RECOGNIZING ROOF FAILURE

Whether your roof is aging, damaged by a storm, or just poorly built, it’s important to recognize the signs of roof failure. Depending on the extent of the damage, the age of your roof, and a few other factors, you may opt to either repair the visibly damaged areas or have the whole roof replaced. However, before you can determine the best course of action, it’s important to recognize specific red flags that tell you something in your roof is failing, so you can make the next steps with a roofing contractor.

BLISTERS

Just like a nasty blister under the skin, blisters on your roof appear as raised bumps on your roof’s surface. These occur when air, moisture, or water vapor is trapped between layers of roofing materials. The more the material inside them collects and expands, the bigger blisters become. While small blisters can appear over time, large blisters are a sign of a large amount of trapped moisture. This can lead to leaks or other serious issues right away, and important to get them checked out immediately.

BROKEN SHINGLES

Broken shingles leave your roof vulnerable to leaks and other damage. One or two may get broken here or there throughout a roof’s lifespan, and as long as they’re repaired quickly, it’s usually not a big deal. However, if you’ve lost a lot of shingles due to hail or storm damage, or if your home is shedding shingles for no apparent reason, you may have a bigger problem on your hands and should have your roof inspected right away.

LARGE DARK PATCHES

If you’ve started noticing large dark patches on your roof, it could be a sign that the UV-protective granules in your asphalt shingles are falling off. Without them, your shingles will dry up and curl in the sun. It’s a common sign of aging in shingles, and a heads up that should have new ones put in.

That said, sometimes dark roof stains can be a sign of black algae, a common invasive growth. However, this algae eats through the granules and prematurely ages your shingles. If your roof has an algae problem, taking swift action to remove the algae can save your shingles!

SAGGING

A sagging roof is a serious problem. It means that somewhere, your roof’s support structure is failing. Whether part of the roof that’s holding the surface up is deteriorating or whether the roof is caving under its own weight, you need to act fast to diagnose and fix the problem, or else you risk a roof collapse.

MOLD GROWTH

If you can see mold growing around where your roof meets your exterior walls, that’s a sign of significant trapped moisture. Not only does this likely mean there’s a leak somewhere, but the fact that the mold growth is easily visible means that likely a lot of decay has already progressed. Mold can rot away roofing materials and also poses a serious health hazard to people. Any mold growth should be treated as a red alert and checked out by a roofing contractor immediately.

LOOSE OR MISSING NAILS

Once in a while, your roof may shed a nail due to the natural expansion and contraction your roof undergoes with the changing weather. This is still a problem, though, because any small hole in your roof is a place where water can leak in. Although it can be tough to notice, if you see that you’re missing nails on your roof, you should get them replaced and have the area inspected as soon as possible.

These are just a few examples of common roof failure signs, but they’re the ones that can be most easily recognized, even without a lot of training. In cases of advanced age or significant damage, a residential roof replacement may be needed to help your home recover. If you need a safe and dependable roofing contractor for the job, choose B&A Roofing for our excellent residential roof replacement service. We will work diligently and professionally to make the replacement process a breeze. If you’d like to request a free consultation, call us at 601-520-3183.