yet, your roof may need a repair. It may be an improper installation from the start. However, it could also mean that the adhesive on your shingles is starting to fail. Have that checked out by your local roofing contractor.
How do I know if my roof needs to be replaced?
Your roof may already be leaking, and you may not know it, so what you should do is have your roof inspected at least once a year. Your roof should be inspected and also your attic, because sometimes you may not always notice the leak. You have insulation in your attic, which may absorb water, and you may never see the water inside your house. Some newer homes also have a more significant barrier above the drywall, and you may never notice water coming in when it’s pooling above your head. And if that water pulls up too much eventually your sheetrock could give out, and you’ll have a flood in your house.
We recommend you have your roof and attic inspected at least once a year, and what they’re looking for is mold in the insulation, mold on the plywood, water staining from a leak that you have not noticed, and they’re also looking for dry rot. Dry rot is the delamination of your plywood from the inside out. Instead of your roof failing because of the shingles, your roof is failing from the attic side. And the problem with that is that once that board starts to rot out or dry rot, in this case, the nails and your shingles will begin to pop out because there’s not enough hold on the plywood. After all, it’s starting to wear itself out. And then you’re going to have problems with your shingles down the line. If that happens, not only will you have to do your roof because your shingles are coming off, now you will have to replace plywood. So make sure you have your roof inspected regularly.
If you are considering replacing your roof we are here to help you make the best decision. For a free in-home consultation fill out our online form or contact California Energy Contractors at (855) 779-1413.
