12 Signs You Need a Roof Repair, Warnings, Checks and What to Do

Do you have an older roof that is reaching its life expectancy? Or did you just purchase a home that has signs of previous and or current issues? Do you have a middle aged roof that is experiencing weather or workmanship related issues that could cause expensive interior damage? These are just a few of the questions you could be asking your self, out of many that may lead you to considering a roof replacement or repair in the near future. In our previous blog we did illude to acknowledging that planning for larger home projects can be beneficial but, planning is not always an option. So checking out these main things on your roof can help you determine if you have an immediate need or if you have time to plan.

1. Do you know the current age of your roof? If you don’t have you requested a free estimate and evaluation for replacement?
2. Don’t know how to determine if your roof should be considered for an upcoming evaluation? Do you have any evidence of interior damage or leaking? Ceiling stains? Cracked drywall or plaster? Rotted Fascia boards on your exterior? Curling or cracking shingles? Large amounts of shingle granules or debris in your gutters or in your downspout washout? Missing ridge cap and or ridge vent? Missing shingles? Pock marks or evident shingle mat exposure throughout your roof? Missing flashings on your pipes, chimney, or roof to wall intersections? Deteriorating masonry chimney or deteriorating wood surrounds with chimneys and or dormers? These are just a handful of what we would call prevalent questions you can check or ask your self by taking a quick evaluation of your roof. (Even if only from the ground)
3. Do you have a predominantly flat roof area either over a porch or on a dormer that may be cracking, actively leaking, pulling away from the eve perimeter? Flat roofs often do not have the same life spans as shingle and or metal roof counter parts, especially when they are not maintenanced appropriately. They may need to be replaced at the half life of a pitched roof. Keeping debris off lower pitched or flat roofing can help extend their life span, also checking for pooling water or runoff that doesn’t drain appropriately, transitions from flat roof areas to pitched roof areas are often times not installed appropriately and can cause leaks at the transition that may need addressed.
4. Valleys can also be a source of problems when large roof planes come together in a short and low pitched valley forcing large amounts of water runoff to a small area can force run off backwards behind shingles, also any amount of limb, leaf, fruit or nut debris can create a damming situation in these areas. Valleys can also be installed incorrectly and cause water or ice backup, forcing a leak.
5. Bathroom and or HVAC pipe flashings can prematurely crack or deteriorate under UV exposure and hot, cold expansion and contraction cycles, causing flange breakdowns and failures.
6. Inappropriate ventilation with either intake, exhaust or both can create heat trapping and condensation issues in the attic, baking shingles from the inside out, causing accelerated decomposition of both nails, decking and cellulose insulation.
7. Areas where shingles may be missing exposing the underlayment materials and or the wood decking substrate.
8. Exposed nail heads throughout your roof, where previous installer may have low nailed in their install, creating a situation where water may infiltrate around penetrations or nail heads may inadvertently force rise due to shingle movement, and expansion and contraction causing premature shingle blow offs.
9. Do you have any signs of deteriorating chimney exterior, walls or chimney cap?
10. Do you have architectural shingles that seem to be separating or what we call “delaminating”? This is where the top or face portion of the shingles slides downward separating from the base or the mat of the shingle.
11. Do you have what might be adhesion failure where the bottom edge of your shingles flip upward when caught by the wind?
12. Do you have evident dipping and or deflection in your roofing plane where you can see evident downward dips or protruding areas creating an uneven surface in the overall appearance of your roofing?

These examples above are just a few of many issues the naked eye of a homeowner can detect in the overall appearance of their roofs and or the interior of their homes that may point to requiring a new roof or a repair sooner than later. If you use these pointers to evaluate your roof from a safe place and feel like you recognize that some of these issues may be present, don’t hesitate to give us a call and schedule a free evaluation and estimate immediately. You can always feel confident that here at Thompsons we are not a high pressure sales company. We are not interested in selling you anything you don’t need or aren’t ready for. We will be the first to tell you if you only have a maintenance issue and or have good life left in your roof before offering you a costly proposal suggesting you just jump into replacing it.