There are many reasons to keep your roof in tip-top shape. For starters, not only will leaks dampen your spirits, but they can also cause irreparable water damage in your insulation and walls. A good roof can also increase your home’s efficiency, lowering your overall heating costs.
Besides that, it can raise your property values and have a major impact on your home’s resale value. The aesthetic appeal of a good roof can make a special impact on the home’s value since the roof makes up approximately 40 percent of what you see of a house from the road. A roof that’s been well maintained also helps to ease buyers’ minds and speed up the closing process.
However, these benefits only apply if you keep the roof up-to-date and working properly. Here are seven important signs that it’s time for you to call a roofing repair contractor.
1. Visibly Missing or Loose Shingles
One of the most important things that you can do for your roof’s longevity is to perform regular visual inspections. Through these routine examinations, you’ll be able to spot missing or loose shingles before they cause a larger problem, like leakage and poor energy efficiency.
You can perform a visual inspection fairly easily by yourself. As a note of caution, it’s best to avoid the dangerous process of standing on your roof to look for damage. Instead, perform your inspection from the ground. Simply walk around the house, and look up at the roof. You’ll also want to inspect the inside of your home. Some important things to look for are curled or buckled shingles; moss, mold, or other signs of deterioration; and shingles, or parts of shingles, in your yard.
If your roof has any of these signs, it’s time to call your roofing contractor who can safely perform a more in-depth analysis of your roof’s condition. These concerns might seem small, but they can cause extreme damage to your home’s interior with the slightest change in weather.
2. Cracked, Loose, or Worn Flashing
Flashing makes up the metal lining and gaskets that surround the chimneys and other structures that jut out from the roof. Having the flashing in perfect condition is essential for maintaining the airtight seal.
As you perform your visual inspection, look closely at the condition of the flashing. If it’s cracked, loose, bent, worn, or damaged in any other way, you’ll want to have a contractor repair it before it can cause more severe damage to your roof.
3. Leaks
With modern-day roofing technology, it’s pretty rare that your roof will have a bad enough leak to drip into your home. The majority of the time, a leaky roof is evidenced through large wet spots on your walls or ceiling followed by extensive mold. You’ll be able to see clearly the water damage on your interior drywall and to recognize the need for a repaired roof.
If you don’t repair the problem as quickly as possible, it could lead to a mold infestation that can spread sickness through the home’s occupants. When you notice these signs, it’s essential that you call a qualified roofing contractor as soon as possible.
4. Lost Shingle Granules
A common sign of roof deterioration is excess granules scattered all over your yard and gutters. It’s not uncommon for these granules, which are tiny specs the same color as your shingles, to appear in small quantities in your downspouts, gutters, or on your grass; it’s a part of natural wear-and-tear.
However, when you see piles of these granules collecting in the aforementioned areas, you’ll know that there’s a major problem. Your roof is deteriorating quickly, and you’ll need to take immediate action to repair the problem.
5. An Uneven Roofing Surface
In some cases, your roofing shingles can “pop up,” creating a bump in the shingle’s surface that’s visible from the ground. This is usually the result of hail impact damage, but it may also be a problem with your attic’s ventilation. Any time that your attic’s interior temperature rises above 120 degrees, it can cause shingle blisters that impact the air and watertight seal. The best way to avoid such high temperatures is to install an adequate ventilation system in your attic or clean and unblock the ventilation system already installed.
In other cases, a section of your roof may sag, which can often be visible from the ground of the exterior and the interior. It’s fairly easy to spot when water collects in this sagging portion of your roof after a rainstorm. This is usually the cause of deterioration over time from water damage or a poorly installed roof. Either way, you’ll need professional help to solve the problem.
6. Loss of Energy Efficiency
Have your heating or cooling bills been much higher than usual lately? The cause could be a number of factors, including doors, windows, and your roof. When asked what’s one thing that should be done when experiencing loss of efficiency in the home, George Olyphant of NBC New York’s “George to the Rescue” says that he recommends replacing the roof.
“That’s the first thing I started tackling because my gas and heat bills were through the roof,” Olyphant said, discussing a home that he was working on that struggled with energy efficiency. “So, starting with the roof, I put on a new roof because I wanted to make sure it was airtight and there weren’t any leaks or anything like that. Of course, I used GAF shingles,” he said, referring to the most highly rated shingles on the market.
A new roof can dramatically lower utility costs, particularly because heat rises. You’ll no longer lose gallons of heat through your roof, which was likely a cause of your energy inefficiency.
7. Roof Age
Oftentimes, recognizing that your roof needs to be replaced is often as simple as determining the structure’s age. Most roofs are designed to last between 25 and 30 years. So if your roof is about to have its 20th birthday, it might be time to have it professionally inspected to see if any replacements or repairs are needed.
If you use award-winning GAF shingles for your roofing needs, you can purchase a warranty that lasts up to 50 years, which will cover you for approximately twice the lifetime of the average roof.
Contact American Home Contractors For Your Roofing Repair Today
After you’ve considered each of these signs of roofing damage, you’ll be in need of a good roofing contractor to make repairs. If you’re in the New Jersey area, look no further than American Home Contractors. We understand the value of a strong roof and a well-done repair job. To get started with your roof repairs, contact us today for a free quote!
