How To Tell If You Should Replace The Roof On Your Home
Residential roofs will eventually begin to wear over time, and if your home has an asphalt shingle roof, there are some things you should watch for. While other roofing materials are used in the US, asphalt shingles are often the cheapest option, and roofers can install them quickly, so they are pretty standard.
Wear And Tear
Roofing materials are designed to stand up against the weather and the sun, but as they age, the materials begin to break down and need to be replaced. An asphalt roofing shingle that sits in the sun all day will eventually become brittle and can crack, leak, or come loose from the roof.
Even when the roofers installing the shingles do everything correctly, the product's life is limited. The shingle manufacturer rates the shingles and offers a warranty based on the life expectancy. Different quality levels can extend the shingle's life a little longer if you are willing to spend more on them.
Roofing contractors are often the best resource when buying shingles, and they can help inspect your roof if you feel there is a problem. Leaks in the roof often show up inside the house, and looking at the roof from outside the home may reveal spots with missing shingles that have broken and come off.
You may also start to find pieces of shingles in the yard around your home if they are coming loose from the house, and often if you stand back and look at the roof, you will see darker spots that appear because they were covered and didn't fade but will show after the shingle covering them is gone.
Roof Inspections
If you notice a leak in the roof or missing shingles, you need to have an inspection to see how bad the damage is. A missing shingle or small leak does not always mean the roofers need to replace the entire thing, but they will not know if repairs are possible until they check it inside and out.
Leaks in the roof that allow water to get inside can cause damage inside the attic or crawl space, and over time the wood structure can rot along with mold and mildew developing in the space. Roofing contractors can check the areas of the home for you and then go over the roof from the outside to determine if you have a small area that needs repair or if the roof is too old to service.
If repairs are possible, the roofing company will let you know how much it will cost and what the repair time will be. If the roof needs replacing, they will typically give you an estimate for that as well, and you may also want to have a second inspection by another company to ensure you get the same advice.
For more information on roofing, contact a company like CB Chandler Roofing.
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