If you’ve just had a roof installed, you may be thinking you don’t have to worry about it for 20 or 30 years.
While it’s true that on average roofs last two to three decades before needing to be replaced, roof damage is another story.
Depending on the severity of that damage, that roof replacement timeline can be expedited. Fortunately, if you catch these roof damage warning signs early, you may be able to opt for a small fix instead.
Unattended damage, though, usually ends up leading to costly repairs.
To keep those costs in check and your roof in good shape, we’re sharing nine important roof damage warning signs to be wary of.
1. Pay Attention To Dark Spots On Your Roof
Many homeowners are opting for dark-colored roof shingles. They’re a popular modern roofing style for a few reasons. Besides the attractive, sleek look, they help to retain heat, keeping your energy costs lower in the winter as you warm your home.
Those same dark shingles actually end up masking water damage, one of the tell-tale roof damage warning signs.
When a roof starts to leak, a shingle with dark spots is an indicator that moisture has been getting in.
If you’ve noticed this issue with your roof, seek professional assistance. Catching it early could mean just replacing a few shingles. Later on? You’ll have to repair not only the roof but any of the consequences from having a leaking roof, too.
2. Missing Shingles Can Lead To Other Problems
Water stains and dark spots can be hard to spot, especially in their earlier stages. Something that’s easier to spot? Missing shingles, a clear roof damage warning sign.
If you don’t notice them, though, or you notice them and don’t act right away, those gaps in your roof can end up leading to water damage. The longer these gaps in your roof exist, the more time there is for water to soak the underlying parts of your roof.
Fortunately, solving the problem can be as simple as putting in a few new shingles. In more serious cases, it might require a whole section to be replaced.
3. Broken Shingles
Broken shingles are one of the roof damage warning signs that are a bit harder to catch right away. A tree branch or errant ball from the neighbor kids may have chipped or cracked some shingles in a hard-to-notice spot.
At first glance, it might not even seem like that big of a concern since they don’t leave your roof as exposed as a missing shingle.
Still, that gap can let water in, starting a similar process to what we’ve listed above. It can be even more nefarious because as a less-noticeable sign of damage, the leak takes place over a longer period of time.
One way to stay on top of your roof health is through regular roof inspections, either done by you or with a roof inspector.
4. What Causes Curled Shingles
It’s relatively well known that storms and wind damage roof shingles, even knocking them off the roof.
But what causes shingles to curl?
Curled shingles are another common roof damage warning sign, and it happens when a shingle’s edges are bent or warped.
This can happen for a few reasons:
- Attics without ventilation - During a hot summer, your attic can feel like an oven, and as heat is trapped, your roof bakes from the inside, causing the shingles to curl and dry out.
- Cold snaps - Those periods when the temperature drops dramatically during the winter can also cause shingles to curl
- Poor installation - Shingles that were installed over old ones or not properly sealed can also begin to curl
While each of the individual curled shingles could be replaced, you’ll ultimately need to address the problem itself.
5. Problems Related To Holes In Your Roof
Depending on their size, a hole in your roof can be relatively easy to spot. Large holes, those that come from a branch landing on your roof or after a windstorm, are even easier.
Those smaller holes, though, that might happen under shingles or toward the edge of the roof, are less easy to spot. Still, they can lead to just as much damage.
Given that this is another way for water to find its way into your home, especially in the interior walls, these holes can be a serious problem.
6. When Leaks Are A Sign Of Roof Damage
One of the most common roof damage warning signs is a leak.
If you’ve noticed water dripping from your ceiling, either as a slow drip or a more constant flow, it’s almost certainly a leak in your roof.
A steadier stream can also indicate more severe damage. Either way, this is a warning sign you definitely need to pay attention to.
7. Watch Out For Interior Wall Water Spots
Dripping water from the ceiling is one sign of roof damage. But what if the water is leaking from somewhere else?
Instead of audible drops hitting the floor, you could end up with water spots. These can range from small damp patches to dark brown stains. However they look, they’re an indicator that there’s a leak inside your walls that’s coming from the roof.
8. Water Causing The Ceiling To Sag
Just because water isn’t dripping from your ceiling doesn’t mean that there isn’t water there.
In some cases, water will collect in your ceiling, causing it to sag under the weight. Another roof damage warning sign is if the roof is sagging on the outside, too.
9. Pay Attention To Rising Energy Bills
If your energy bills keep going up but you haven’t changed anything in your home, that can be another roof damage warning sign.
This likely means that your roof isn’t properly sealed. Whether it’s from a hole, a damaged shingle, or missing shingles, you’re losing heat or cool air faster than before. As a result, your appliances have to work harder, and you have to pay more.
How to supplement a damaged roof
If you are a roofing contractor who regularly submits supplements for roofing gigs, you know how important it is to be able to find these warning signs ahead of time.
The more that turn up during the job, the more supplements you’ll have to process. If you’re looking for support, we can help. We’ve assisted hundreds of roofing contractors in getting paid fairly for their projects. To find out more, get in touch with US Home Supplements today.
US Home Supplements : Dec 8, 2023 2:34:34 PM
