Building a roof on your home means that you are almost done, but you mess it up here, you will have lots of work in the upcoming years. A roof is important as any other aspect of your home. Replacing the whole thing can be costly, so maintaining and repairing it is quite important.
Generally speaking, your roof should last between 20-25 years. If the place you are living at has a wet or dry climate, it might be on the lower end of the spectrum. It will also depend on what your roof is made out of. A roof with wooden shingles will not last as long as a roof made from metal, that usually lasts for 50 years while asphalt roofs are also becoming popular and it will last around 25 years.
We often do not think about replacing our roof or even about checking to see if there are any damages that need repairs. People do not know what to look for in order to determine they need to replace the roof.
Here is a list of things to check before making a decision to place a new roof on your home:
Img source: rooferontario.com
1. Start from the inside – the first thing you should do is to head to the attic and take a closer look at the ceiling. If there are beams of light coming through, it could indicate that there are tiles missing. If there are stains on the floor, ceiling, or walls, it could mean that there are leaks and water damage that occurred.
2. Check your paperwork – when was the roof initially installed? If it was more than 20 years ago, keep an eye on any damage and necessary repairs. You could also call an expert to look for any damage, and get an estimate done on your roof, you should do this especially if you recently purchased or moved into the house.
3. Look for droppings or sagging – go outside and take a look at your roof. Did you notice that it is sagging or dropping in specific areas? This could be a sign of severe water damage. If your roof appears to be sagging, hire an expert right away since if left unrepaired, it might result in severe damage to your home’s structure.
4. Look for moss – while moss can be pretty in some places, if it is growing on your roof it is often a sign of water being trapped. You should look at the shady areas of the roof. If you find moss, you can easily use a brush to take it off and make sure that you check the underlying issues causing it to grow at that specific area. If you can’t do it by yourself, you can just hire professional roof cleaners because cleaning a roof is very dangerous. Read more here.
Img source: ocregister.com
5. Check for missing shingles or for damage on them – this might require you to get on the roof. Check the shingles for cracks, the ones that are curled, or cupped shingles. All of these are signals that it is time to replace your roof. If you notice any of these issues, it will probably be widespread across the roof and beyond repairs. Keep in mind that you should not walk on the shingles that are cupped or curled since the might break off. Also, after a severe storm, take a look if any bald spots occurred on your roof. The point of shingles is to keep the water out, so if you are missing some in specific areas, water can get in and damage the structure underneath it.
Conclusion
Do not panic if you find any of the stated damage on your roof. If you are in doubt of how to repair or replace your roof, you can always hire professionals to give you the right estimate of what needs to be done.
