If your home is of a certain age, you’re bound to have little issues start to pop up. Living in a house gives it life itself, but it also wears on the house, both inside and out. As a homeowner, it’s your responsibility to watch out for things that need repairing here and there, and to budget accordingly.
Replacing your roof is a major home expense, so you definitely want to make sure it actually needs replacing before you go and strip away a perfectly good roof. If you already have a professional roofing company that you trust, that works in your favor. They can easily tell you if it’s time to replace the roof or if it has a few more years left in it.
Otherwise, you’ll have to decide for yourself whether or not the roof has seen better days. You should have a roofing company check it out to see if you need a new roof, and it’s definitely recommended that you get more than one opinion and estimate to make sure that they align. Also, when you’re ready to start the replacement, you’ll be able to choose the best price among your estimates.
Here are a few ways a roofing company will be able to tell that it’s time to replace your roof:
- Shingles are curling up or cracking. This can be due to exposure to the sun. Shingles will crack and curl up over time as they dry out.
- … or have large bald spots. Especially with direct contact – hail and falling tree limbs, for example – your shingle roof can sustain ‘bruising.’ Bruising is a shiny, dented spot where the protective granules have been knocked off.
- The roof is over 20 years old. Many roofs can last longer than 20 years, so this is just an estimate, but it’s a good idea to keep tabs on how long you’ve had your current roof. When you see homes built around the same time as yours getting new roofs, it’s probably time for you to do the same.
- Algae and moss growth has begun. Algae isn’t that harmful, but it causes large, dark streaks to develop on your roof. Moss, on the other hand, can be a sign that too much moisture is accumulating on your roof. It can grow between shingles and cause leaks.
- The roof has incurred some type of damage. If you know for a fact that a storm or some other force has damaged your roof, it may not be worth repairing it. Replacing the whole thing may be more economical than repairing it now and having to replace it in a few years anyway.
Cosmetically, the roof might just be looking bad. This is also a valid reason to replace it. If the roof is over 10 y-ears old and has experienced any type of weather damage, it can start to look shabby. Your home is your castle, and it’s no one’s business but your own when you decide to replace your roof! This article was brought to you by a roofing contractor from Mesa Arizona. Thanks for reading!