Before winter arrives, you want to know your roof is capable of protecting your family from the snow and cold. When was the last time you went outside and took a serious look at your roof? If you’re like most homeowners, the answer to that question might just be “I don’t remember!” So get ready to go take a look. Here are four signs you’ll want to keep an eye out for – they indicate it might be time for roof replacement.
Roof Red Flag #1: Extreme Age
How old is your roof? Asphalt shingle roofs – the most common type of roofing in this part of the country – have an expected useful life of 25-30 years. This lifetime can be shortened by extreme weather events, which have been plentiful in the region.
Roof Red Flag #2: Damaged and missing shingles
Asphalt shingles are meant to lie flat, all of the time. If they’re twisted, warped, curled, split, bent or otherwise messed up, that’s a problem. It’s also a pretty big concern if the shingles aren’t there at all. When assessing this situation, you’re going to want to consider the number of damaged and missing shingles as a percentage of your roof as a whole. If there’s one small area that’s damaged, say 10% or less of the total roof, you’ll be talking to your Wilmington roofing company about roof repair. When it’s a more significant portion damaged, roof replacement becomes the way to go.
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Roof Red Flag #3: There’s moss and other plants growing on your roof.
If your home was intentionally built with a biophilic green roof, looking up and seeing flowers growing on top of the house is a good sign. For everyone else, having moss and other plants growing on the roof is a problem. It indicates there’s way too much moisture on the roof and that some degree of rot is going on.
Roof Red Flag #4: Sagging
Everything sags with age, but you can’t bring the house to a plastic surgeon for a little lift. Problematic sagging in the roof can occur along the ridgeline – the long beam at the peak of the roof – as well as between rafters, or in areas where the roof is angled or joins another roof. If you walk on the roof and it feels spongy underneath your feet, it’s time to call in a professional roofer right away.