Most homeowners don’t give their roof a second thought until there’s a problem. Either you find some shingles on the ground, notice your neighbors are getting a new roof, or worse – find water staining in your home.
When you first notice you have a roof problem the first question you probably asked yourself is:
“Do I need a whole new roof or can it be repaired?”
To answer that, I’ll give you 8 things to consider and take a look at to determine if your asphalt roof needs replaced. After reading this section you’ll have a good idea of what you need to do to move forward and fix your problem.
Age of Your Current Roof
Knowing when your roof was last replaced can help you determine which direction to take. A typical asphalt shingle roof will last 20-25 years on average, sometimes more or less depending on the material used and weather exposure. For an existing metal roof, it can be harder to pin down when it will fail. While the metal panels themselves are likely to last 50 years, you will have issues with any exposed fasteners and some flashings well before that.
If your roof is nearing that 20 year mark, then a repair may just be a temporary band aid that won’t last very long. You may spend $1500 on a roof repair, only to find out a month later that you have another spot on your roof that’s failing.
Most good contractors won’t repair a roof this old either, the shingles get so brittle and delicate that they just break when trying to work with them.
On the other hand if your roof is only 5-10 years old, then it’s probably too early to get it replaced and you can get it repaired instead. However, there are 2 reasons that a roof may fail early which would mean it’s time to replace it:
#1: The roof was installed very poorly. If a careless crew replaced your roof, there can be a handful of installation issues that could lead to needing a whole new roof:
- bad nailing patterns
- poor flashing installation
- roofing over rotten plywood
- not adding enough ventilation
This is not an exhaustive list, but it covers the most common problems we’ve run into over the years. If this is the case, even though your shingles may not be at the end of their life, the roof may need to be replaced anyway to remedy the actual problem.
#2: The shingle has a manufacturer defect and is starting to fail early. Sometimes there’s a bad run of shingles from the manufacturer that lose their granules early, or wear out quickly in some other way. If this is the case you may be able to get some money from the manufacturer to help you out with the cost of the new roof.
If you’re not sure the age of your roof, or need some more signs to see if your roof is failing let’s move onto the next step.
Missing or Blown-Off Shingles
If you find shingles in your yard, or notice that you have shingles missing from your roof, then it could be because they are getting to the end of their life. This usually means that the tar strip (which helps them stick together) has worn out and the shingles are getting weak from granule loss & UV breakdown. If this is the only problem you have, you can probably repair the roof to get it to last for awhile longer.
The bigger problem though, is when this starts happening, it’s usually not a one-time thing. The next big wind storm you’re liable to lose more shingles – and if it rains hard after you lose some shingles, you could have water pouring into your home. If this happens you’ll have to rush to get your home repaired or replaced as soon as possible to prevent further damage, as well as repair the water damage on the inside of your home.
If you choose to repair at this point, be sure you watch your roof like a hawk during any wind storms that come through. Act quickly if you notice any more coming off to avoid interior home damage.
Curled Shingles
As shingles sit and bake in the sun, sometimes they will start to curl. This happens because the asphalt layer on top is shrinking from sun exposure. You’ll be able to see the corners lifting off the roof surface.
As they curl more and more, the tar strip holding the shingles together will break, and these corners will catch the wind and the shingles will blow off of your roof, exposing the underlayments and plywood below to the weather. When this starts to happen it’s a goot time to start looking into replacing your shingle roof.
Cracked Shingles
Another sign of wear is cracks in the surface of the shingles. As they age, the asphalt layer on top of the shingle will shrink from being in the sun. Instead of curling, they will instead crack as they breakdown.
Once this begins, it accelerates the aging process. Water will settle in the cracks, then freeze and expand those cracks, making them bigger and bigger. This will weaken the shingles and lead to blow offs or water seeping through the shingles.
If you notice cracks in your shingles (which may require a fairly close inspection) then your asphalt roof is near the end of it’s life and should be replaced.
Missing Granules/Dark Spots on Your Roof
If you look up at your roof from the ground, and notice there are areas that seem darker than other parts of the roof, this could be a problem. These dark spots are likely areas in the shingles that are losing their colored granules, exposing the black asphalt material underneath.
The asphalt in the shingle is what keeps the water out of your home, and the granules are what protect the asphalt from breaking down the sun. As the granules start to fall away, the asphalt in that shingle will break down faster and faster until it will let water in or blow off your roof on the next windy day.
Shiny Spots on Your Roof
On the other hand, if you see areas of your roof that look “shiny” when the sun is shining on them, that’s most likely the fiberglass inside the shingle showing. As the granules start to fall off, and the top asphalt layer wears away, it exposes the fiberglass mat that holds it all together.
When you can begin to see fiberglass showing through, that means the waterproofing layer in the shingle is almost gone. Then it’s not a matter of if your roof is going to fail, it’s a matter of when and how bad it will be. It doesn’t hurt to call out a professional to confirm this is the problem, but if so it’s likely time to get your asphalt roof replaced.
Moss on Your Roof
As your roof ages, it’s very common to start seeing moss take root and start to grow, especially on the shady side of the roof or if you have a big tree overhead. While the presence of moss on your roof doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to replace it, it can tell us a couple things depending on how much there is.
- Your roof is old. It takes many years for moss to grow, so by the time you have moss growing over your roof, you know it’s getting up there in age. How much debris is on your roof, and how much shade that area of the roof gets are factors that will increase moss growth.
- Moss damages shingles: As moss grows on top of your shingles, it sends roots down to latch onto anything it can. This means it will dig into your shingles and cause damage (especially during the freeze/thaw cycle of winter). Plus, moss on your roof does not allow water to shed, and sitting water will cause additional damage to the shingles.
If you have really bad moss on your roof, it’s worth having a professional come out and examine the condition of the roof under the moss. Sometimes the moss can be killed and your roof won’t need to be replaced for quite a few years.
Just one word of warning – never let anyone pressure wash the moss off your roof. It may make for a nice before & after picture because it will look so much better, but pressure washing will greatly diminish the life of your roof and it would be better to just leave the moss up there.
Interior Damage or Water Staining
Perhaps the worst way to find out if your roof needs replaced is by seeing damage on the inside of your home. Don’t take these signs lightly, be sure to find the root cause so you can fix the problem.
WARNING: Waiting to see water on the inside of your home is not a reliable way to know if your roof is failing. You could have a leak for months or even years before it shows up inside your home. If it’s leaking into a wall or running behind your drywall you might never notice it inside your home, but it could be rotting out the wood, growing mold, or inviting insects to nest there – none of which you want!
Water Staining on Your Ceiling
If you see any dark spots on your ceiling, it’s important to figure out what the cause is right away. It’s not always a roof problem, sometimes homes have pipes running through the attic, but either way this needs to be treated with urgency. The more time that goes by with water dripping inside your home, the more damage it will cause.
If it is a problem with your roof, by the time you see any signs on the inside, it’s likely that your roof has been leaking for a long time. There’s multiple layers that it has to soak through to be visible inside. This doesn’t always mean you need to replace your asphalt roof, but you definitely need to find the problem and fix it, which can sometimes be done effectively by a roof repair.
Damp or Dark Spots in Your Attic
Looking in your attic can help you see problems with your roof that may look fine on the outside, like deteriorated or leaking flashings.
If you know where your attic access is, open it up and poke your head in there to take a look from time to time. If you see dark spots on the plywood or notice any dampness it could be a roof leak or an attic ventilation issue. Both will need to be addressed as soon as possible.
If there are only damp or dark spots near your eaves (the bottom edges of your roof) then it could be caused by ice damming, which can often be solved by increasing attic ventilation, adding insulation, and installing a high quality ice shield underlayment under the shingles near the eaves.
Does My Asphalt Roof Need Replaced? Or Can It Be Repaired?
This depends on a lot of different factors, but the most important one is the age of the roof. If you know your roof is less than 5-10 years old and you’re having a localized issue, then it can be repaired in most circumstances.
To know for sure, you’ll need to figure out exactly where the issue is happening (or if it’s a roof leak, where it’s coming from) then you can always attempt to fix it yourself. Just be careful! A fall from your roof will cost you way more than paying a roofer to fix it for you.
A safer option is to call a roofing contractor out to have a look and give you their opinion. Just be sure to call out a company that does roof repairs! A lot of roofing companies don’t do repairs anymore so no matter what you have going on up there they will try to sell you a new roof (even if you don’t need it).