Do You Need To Replace or Repair Your Roof?
The materials used to build a roof determine the lifespan of a roof. On the lower end, asphalt shingles in the past only lasted 10 to 15 years before they needed replacing. However, newer dimensional roofing tiles can have warranties from 40 to 50 years. If you have a ceramic tile roof, it can last up to 100 years. The variation in lifespan from one roof to the next can be tremendous, but often you will start to see signs that you might need to repair or replace your roof sooner than you think.
Keep Water Out of Your House
The biggest function of a roof is to keep water out of the home. Water inside the home can end up creating ripe conditions for toxic mold. It can cause dry rot to the wood elements of a house. It causes structural damage and can end up affecting your home insurance rates. It’s important to make sure your roof doesn’t have leaks that might mean repairing it before the damage gets out of hand and creates structural damage in the home. Structural damage caused by leaks can be very expensive to fix. The cost of remediating mold from the home is exorbitant and affects the home insurance rates for years to come, if the insurer even decides to continue providing insurance after such an incident.
Signs You Need to Repair Your Roof
Roofs tend to degrade over time. Some roofs are easier to tell whether they need repairs or replacement. Here are some of the signs to look for on your roof:
Missing Tiles – Tiles get blown off in storms and need to be replaced. Or, if they are ceramic, they can break. A visual inspection of your roof can help you spot missing tiles and get them replaced.
Holes in the Roof – Storms can also cause trees limbs and debris to cause holes in the roof that need to be repaired. You may be able just to patch a portion of the roof, if this happens, instead of replacing the entire roof.
Water Coming Through the Ceilings – If, after a rainstorm, you get water spots on your ceilings, it could mean loose tiles or that the flashing around vents has given way. You’ll need someone to go up to the roof and inspect it for damage and replace those elements that need replacing.
When It’s Time to Replace Your Roof
Other signs that can tell you it’s time to replace the entire roof are:
Degrading Materials – For instance, asphalt roofing will start to degrade significantly as it reaches its lifespan. After every rain, you might see particles of asphalt all over your driveway. It’s structurally decomposing in front of your eyes.
It’s Lifespan is Nearing Completion – As a homeowner, you probably know when the roof was put in and what type of roof it is. This information can help you determine if it has met its lifespan. If it has, you will need to replace the entire roof, not just a portion of it. However, sometimes, you can overlay one layer over another to reduce the cost of removing the old roof, depending on local codes.
If you are not certain about whether your roof needs a repair or a replacement, check with MVP Construction. We can help you determine whether it might be more economical to replace the entire roof than to continue to do piecemeal repairs. Once a roof starts to degrade, it tends to experience more and more damage during storms, so a replacement can save you money when it is done in the appropriate time frame.
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