The roof of any type of building can degrade over time which could eventually lead to some serious problems like leaks, worsen structural integrity, etc. But, problems most commonly show up with house roofs. And the worst thing about having to place the roof of your house is the fact that you will have to finance this entire project on your own. But, no matter the cost, if you see signs that your old roof needs to be replaced, you will have to do it.
If you are not certain whether it really requires replacing or if you do not know the exact signs that can tell you that, we made this article to tell you exactly about those signs. Remember, the sooner you act, the better.
We hope that this article will be informative enough and that we will cover everything you need to know on this topic.
Contents
1. Stains, mold, cracks from the inside
Not to complicate things from the start, most experts recommend checking the situation from the inside. If you have an attic, it will be pretty easy to analyze. All you need is a bit of light in some common sense.
Once you get up there, what do you see? Do you see any stains from water or moisture? Do you see any obvious leaks? Do you notice light coming through the roof?
If you check out all of these things we mentioned above and everything seems to be in order, there probably is no need to continue onward with this replacement project.
However, if you notice anything out of the ordinary up there, do not hesitate and search for all of these other signs that we are going to mention below in the article
2. Age
If you really do not feel comfortable getting on top of your house to do some inspection, there is something much safer you can do. Instead of searching for physical evidence on the status of your home, you could rely on paper evidence.
What exactly I mean by this? Well, if you have documentation on when this house was built or when was the last time the roof was replaced, you will be able to figure out whether it is in need of repairs or an entire replacement.
For example, if the document tells you that the roofing is older than 20 years then yes, you will probably have to go forward with this project. But, if it has only been five or 10 years, it probably still has quite a lot of life and it.
3. Shingles start to deteriorate
This may be the single most common sign that a roof needs to be replaced right now, or at least in the next few years. Keep in mind, this sign only applies to houses that have asphalt or any other similar mix for shingles.
What you should be looking for is whether the shingles are in good shape or whether they have started to deteriorate.
To properly check for this, I do not even think you have to get on top of your house. If you can get a good view of the roof from somewhere from the side of your house, you will most definitely notice if there is something wrong with the shingles. If you start noticing some bald spots then you do have a problem that needs to be resolved.
If you feel like you have to get up there for further inspection, but you do not feel comfortable or safe to do that, you can of course always call for professional services that can do this job for you. What is even better is the fact that some of these companies can offer a free estimate as suggested by oahu-roofing.com/kaneohe-roofing. In other words, there is no need to worry about any additional costs.
4. Missing shingles
Another “condition” that you could notice without having to get up on the roof. Get to a location where you have a clear view of your roof and do an accurate analysis to ensure there are not any missing shingles.
If you do notice there are missing shingles, what does that mean? Well, it can mean two things. Either the shingles have not been properly added when the roof was originally installed. The other meaning is much worse. That means that your roof is not in a good condition and that the shingles have started to give in and fall off your roof.
This is a sign that you have to take action immediately. But, who knows, the situation could be a lot better than what it seems. It is better not to delay the solution of this problem and to tackle it as soon as possible.
5. Moss build-up
The buildup of moss on the roof is not always a bad sign. It can happen and get rid of it is easier than it seems. But, if you leave it on there for too long and if it starts spreading, it can start causing serious damage to your roof.
Also, if it does continue to spread then that means there are higher amounts of moisture up on your roof.
We suggest that if you ever notice moss on your roof or anywhere in your home, get rid of it immediately. The process of removal is not difficult at all. All you need to do is to find the right chemicals, spray them over the problematic spots of moss and wait a few days. After a few days, the moss will probably be gone.
However, you are not done after removing the moss from the shingles. Now, you will have to do some additional inspection to ensure it has not caused any damage. Or, like always, you could call a professional to inspect for you. They can provide you with an accurate analysis of the situation.
There are probably several other signs I could mention such as high energy bills, rot, streaks on the singles, and many others, but I believe these five signs I mentioned above are the most obvious and worst ones. If you rely on these, you will definitely know whether your old roof needs or does not need replacement.