A house’s roof is often something overlooked and ignored by most homeowners. Most people don’t look up when they leave the house, so they often don’t realize that there are problems before it’s time to replace the entire roof. If you set aside time once a month to look up, you can notice certain signs to find a roof repair contractor instead of paying for the entire thing to be replaced.
Visible Damage to the Roof
The first, and most obvious, reason to replace the shingles on your roof is that they’ve been recently damaged. This could be due to a storm, the shingles cracking, or a critter trying to make its way into your attic. No matter what the reason is, damaged shingles need to be replaced because damaged shingles don’t protect your roof.
Keep an eye out for curling or cracked shingles. Always check your roof after a storm to make sure there’s no serious damage. Make time to check your roof for any obvious damage periodically throughout the year. Critters scurrying across your roof combined with the age of your shingles can damage your shingles without a loud noise indicating they’re damaged. Catching these things early will minimize the damage to your home.
Shingles Are Missing
Missing shingles can be just as damaging to your home as damaged shingles are. Even if all the shingles on your roof are new, they can’t properly do their job if there are gaps to the wood of your roof. Sometimes shingles fall off due to age, or sometimes the wind catches poorly installed shingles at the wrong angle and carries them away. No matter the reason, it’s important that you get the missing shingles replaced as soon as possible to protect your roof.
Water Stains in Your Home
Not all damage to your roof can be seen from the ground. Unless you’re climbing up a ladder to investigate each shingle one by one, there’s a chance you’ll miss things, so you need to be looking for signs inside your home as well. Shingles are meant to keep water from leaking into your home. If you see water stains on your ceiling (especially after a heavy rainstorm), there’s likely damage somewhere that you can’t see. Call a roofing professional to come out to your home if you can’t find the source of the damage. They’ll be able to diagnose the problem and help you replace what needs to be replaced.
Moss is Growing (or Another Plant)
For some, a moss-covered roof gives your home a lovely aesthetic, but moss growth on your roof is one step closer to damaging your shingles and roof as a whole. Moss holds moisture close to your roof, which can be a bad thing in the long term. In freezing or particularly moist climates, the buildup of moisture can wear down your shingles over time and damage your roof. Removing the moss before that damage is irreversible is key to keeping your roof in great shape.
Roof is Old
If you can’t remember the last time you had work done on your roof, it might be time to call a professional and have the shingles replaced. Time passes, and the elements will wear down your shingles, so they aren’t as effective as they used to be. Usually, you’ll see signs that they’re old, such as curling or cracking, but not always. If it’s been over twenty years since there was work done on your roof, it might be time to get it replaced, even if everything seems fine at the moment. You never know when that might change.
Headlines Team