How to Know if Your Roof Needs to Be Replaced or Repaired

Modern roofs can last three decades or more, depending on the materials used and the expertise and commitment to excellence of the contractor. Older roofs, however, aren’t quite as eternal. If you have lived in your home for a number of years and have never experienced a problem with your roof, consider yourself lucky.

However, that luck won’t last, and because of it, you may not immediately recognize a problem with your roof that might require a repair or even a new roof. Here are some signs that your roof needs attention, and if you do suspect a problem, don’t hesitate to call a professional to diagnose it and provide an estimate:

Leaks and Sunlight

Water seeping into your house is an obvious sign of a roof problem, but sometimes that leak is difficult to find, particularly if it never gets beyond your attic. Look at the attic from the inside to look for evidence of a leak and do so during the daytime—if slivers of sunlight are visible, your roof has holes that should be fixed.

Damaged Shingles

Shingles that are cracked, curling upward, cupping in the middle, or buckling or are damaged in any other way are a sign of a roof in distress. Most shingle damage, if not caused by wind, is an indication that water has seeped underneath the roof and is destroying it from underneath. A damaged shingle here and there might not be cause for alarm and can easily be replaced, but enough of them might be an indicator that you need a new roof.

Missing Shingles

Shingles can blow off during storms; if the roof is solid, you hire a contractor to replace them and move on. However, if you are losing shingles during relatively calmer conditions, something else other than a breeze might be at play. Don’t let missing shingles go unreplaced: Call a professional to fix the problem and determine the state of your roof.

Granules in the Gutter

The granules you see on asphalt shingles serve an important purpose: shielding the roof from the effects of the sun. On a new roof, excess granules may fall off the shingles—this is nothing to be concerned about. For an old roof, however, losing these granules might be a sign that the shingles are at the end (or beyond the end) of their lifespan. The sun will then beat upon your unprotected shingles and shorten the roof’s life even more. If your roof is more than 15 years old and you are seeing granules in the gutter, you may be inching closer to a replacement.

Failing Flashing

Flashing is the material that seals and protects the seams around roof features such as chimneys, skylights, and vents. If you are noticing cracking around the flashing and/or are experiencing leaks on the inside of these structures, a repair is definitely in order.

Drooping and Sagging

If your roof is visibly drooping, sagging, or depressed, a replacement roof is likely imminent. Moreover, these are also signs of potential structural damage—boards and decking in the attic might be rotting as well. Call a roofer right away to assess the damage.

The Passage of Time

Back to the conversation about luck earlier in this post: If you are not the original owner of your home but have resided in it for more than 20 years without a roof problem, you should, at the very least, be wary that the roof is on the back end of its practical life. Issues and damage can be present even in older roofs that otherwise look fine to the untrained eye. Pay careful attention to your experienced roof and consider annual inspections by a professional to help determine if there are concerns you just aren’t seeing. Also, if you live in a subdivision and your neighbors start replacing their roofs, be ready—yours might be just around the corner.

What current concerns do you have about your roof?