Between You and the Sky: A Roofing Website

Your roof is one of the most important investments you've made in your home thus far, and whether you have replaced your roof in the past or not, you need to know the signs of roof replacement needs in your home. This way, when your roof does need to be replaced, you can be financially and mentally prepared for the home renovation task.

Here are signs roof replacement is in your home's future. You can get a quote for roofing services from your roofing contractor.

Your roof is aging

The type of material your roof is made of is a large indicator of when your roof needs to be replaced, along with how old your roof actually is. An asphalt shingle roof ages faster than a slate roof, for example, and will need to be replaced sooner. Consider what your roof is made out of to help you determine when roof replacement is needed:

• Asphalt roofs: 20 years
• Slate roofs: 50+ years
• Wood shake roofs: 30 years

You can get a history of when your home's roof was last replacement by speaking to your realtor or by going over your home's recorded history of roof repairs.

Your roof is damaged

A damaged roof may not need to be replaced right away, but eventually, the damages will start to outweigh the costs of getting a new roof. Roof replacement is often needed if shingles keep coming loose or if metal panels come loose and roof repairs are ongoing. A sagging roof will need to be replaced as well.

Have your roofing contractor inspect your roof to see what the damages are and how much it will cost to repair your roof versus replacing it, if applicable. In some cases, it's cheaper to do roof replacement than it is to do roof repairs; you'll get a recommendation as to when you should get roof replacement done on your roof so you know how much time you have to prepare for the service.

The best way to find out if your home is going to need a roof replacement in the near future is to have a roofing company come and inspect your roof. This is a service you should have done periodically as part of roof maintenance even if your roof is brand new; your roofing contractor will let you know how often roof inspections should be done based on the type of roof you have. Once your roof replacement is done, the warranty on your roof should cover the renovation for some time.