Most homeowners have no idea their roof is failing until water shows up on the ceiling. By then, you're not just dealing with shingles anymore. You're dealing with damaged decking, soaked insulation, and sometimes mold. The repair bill gets a lot bigger in a hurry.
The good news is that a failing roof almost always shows warning signs before things get to that point. You just have to know what to look for. After years of working on roofs across Somerset, Swansea, Rehoboth, Westport, and Seekonk, we've seen the same warning signs over and over again. Here's what to watch for.
Your Roof Is 20 to 25 Years Old
This is the big one. A standard asphalt shingle roof in New England has a lifespan of roughly 20 to 25 years under normal conditions. If your roof is in that range or older, it doesn't matter how good it looks from the ground. The materials are breaking down and it's time to start planning for a replacement.
A lot of homeowners get surprised by this because the roof doesn't look bad to them. But shingles age from the inside out as much as the outside in. By the time the exterior looks rough, you're already past the point where you want to be.
Shingles Are Curling or Buckling
Get a pair of binoculars and take a good look at your shingles from the ground. If you see edges curling upward or shingles that look wavy or bowed in the middle, that's a problem. Curling is a sign the shingles have lost their integrity and are no longer lying flat against the roof deck the way they should.
Once shingles start curling, they're vulnerable to wind damage and they stop doing their job of keeping water out. A single bad storm can turn curling shingles into missing shingles very fast.
Granules Are Showing Up in Your Gutters
Asphalt shingles are coated in granules that protect the material underneath from UV rays and weather. As shingles age, those granules start to loosen and wash off. They end up in your gutters and downspouts.
Some granule loss is normal on newer roofs, but if you're cleaning out your gutters and finding heavy amounts of dark grit, that's a sign your shingles are worn out. You may also notice bald patches on the shingles themselves where the granules have worn away completely.
A good rule of thumb: if your gutters are full of granules and your roof is more than 15 years old, get a professional inspection. Don't wait for a leak to tell you what the granules already are.
You Have Missing or Cracked Shingles
Missing shingles after a storm happen. One or two can usually be repaired without replacing the whole roof. But if you're seeing multiple missing shingles in different areas, or if shingles are cracking regularly, that's a sign the entire roof has become brittle and is near the end of its life.
Cracked shingles are especially common in New England because of the freeze-thaw cycle we deal with every winter. Water gets under a small crack, freezes, expands, and makes the crack bigger. After enough winters, the shingle just gives out.
Your Roof Is Sagging
This one is serious. If you can see any sagging or drooping in your roofline from the ground, stop reading this article and call a contractor today. Sagging means the decking underneath the shingles has been compromised, which usually means moisture has gotten in and weakened the structure.
A sagging roof is not a repair situation. It's a replacement situation, and the longer you wait the more decking you'll end up replacing along with the shingles.
You Can See Daylight from Your Attic
On a bright day, go up into your attic and turn the lights off. If you can see any pinpoints of light coming through the roof boards, water can get in through those same spots. While you're up there, also look for any dark staining or streaks on the wood, which indicate moisture has already been getting in.
Checking your attic once a year takes about five minutes and can save you a lot of money by catching problems early.
Your Energy Bills Have Gone Up
This one surprises people. A failing roof often means the insulation underneath it has been compromised by moisture. When your attic insulation gets wet, it stops working the way it should, and your heating and cooling bills go up as a result.
If you've noticed your energy costs creeping up without an obvious explanation, it's worth having someone take a look at both your attic insulation and your roof.
You've Had It Repaired Multiple Times
There's a point where continuing to repair a roof stops making financial sense. If you've had a roofer out two or three times in the past few years to fix leaks and patch shingles, you're likely spending money to extend the life of something that needs to be replaced anyway.
A new roof is a real investment, but so is the money you're putting into repeated repairs. At some point the math tips in favor of replacement, and most experienced contractors can tell you pretty quickly which side of that line you're on.
So What Should You Do?
If you're seeing one or more of these signs, the first step is a professional inspection. Not a salesman who knocks on your door after a storm, but an actual roofing contractor who can get eyes on the problem and give you a straight answer.
At Faria & Son Roofing, we do free estimates and we tell homeowners exactly what we see. If your roof has a few years left in it, we'll tell you that. If it needs to come off, we'll tell you that too, and we'll explain why.
We handle roof replacements and roof repairs across Somerset, Swansea, Rehoboth, Westport, and Seekonk. Joshua is on every job. Give us a call at 508-989-8383 or fill out the form below and we'll get back to you the same day.