Nobody really wants a roof replacement. They are massively expensive (if your insurance doesn’t cover the costs), and they take a lot of work. It’s a disruptive thing to have to deal with. But it’s better to replace a failing roof than to ignore the warning signs. With that in mind, these five tips can help you see when it’s time for a new roof.
You Find a Leak
It’s the most obvious sign, and it’s the most important. Any sign of a leak means that your roof needs a repair, and if the problem is extensive enough, it might be time for a roof replacement.
If you see discoloration anywhere on your ceiling, it could be from water. So get up in the attic and see if anything is damp. You can also try touching the discoloration to see whether it is still damp.
If you get water dripping from a skylight or anywhere else in the ceiling, that’s definitely bad news. And in the worst cases, your ceiling can bulge as it collects large amounts of water.
No matter how intense or mild the leak is, never sit on it. It’s vital to act quickly to minimize any damage to your home or the people and things in it.
There Are Visible Signs of Damage
Even if you don’t have a leak, if you walk outside and see damage on your roof, it’s a sign that you’re going to need some serious work up there. For shingle roofs, missing shingles, shingles that are curling, shingles that are bald, and shingles that are torn are all clear signs of trouble.
Even if you don’t have a shingle roof, cracks in roofing materials, depressions in the roof or other changes to the general shape of the roof, and overtly damaged roofing materials all indicate that you have significant damage up there.
There Was a Major Storm
Sometimes, you can get an idea that your roof needs work even when you can’t easily see the damage. This often happens after a major storm. Every once in a while, the weather is bad enough to prematurely age a roof, and it’s usually a good idea to get your roof inspected after such a storm.
Even if you don’t walk outside to find chunks of shingles missing, if all of the neighbors need roofing work, you at least need an inspection. There could be problems that aren’t easy to see from the ground, and if the storm damaged other roofs in the neighborhood, it was powerful enough to at least put yours at risk.
Things Are Growing on Your Roof
It’s also possible for roofing materials to grow things like molds, algae, and other unfun plants and fungi. If anything is growing in the roof, it’s a major problem.
If you catch and treat it early, you can often save the roof. But when these problems spread far enough, they’re a huge pain to manage. Whatever is growing in the roof needs to be thoroughly killed and expunged. Most of the time, the materials that had things growing in them also need to be replaced.
Growths are more common with shingle roofs, but they can plague other kinds of roofs, especially because molds and such can sometimes grow in the substrate of your roof. This is one of the reasons why regular inspections are so important.
It’s Nearing the End of the Warranty
There’s another case where hidden dangers might be lurking in your roof. If it is nearing the end of its expected life, it’s a good idea to get an inspection. Plenty of roofs outlive their warranties, and that’s great. But your roof might be showing some subtle signs of its age. If that’s the case, it’s better to find these problems before the warranty ends. Sometimes, you can save some money replacing a roof right at the end of its life, and then you get a brand new roof with a new warranty.
Overall, you want to make sure your roof is in good shape. So consider getting a professional to look at it any time you have doubts or concerns. An inspection is so much easier than repairing the catastrophic damage that can occur when warning signs are missed.
If you find that your roof is in disrepair, Alpine Sheet Metal Systems can help. We fabricate and install the metals that go on your roof. From specific components to entire roofs, we can ensure that you have the best materials for anything that needs a replacement. Contact us today to learn more.
