Does my roof need replaced?

So your starting to wonder if your roof needs replaced? Here is a couple good tips that will help you better understand how much life you have left on your roof.

1. You need to determine the type of shingle that you have on your home. Most commonly there are 2 types of shingles a 3 tab, and a dimensional.

This is a 3 Tab shingle, notice the vertical lines.

This is a Dimensional Shingle, notice no vertical seams with a raised look.

2. Once you have determined the type of shingle you have on your home you can start to understand the type of warranty that the shingle manufacture puts on your roof. The 3 Tab shingle has a 25 year manufactures warranty, and the Dimensional shingle has between a 30-50 year warranty on them (usually 30 year).

This can help you if you know when your roof was installed Youngstown Roofer EAS Roofing also tells their homeowners that it is better to be proactive then to wait till you have issues, this usually results in a homeowner making a quick decision without doing much homework.

3. So lets say you don't know when the shingle was installed, or even what type of shingle that you currently have. You can also check for granule loss, if you clean or have your gutters cleaned check and see if you have excessive granules in your gutters. Granules not only give you curb appeal by giving your roof the nice colors that you want, they also prevent UV rays from getting to your asphalt in the shingles. UV rays will deteriorate the asphalts making them brittle and causing your shingle to crack.

4. Along with the granule loss another way to look from the street and check for any missing shingles. If you have missing shingle the bond between the shingles could be breaking down, causing your shingles to blow off. This may not be the best way to know if you need a new roof because studies have shown that 98% of roof fail because of workmanship, and blown off shingles is also caused by nails not being placed in the common bond area.

5. If you are living in an area where all the houses are built around the same time, you can also look and see if any of your neighbors are having their roof replaced. This may not tell you the shape of your roof, but it is always good to be ahead of the curve when it comes to replacing your roof. Owner Eugene Smith of EAS Roofing (Youngstown Roofer) said

" I remember one time at a roofing expo a speaker said your better off repairing roofs till the homeowners state that they want a new roof, because in the mean time you can make money off the repair work... I totally disagree with this statement, not only is it wrong to charge a homeowner for a repair that isn't going to last long but your nickeling and diming the homeowners. I would much rather do a roof and they don't have to worry anymore."

6. If you are starting to experience water damage around your pipe flashings (bathroom) or chimney areas. This kind of falls inline with missing shingles because it could be workmanship, but it is also usually the first thing to go on a roof. Pipe flashings have a rubber ring around them to hold the pipe tight and prevent water, but UV rays really do a number on them over the years. Its one of the main reasons Youngstown Roofer EAS Roofing offers the Lifetime Pipe Flashing to their customers. Chimney flashing is usually an issue because of the caulking cracking or aging.

These are some items that you could look for if your unsure about the age or life expectancy of your roof. You could also always call a local roofing company like Youngstown Roofer EAS Roofing to inspect your roof Free of charge. This will not only help prepare for the estimated cost of replacement, but you will also get to see why Youngstown residents go to EAS Roofing, Youngstown Roofer for all their roofing needs. Call today at 330-227-2559 to schedule a certified roof technician.