.png)
If you are not noticing leaks anytime it rains, you probably don’t spend a lot of time thinking about replacing your old roof. On the surface, this makes perfect sense. You don’t change a light bulb just because it’s been in the lamp for a long time; you wait until it burns out.
Unfortunately, the two situations are not analogous. A burned out bulb may be inconvenient, but it is not causing thousands of dollars worth of damage to your building until you can swap it out. Also, when you do decide to replace your roof you can’t just run down to Walgreens and buy one with the change you find in your couch cushions. When your roof gets close to the end of its useful life you need to be ready with a budget and a plan.
So, how do you tell how long you have before a roof requires replacement?
A number of factors beyond your control may play a critical part in the longevity of your roofing system. These include, but are not limited to:
The quality of the labor and materials used on the original installation (Most shingles are warranted for 25 years)
The functionality of the roof’s ventilation system
The exposure to environmental conditions (wind, sun, pollution)
Amount of non-essential foot traffic (hanging lights, adjusting antennas, etc.).
Depending on the severity, any of these conditions could significantly shorten your asphalt shingle’s life expectancy.
So, what are some things we do know that can help us make this determination?
AGE OF ROOF
This is where a lot of people get confused. Don’t be fooled by the number that was on the packages of shingles you bought (e.g. 30 year). Hot summers and/or cold winters take their toll on shingles. Assuming the issues mentioned in the paragraph above are not playing a significant factor, a realistic estimate would be closer to 12-15 years of solid, problem-free life and maybe another 5-8 years where the roof is really on borrowed time and periodic repairs may be necessary.
CONDITION OF ROOF
Obviously, be careful not to damage the roof while making these determinations.
Things that should be cause for alarm are:
Lifted and missing shingles
Curling ends
Shingle blistering (which looks exactly like it sounds)
Granular loss on the shingles
Leaks
Granular Loss - bare patches on the shingles. Those ceramic granules not only make the shingle look pretty, they protect the asphalt in the shingle from the sun’s harmful UV rays. If the asphalt in your shingle is exposed to the sun it’s only a matter of time before it shrinks and decays, leaving you with a hole in your roof.
When your roof starts exhibiting any of these problems, it is time to start preparing for a new roof.
As alluded to earlier, most people feel the litmus test for a roof is ‘is it leaking?’ While leaking is a great indicator that there is a problem, it is not the best gauge for determining the general condition of the roof. First, it’s possible (and probably more likely) that a leak is due to something other than degraded shingles. Most leaks turn out to be some kind of flashing issue. If this turns out to be the case, a simple repair should correct the problem. I suppose I should note that the older shingles get, the more brittle they become and the more difficult and less successful these repair attempts become.
Second, if you wait until someone notices water inside, you may have waited too long. Water could be coming in for a long time before the tell-tale stains on the ceiling show up. It may be ruining insulation, forming mold, damaging walls and rotting out decking.
We are not trying to say everyone should buy a new roof tomorrow (though that would be good for our business), we are saying that just like any investment you make in a depreciable item, you need to be ready at the end of its useful life to get it replaced. If you wait too long the money you end up spending to make repairs, replace sheetrock and paint could have gone towards the new roof you need.
If you’re not comfortable determining the condition of the roof yourself, have a competent roofing contractor take a look and give you an honest evaluation
Comments