Homeowners, Is A Residential Roof Replacement In Your Near Future?
Many homes in the United States have roofs made of either 3-tab asphalt or architectural shingles. Many of those homes may currently have serious roofing problems their owners have not yet discovered.
Obviously, when you see shingles in your yard after a storm, you know your roof has a severe problem. However, there are many other early signs a shingled roof is failing and will soon require replacement. Some of the most common symptoms you should be watching for include the following:
Warping or Buckling Shingles
When you stand on the ground and look at your home's roof, all of the shingles should be in straight lines, up-and-down and side-to-side. As its shingle roof ages, all those lines should stay in place. If you notice the lines have started to curve, the shingles are warping or buckling.
Shingles that have warped or buckled constitute a significant sign water has leaked through the shingles and down into the tar paper and plywood layers below. Once the water rots through the plywood, the roof will leak water into your home.
Changes in Shingle Color and Metallic Granules in Runoff Water
Two different things will cause your home's roof to change color. The first is natural bleaching from the Sun's UV rays which is entirely normal. The second is a loss of the metallic granules coating the shingles to protect them from sun damage.
As asphalt shingles age, the glue holding the metallic granules starts to wear out from sun damage. When aged shingles are subjected to high winds and storms, they shed their metallic granules.
You will see metallic granule loss from the ground in areas where the roof is a lighter color than the rest of the roof. When cleaning, you will also find metallic granules under the down spot or in your rain gutters. Once an asphalt shingle roof sheds granules, it will soon need a complete replacement.
Dry Rot Around the Roof's Perimeter
Another tell-tale sign that a residential roof replacement is in your near future is seeing dry rot around the roof's perimeter.
The easiest way to check for dry rot around the perimeter of your roof is to check below the rain gutters and look for signs of water damage, such as water staining or paint bubbling. If you see these signs, you can tap the area with your hand to see if it sounds hollow or gently push a screwdriver into the wood to see if it is still stable or has rotted.
Reach out to a residential roofing replacement service to learn more.