Owning a house is a lot of work. It becomes an investment in your future. If you’ve never replaced your roof before, you might be curious whether you need a new one. There are plenty of warning signs that show up when you need a new roof. This post is for you if you’ve noticed some strange signs on your roof or are just wondering what to look for when the time comes to replace your roof.
06 Warning Signs You Need a New Roof
1. You’ve got natural light in your attic
If you’re suspicious that you need a new roof or need repairments made, one way to check is to head to the attic. You can tell a lot about the state of your roof by how the underside looks, even if you’re not a professional. Plus, it’s much easier to see any cracks, holes, or leaks that could have appeared in your roof.
If you notice that you’ve got great natural light in your attic without adding a sunroof, this could be a sign you need a new roof. While this doesn’t always mean you need a new roof, at the very least, you need to contact a roofing contractor and have them assess the damage and what they can do.
2. Your roof is really old
If your roof is more than 20 years old, you might need a new roof. However, this isn’t the deciding factor for whether or not you need a new roof. You’ll need to have your current roof inspected if it’s 20 years old or older. Or, if you don’t know how old your roof is.
In some cases, it isn’t necessary to replace a 20-year-old roof as it hasn’t deteriorated yet. Here is the average lifespan of various roof types:
- Cement, clay, or slate tile: This type of roof can last the lifetime of your home. It can last, on average, up to 100 years.
- Asphalt shingles: This type of roof lasts around 25-50 years.
- Fiber cement shingles: A fiber cement root lasts only 20-25 years.
- Rubber roof – PVC, TPO, and EPDM: This roof is similar to the fiber cement one in terms of lifespan. It lasts 20-25 years.
- Asphalt roll roofing: This roof does not last as long as the others on this list. An asphalt roll roof only lasts for 5-10 years,
- Built-Up roofing: This roof lasts around 15-20 years.
- Modified bitumen system – MBS: This roof has an average lifespan of 12-15 years.
As you can see, depending on which type of roof you have can significantly affect its average lifespan. If you aren’t sure whether or not your roof is at the end of its lifespan, the best thing to do is contact a professional. These are great questions to ask roofing contractors if you want to find out more.
3. Your roof is sagging
This is one of the biggest signs that you need a new roof. If you notice your roof is sagging or drooping, contact a professional to inspect it. You can usually notice the droopiness from the ground without climbing onto the roof. However, if you see it’s sagging, avoid getting on the roof altogether, as it could be weak and damaged.
Once you contact a licensed contractor to inspect your roof, they’ll look and see if you have rotting boards or water trapped underneath. Then they’ll let you know whether your roof can be repaired and saved or if you’ll need a new one altogether.
4. Your roof has rotting or missing shingles
Another easy way to tell if it’s time for a new roof is if your shingles are deteriorating. If your shingled roof is sloped, you should be able to notice missing or deteriorating shingles from the ground. But to check for other types of damage and rot, you’ll need to actually get on the roof. If you aren’t comfortable doing this, contact your local roofing contractor instead.
If you do decide to climb onto your roof and check yourself, look and see if the shingles are all lying flat. You’ll want to check for patches that contain cracked, bent, lifted, or otherwise damaged shingles. Luckily, this doesn’t always mean you’ll need a new roof. These problems can sometimes be fixed with minor repairs.
5. Your roof was installed or repaired improperly
This is a little harder for some homeowners to know about if they didn’t own the home during the installation process. It’s especially difficult because it can take years to notice the damage caused by a poorly installed or repaired roof. This is especially unfortunate because it often comes with having no reliable warranty on your roof. Here are some things to check to look for in an improperly installed roof:
- Gutters: If you notice water flowing to the underside of your roof from your gutters, this could be a sign your roof was installed poorly.
- Flashing: It’s a bad sign if you notice the flashing around your chimney and other roof fixtures fitting improperly.
- Drill holes: There are a lot of reasons your roof might have had holes drilled in at one point or another, e.g., satellite or antenna mounting brackets. Unfortunately, when these are removed, the holes should be patched. If they aren’t, this can result in water leaking into your roof and causing damage.
6. You have mold on your roof
If you notice an unwanted garden growing out of your roof, this could signify it’s time for a new roof. This happens when mold, fungus, or moss begins forming on your roof. You should be able to remove the foliage that’s grown on your roof easily, but you’ll want to check underneath it for moisture damage or other signs of deterioration.
Both fungus and moss can cause extensive water damage to your roof if they’re left alone. These two easily trap water and moisture, which will cause further deterioration. If you notice some damage, this might be repairable but left untreated; it could possibly lead to a needed roof replacement altogether.
