8 Signs That Your Home Needs a New Roof

The roof is often the last thing that you think about when it comes to household improvements. Remodeling the kitchen or adding new flooring are more attractive in homeowners’ eyes. You simply don’t see the roof as a priority. However, this part of the structural envelope is critical to the health of the entire home. Take a moment to evaluate these aspects of your roof. There are clear signs when a new roof is necessary.

An obvious sign that your home requires a new roof is a sagging condition. Look at the roof from a side angle. It should have a flat appearance across its entire length. If there are low-lying sections or one big drop, the roof requires replacement.

Sagging roofs occur when these materials break down under the shingles, such as:

• Wood-panel sheathing

• Structural beams

• Underlayment layers

There’s no strategy to shore up the roof “as is.” A  roofing contractor  must remove the shingles and underlayment from the top. They’ll evaluate the sheathing and beams from both sides, including the attic and walking across the roof. 

The professionals remove the damaged parts and build the roof back up. A subsequent sagging issue shouldn’t occur with regular maintenance on the new roof.

The shingles on your rooftop are designed to lay flat. Water courses down their surfaces so that it can reach gutters and the ground below.

When your rooftop has curled shingles, there’s a serious problem. One curled shingle leads to another one. The entire rooftop will have this appearance over time.

The curled shape is a concern because it traps water. It also funnels the water to the shingle edges where underlayment remains exposed. Although this material is protective, it’s not designed to be open to the elements. Moisture and sunlight will slowly eat away at the underlayment, which gives water an easy entryway into your attic.

If you have a newer rooftop with curled shingles, there may be a defect creating the issue. Contacting the installing contractor is the best way to clear up this problem.

After an overnight rain, your driveway and yard might be littered with tiny granules. They have the same color as the roof. In fact, these granules are from your aging rooftop. Every shingle has a rough surface in the form of granules. They assist with water funneling away from the rooftop.

As the shingles age, the granules slough off. They fall to the ground. You might see a few granules over the course of the rooftop’s life. Excessive amounts, however, tell you that a replacement roof is necessary. At some point, the granules will be exhausted. The shingle itself will crack and let volumes of water into the attic.

Head up to your attic. Try to perform this task during a sunny day. Stand in the middle of the attic. Look for these features, such as:

• Shafts of light from the side or above

• Tiny dots of light striking the attic interior

If there are any openings into your attic, the light evidence tells you how serious the problem can be. A light-filled attic equates to a replacement roof. Patching the areas will cost a lot of money and may not cover every leak point. 

After you replace the roof , you might return to the attic for the same light test. A properly installed roof will leave the attic practically dark in the daytime.

If you’ve noticed that wall sections and ceilings have some mysterious yellowing to their hues, they’re not optical illusions. In fact, the yellowing is often water that’s seeped inside over many months. It dries and leaves a mineral trail that looks yellow on white paint and drywall.

These yellow sections don’t necessarily indicate that the leak was in that location, however. Water might drip and seep in from several feet away. 

A professional can come in and evaluate the home. They might figure out the leak’s origination point. In most cases, there are multiple areas where the water comes in. A replacement roof is typically the answer or else the family ends up chasing leaks every month.

Shingled roofs last for about 20 to 25 years. Regardless of the weather conditions, this time frame is solid for nearly every brand of asphalt shingle. Consider the roof’s age when you look up at it. If you’re nearing the 30-year mark, it’s time to replace the roof.

Waiting for the materials to fail isn’t a good strategy. You might stretch the roof’s life out for another year or two, but catastrophic failure may be a problem before you replace it.

Asking for a quote from a reputable contractor now will give you a good deal without any time constraints. You aren’t in a hurry to replace a roof that’s caved in, for instance.

Some homeowners don’t observe their rooftops on a frequent basis. They simply retreat inside. Walk out to the curb, and look up at the rooftop. Be sure to stare for a bit longer at areas that seem out of place.

Missing materials can happen at any time. A gust of wind might take one or two shingles away. A flashing section can lose its grip after the last storm that moved through.

Any missing material is serious business. If many parts of the roof are impacted with missing pieces, the entire surface should be replaced. 

Those missing sections are weathered and detaching from age too. The rest of the rooftop will succumb to this problem unless you replace it now.

There might be subtle issues arising when your roof requires a replacement process. Mold and moss might be slowly growing on top of the shingles. This scenario usually occurs in shaded areas of the roof. 

Many homes have shade from nearby trees and buildings, but that fact doesn’t mean that there should be microbes growing. Their presence means that there’s moisture trapped in the area. The underlayment or shingles might be damaged, for example. 

It’s not uncommon for microbes to go unnoticed for months at a time. The moisture has a chance to spread to the majority of the rooftop. You have no choice but to replace the roof. Those microbes can continue to wear away at the rooftop materials if they’re just spot checked and patched.

Contact Crossover Roofing at 336-804-5058 for all of your new-roof questions. We’re pleased to serve the Greensboro, NC, area as a premiere roofing contractor. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Replace your roof now before heavy storms settle in.