Even the best or most expensive roof won’t last forever. Residential roofs will wear out over time, as the wind and rain and other elements slowly wear them down. Tiles get broken or blown away. Cracks form in the flashing. Installed elements like skylights start leaking.
There are plenty of signs that it’s time to call in a Fairfax roofing contractor to replace your roof. Here are some of the biggest ones to watch out for.
Four Major Signs You Need a Fairfax Roofing Contractor to Replace Your Roof
1. Your roof is over twenty years old
Thirty years is about the maximum lifespan you can expect from a typical shingle-based residential roof. If you’ve made it to thirty years without replacing the roof or at least doing a refurbishment, it’s undoubtedly well past time for an update.
Plus, styles in home design change. A roof replacement will make your house more stylish, too!
2. Many missing or cracked shingles
Every time a shingle cracks or gets knocked off by weather, that’s another opportunity for water to leak into your home, or for air to leak out. Modern roofs have extra layers of material below the shingles, but these layers are easily damaged – the tiles are supposed to absorb the damage. If you have more than a handful of missing tiles, your roof undoubtedly has major leaks which are costing you money.
3. Missing flashing around chimneys or other roof elements
Whenever there’s a feature which sticks up out of the roof, like a chimney, shingles alone can’t form a barrier against the elements. These features utilize flashing – thin pieces of metal, which bridge the gap between the feature and the surrounding shingles. Whenever the flashing is broken or missing, it’s creating a hole straight through your roof.
Without proper flashing, water damage is highly likely, especially around big objects.
4. Signs of interior water damage or staining
Sometimes it’s difficult to immediately see the source of leaks in your roof – but you can see the effects! A leaky roof in need of replacement is going to create a lot of water damage below it. You’ll likely see miscolored paint, water streaks, or damaged drywall.
If this is happening, don’t wait! The damage will only grow over time. Instead, contact NuHome, one of the most trusted roofing contractors in the Fairfax area!