How to Decide When a New Roof is Needed and What to Expect to Replace

Besides having a huge hole in your roof, other signs will start to hint to you that it is time to get a new roof. This can be daunting because one might think sometimes the whole roof needs to be replaced. Sometimes that is true but that is also after having your current roof for a long time.

Time

Simply put, nothing lasts forever. When it comes to roofing that is a reality as well. The material is what determines what the shelf life is. Wood Shingles usually are up to 25 years with Asphalt shingles up to 30 years. Rubber Roofs and Metal roofs can last up to 50 and 75 years respectively. Keep in mind these are maximum lifespans of these roofs and can vary based on weather conditions and the actual producer of the items. Always check with the manufacturer for a more accurate timeframe.

In reality, these will need to be replaced much sooner, because of mother nature, and human nature. Another factor to consider is how much roof maintenance is done. Is it being checked only when there is a noticeable problem or is it being checked on a routine and consistent basis?

A fix can stop a full-on replacement

Sometimes we might panic and see something on our roof and feel that the entire roof needs to be replaced because of it. Keep in mind that the roof is built for protection, it is your household armor so it is meant to take a beating! Always check with a licensed professional and see if minor repairs are enough to maintain your roof before needing to tear it all apart.

Signs that it is time to replace that roof

Water Damage

Check your attic (your first inspection point) to see if there are any consistent damp spots anywhere after it rains. Check to see if it is an isolated leak or if it gets worse every time. This needs to be assessed quickly because water damage inside the house can spell bigger problems and costs in the future, if not taken care of immediately

Sagging Roof

Sometimes the roof begins to sag, especially as the roof gets older. This can be due to rot or the materials breaking down or expanding due to heavy rainfall or snowfall. Your roof should not sag at all and should be at a straight angle. This is an easy telltale sign to replace the roof, or you might end up risking a roof that collapses, and you guessed it, causing more damage.

Mold and Moss

Although it might seem pretty when you have those green patches on your roof, they are not your friend. They are eating your roof away and will eventually destroy it. No roof is really mold or algae proof, and damp environments will only accelerate their growth. Fungi could also start to grow and rot could set in, causing gaps in your roof. Now if you see a little bit of it, a quick replacement of that section should suffice, but be warned that this can escalate quickly and it is better and safer to replace the entire roof

Broken flashing

These are materials placed on items that pop out of your roof, like a chimney or something similar. They are there to divert excess water and snow and to protect these parts of your roof. Although they are built with extremely tough and weather-resistant materials, they can break down, and this can cause havoc on sensitive parts of your roof, needing a complete replacement.

Curling tiles

Sometimes due to moisture (the enemy of roofs), your tiles can start to appear to curl, especially with an asphalt roof. These can happen in isolated and smaller instances and can be easily fixed with a caulking gun and a ladder. But if your entire roof starts to look like U shaped tiles, it means there is an underlying moisture problem literally underneath. This means that no matter how much patching up is done, you will eventually need to replace the entire roof.

               Tiles falling off

Your home should not have any of the tiles on a tiled roof actually fall off. If they are consistently falling off, it is a sign to consider roof replacement. You can also check your roof during your routine maintenance and if you notice a lot of loose tiles (just by walking over them), then you need to also consider a roof replacement.

Ok – I need to replace my roof

Some of the items above could be simple one-off incidents and there is no underlying problem but chances are that eventually, you will need to replace your roof. This is again, not another reason to panic. Roof replacement is not a complicated task and should be handled by a licensed and professional contractor to guarantee it is done right. If you decide to do it yourself, there are too many things that can easily go wrong and eventually cost you more.

The national average cost of roof replacement is about $8,000 with it increasing slightly for the California area. It all depends on the size of the house (a bigger house has a bigger roof) and depends on what type of material you will be using for the replacement. This could also be a good time to check your gutters and other structural parts to see if you can do an entire refresh of your home. You can even speak with the contractor about better roofing options that might last better for the local weather and possibly increase home value while reducing the need to replace the roof as often.

This should be considered a home improvement in most cases, so you should quickly check with your bank and see if you can finance it at a low rate if you prefer not to pay the whole amount out of pocket or it is an emergency. This way you don’t overthink about IF you should replace your roof but WHEN you can start.

The best part? It usually takes up to 3 days to replace the whole roof in most cases, so you might end up spending more time thinking about it, than actually getting it replaced!