8 Signs you need a new roof
Your home’s roof protects your family and belongings from the elements. But, it will need maintenance, or you may need an early roof replacement.
Here are eight signs you need a new roof. You may not need it now. But when the time comes, we would love to help you through the entire new roof installation process. But until then, here are a few roofing tips that will lengthen your roof’s life.
Is Your Roof Past its Useful Life?
Storms with high winds and hail or other catastrophes could lead to a good-condition roof needing immediate replacement. In most instances, though, it will reach the end of its useful life. Even though it may be far from collapsing, postponing its replacement could lead to grave problems.
Varying temperatures, wind, and other natural forces can lead to issues such as blisters, splits, and punctures. If your roof does not have proper ventilation, it can make these roofing problems even worse. Unfortunately, these are not the only dangers your roof faces.
Poor design, substandard workmanship, and even low-quality materials speed up the onset of many of these problems. These issues increase the risk of structural failure.
When homeowners add new constructions to their houses, they usually ignore the roof. This mistake can lead to many roofing problems later.
Not-planned valleys and pipe jacks too close to a side wall are some examples. If your roofer does not tear back the shingles in the connecting valleys and install a new course of shingles there, you may lift the shingles right off your roof. Problems like this are not uncommon for construction crews with little roofing experience.
Several common roof problems can warn you before structural failure occurs. Keep an eye out for these five issues and how you can solve them.
1. Blisters
Blisters are one of the most common roofing problems. They will appear as small to medium-sized areas of missing granules on your roof’s shingles. Frequently, these can resemble hail damage, and roofers may misdiagnose them as hail damage. While they are common, they require prompt attention. Heat expansion can pressure roofing materials when water vapor or other gases become trapped between roof layers. This causes expansions that can lead to blisters.
Roof membranes protected from moisture do not experience this issue. Membranes and moisture-absorbing materials help to prevent blisters and other moisture-related problems. If you live in an area with a lot of rain, snow, or dew, take this route.
The most common cause of shingle blisters is insufficient roof ventilation. Sometimes, roofing crews cover the cut-out keyway on the roof’s ridge without removing the felt. Then, they cover the ridge with a vent that will have no function. So, a new roof may have many blisters within five to seven years. Shingle blistering can cause roof leaks and, if left untreated, can lead to the need for a new roof.
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2. Punctures
Punctures are one of the most overrated roofing issues. Usually, people walking on the roof, such as painters, HVAC mechanics, and satellite installers cause this issue. Summer heat can cause worse damage to your roofing shingles if you walk on them.
Foot traffic causes even more damage to houses with medium to steep roofs. The extreme heat softens the roofing shingles, and even soft-soled tennis shoes can rub against the shingle granules. Tears and holes can appear because of debris or people moving heavy equipment across the surface.
3. Flashing
Flashing is part of a weather-resistant barrier system. It is only a thin layer. But it creates a barrier that allows water to flow down the wall or to the curb. So it prevents water from entering the building. Typically, flashing extends beneath a metal structure known as counterflashing. Water can enter shingle joints, chimney ridges, and other areas if it does not adhere.
A poorly installed drip edge, eve flashing, or even an eve gutter system can cause eve rot on the home.
4. Open Laps
This problem arises when installers fail to apply adhesive to entire laps on the roof surface. Even if they appear closed at first, these laps will gradually open. A variety of factors can cause laps that do not adhere properly:
- Applied too much or too little adhesive.
- Heat welding in the cold.
- Application to a dirty surface.
- Not allowing enough time for settling.
5. Surface Coating
The surface coating on a roof can protect it from UV radiation and foot traffic. This type of coating can extend the life of EPDM (ethylene propylene diene terpolymer) or ballasted roofs. If the coating suffers damage, wears away, or becomes displaced, it no longer functions as a protective layer.
8 Signs You Need a New Roof: Time for That New Roof
Unfortunately, we cannot resolve all roofing problems with a roof repair. You only can solve some issues by completely replacing the roof. If any roof repair cost over 33% of the cost of a new roof, buy the new roof. Here are some extra indicators that it might be time to replace your roof.
- Curled shingle edges or cupped shingle tabs. Curled or cupped shingles indicate the life of the shingles is gone. This will look like what it sounds like, the edge of the shingle is curled up some or cupped just like if you cupped your hand. Overheating, improper installation, cheap shingles, and improper ventilation are just a few things that can cause curled or cupped shingle but once they get like this the useful life of the shingle is over.
- Bald spots and missing granules: Several issues can cause bald spots and missing granules. Shingles may appear to have holes in them with what appear to be threads or even cotton. Manufacturer defects, overheating, blistering, hail damage, and foot traffic can cause these problems.
- Cracked shingles: Our list of 8 signs you need a new roof would be incomplete without cracked shingles.
Roofs that are overheated for an extended period are more likely to have cracked shingles. Wind damage can also give shingles this appearance. Still, wind damage will bend the shingle up from the bottom, with cracks running horizontally at the top.
- The roof is over 20 years old: While some shingles can last longer, many factors can speed up aging. For example, a poorly ventilated roof can weaken shingles, reducing their life to less than half.
The heat in the Mid-South is so intense that shingles from the past rarely lasted the expected lifetime that manufacturers promised. The modern shingles we have now not only have algae resistance built in. Besides, the quality is much better, and you are more likely to get a complete life span out of them. This is more likely if you get higher-end shingles from a reputable manufacturer, such as Owens Corning.
- Your neighbors are replacing their roofs: Homes built around the same time experience the same amount of wear and tear. Thus, it is a good sign that you may need a roof inspection. You could have been out of town when a hailstorm hit your neighborhood and not realized it until you saw your neighbors getting new roofs.
With any old enough roof, an aged and worn appearance is unavoidable. Your roof may still be capable of shedding water, but you are sick of looking at it. You can expect this roofing problem to occur if your roof is old enough.
- Streaks of dark color: While this could show a bigger problem, airborne algae frequently caused it. Here, you can spray a 50:50 solution of water and bleach on the roof to remove streaks. Use a low-volume garden hose to protect the granules and landscaping from runoff. Because of the possibility of roof granule damage, this is not a recommended course of action. Yet, if you are trying to put off buying a new roof for a little longer, you may not have much to lose.
- Moss development: Moss can grow in cool, moist climates because of a lack of sunlight. Unfortunately, this is not always a cosmetic issue. When freezing temperatures occur, moss can trap water and even damage granules. You can brush away moss while being careful not to damage the shingles. But it will most likely grow back.
- Missing shingles: Shingles go missing in high-wind areas like Tennessee. Missing shingles are much more common in 3-tab shingles than in architectural-style roofing shingles. Even a well-made 3-tab shingle only resists 60 MPH winds. Yet, 60 MPH winds have become a common occurrence in Memphis and northern Mississippi.
- High nailing: High nailing is another roofing issue that can cause your roof’s shingles to slide off or blow off during a windstorm. When a shingle is high-nailed, the roofing crew misses the nail line the manufacturer placed in the shingle. If the roofer cannot place the nail in the nail line, the shingle will be weak at that point. So, the shingles will slide down the roof.
- Thermal shock: most people are unaware of this roofing issue. Thermal shock is most severe in the late fall or winter. In Tennessee, it is common to have a 20-30-degree night and then to see the temperature rising to the mid to upper 70s, or even the low 80s. When this happens, the temperature on the roof can swing around 100 degrees.
In a hot summer in Tennessee, the temperature on the roof can reach 140 degrees. So, you can see how going from frozen to 100 degrees can shock the roof’s shingles over time. Years and years of this is hard on any shingle.
Conclusion
No two roofs are the same. Hence, it is critical to consider the structure before deciding on a new roofing system. Will it resist constant foot traffic or UV rays? If so, your roof must be resistant to these challenges. Thermal movement could be an issue, but the EPDM membrane is the ideal solution due to its lower stretchability.
Whether you choose a shingle, metal, or synthetic roof, anomalies will appear in the system as it ages. Yet, with an appropriate maintenance program from a reputable roofing company, you can reduce these issues.
This will result in a longer lifespan and lower roof repair costs. If you need a professional roofer in Olive Branch, Memphis, or Northern Mississippi, contact Kreunen Construction today. We will provide you with a no-obligation, free roof inspection.
Your roof is the first line of defense against Mother Nature. Do not wait until it is too late! Have Kreunen Construction inspect your roof today.