As a Florida homeowner, managing your house and ensuring it remains up to code at all times is amongst your most important responsibilities. Akin to most life investments, homes necessitate upkeep as years pass to ensure maximum comfort and safety. The longer you have lived in your house, the more likely you have mulled over investing in a roof replacement. Before jumping to the decision to install a new roof, there are some signs to watch for to determine whether or not the time is correct for you and your home.
Right off the bat, on your undertaking to understand roofing, you’ve probably come across the “20” year rule for longevity of most roofing systems. That number is utilized as a benchmark. The majority of residential roofs need replacing within that window. But, there are quite a few variables to consider, and not any roof is the same. All roofs take a tremendous amount of external wear and tear with every year that goes by. Persistent sunlight, strong winds, flying trees, vermin, hurricanes, rain, or dangerous weather conditions – all of these have a direct correlation with a roof’s lifetime.
How quickly your roof needs to be replaced depends on many things:
- Weather.
- Proper maintenance and care.
- How old the materials are.
- How good the materials used are.
- Building and design.
- Were repairs addressed when needed?
- If wildlife was kept away.
- External debris accumulation.
Consider Your Roof’s Age
The average asphalt shingle roof lasts about 10-20 years, with metal and tile roofs tending to have a much longer lifespan. If your roof is nearing its typical replacement age, you should really start thinking about a roof replacement. If previous roof repairs were placed over the top of your pre-existing roof - a technique is known as overlaying - you should definitely think about getting a new roof. Overlaying is a quick fix that can hide larger roofing problems underneath the shingle surface.
Start By Inspecting Your Roof From the Inside Out
Before jumping to conclusions about needing a new roof, start with conducting your own research at home by inspecting your roof’s state from the inside out. Bring a flashlight with you to your attic or to the space in your house where the interior of your roof is easy to see and look for the following indicators to a more serious problem:
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Rays of Light: Light beams are indicators of roofs that require replacements or repairs. To see the full extent, inspect your attic during the day to find and identify any light beams.
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Leaks: Examine the interior of your roofing area for drips and potential leaks. When the roof starts leaking, other areas of your home and its foundation are at elevated risk, especially if you decide not to repair the roofing issue as quickly as possible. Areas that are very damp can lead to additional decay along with mold growth that can contribute to breathing and other health ramifications.
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Streaking & Staining: Thoroughly look over all of the inside of your roof and try to pinpoint potential spots, stains, and streaks. Check any oddly colored area of your roof for further information on its cause and potential leak culprit. Stains and streaks within the interior walls of your roof can signal a larger and more serious issue revolving around your roof’s remaining lifespan.
Look For Shingle Issues
Examining your roof’s shingles is another way to figure out whether or not your roof requires additional attention or a replacement entirely. While inspecting the exterior shingles of your home’s roof, be wary of any cracks, misshapen shingles, or shingles that have warped or angled upwards.
Shingles that are warped, broken, or misshapen may necessitate a further inspection to conclude whether they must be replaced individually or if the smarter choice is investing in an entirely new roof.
Finding tiny granules all over your roof or piling up in your gutter may also be a sign that it is time for a total and thorough roof replacement. Large amounts of asphalt granule loss is a surefire sign that the roof’s state isn’t where it should be to provide your roof can hold up to a large hurricane.
Excessive Growths On Your Roof
Dark spots (or generally dirty-looking shingles) are caused by moss and algae growth. These might not be directly tied to when you have to replace your roof (or that it needs repair), but such issues can spread and cause damage.
Noticing moss or other types of natural growth on top or out ofyour roof? If so, don’t worry. Our natural environment has a tendency to grow over any man-made building in its path if it is not adequately tended to and maintained.
When looking over your roof and the fungus you have discovered, make sure to do so by inspecting both the inside and outside of your roof. While the majority of algae growths are likely to be noticed from the outside of your roof, when there’s a larger problem at hand, nature could also be growing on its own indoors, with you having zero clues.
In most scenarios, treating the algae from a roof is a way to rapidly fix the problem without money needing to be outlaid. But, if there are substantial growths on your roof or even inside of your home, the recommendation is to find a roofer to identify the root cause and reason for the growths.
In the event the roof is just totally overgrown, then the only course of action would be to get a new roof; this usually happens to roofs that go unattended for long periods of time.
The silver lining here is that natural growth and accumulation aren’t typically signs that you must fix or replace your roof. Rather, moss is more of just an eyesore on your roof and one that is quite common in hot places like Southern Florida.
If the situation calls for a full roof replacement, there then becomes a number of decisions shortly. Such as which roofing material to use. Which roofing company will you hire? If by chance, there’s a valid insurance claim. For many people having the cash on hand to get a new roof may not be viable; there is financing available for qualified homeowners offered by reputable Coral Springs roofing companies. Ensure to do proper research before deciding on which contractor to work with.