3 Signs You Need a New Roof

#1 - Missing Shingles, #2 - Granule Loss, #3 - Bumps in the Roof

The shingles have worn away and are missing, thus exposing the wood to the elements. This type of damage is a sign of a leaky roof.

Missing Shingles - #1

Wind will pick up shingles and fly away. You will find the shingles in your yard. When that happens, the nails that hold down the shingle are exposed to the elements. Those nails go directly into the wood. When it rains the water is going to find the nail, go into the wood and start to cause some serious damage. If you see missing shingles, give us a call at 206-312-7663 (ROOF).

This roof is in bad shape — the granules are worn away and expose whatever under laminate that was protecting the roof.

Granule Loss - #2

Granules are the sandy rock pieces on each shingle. Those Granules are there similar to sunglasses. The asphalt shingles get hit by the UV sunlight every day. The little rocks are there to reflect the sunlight back away from the roof. They also provide color and pattern to the shingle and the roof. Little by little we lose the granules every year. After 20 -30 years of granules loss, that roof is wore out. There are too many granules missing. You might see what looks like sand in your gutter or coming down the down spout. That is a good sign that your shingles are bald and it is time for a roof replacement.

Above is the type of fold or crinkle that you might see in a roof experiencing water damage.

Bumps in the Roof - #3

Bumps in the Roof - Imagine you are in your yard and you look up and see a little bump, a little goose bump, in your roof. That is the underlayment, under the shingles, getting wet. Just like when paper gets wet and crinkles, the same thing happens with the underlayment under your shingles. It gets wet and crinkles. That is a huge sign your roof needs to be replaced.

All three of these things don't mean repairs, together they mean roof replacement. Kind of like car tires. When you buy a pair of car tires, they might say the tires have a 40,000 mile life. At 38,000 miles, you are going to be close to replacing those tires. That is the same idea with your roof. When you see these signs, it's time for replacement, not repair.

BONUS: Additional Signs

Visible mildew in the attic is a sign of leaks in the roof.

Visible Leaks - #4

If you see a leak in your attic, coming from the roof, that is a sign you need a new roof.

Age of Roof - #5

Roofs installed 15 to 20 years ago are usually ready for a replacement. The reason has to do with the materials that were available at the time. At that time, shingles were made solely of tar and sand. Materials and workmanship of modern composite roof shingles like those of CertainTeed and Malarkey, have improved since then and now have 30 to 50 year lifetime expectancies.

Roof with a mountain of debris in need of proper maintenance.

Maintenance of Roof - #6

Improper roof maintenance will shorten the lifetime expectancy of your roof. For example, allowing algae and moss to grow on your roof will shorten the lifetime. Allowing debris to stay on your roof adds to the factors that also shorten the lifetime and needs to be considered when calculating if a new roof is needed.

If you think you need a new roof, call us today or send us a message for your free estimate on a composite shingle or asphalt shingle roof in the Seattle area. We are the best Composite Shingle Seattle Roofers in the Puget Sound!