The roof over your head instills a sense of security and comfort to all its residents – and for good reasons, too. As a durable structure, the roof envelopes your entire home from top-down, protecting you, your loved ones, and your precious belongings from animals, pests, rains, storms, and other windblown debris that happen to cross your path. Whereas the roof is an effective shield against all Mother Nature’s terrible tantrums, its effectiveness can sometimes be compromised by factors such as age, lack of maintenance or care, and many others. To help you assess your roof condition, here is a nice list of signs that will enable you to make an informed decision when faced with a potential roof replacement.

Before You Climb Your Ladder

No one has time to climb on the roof every day to inspect its condition. However, experienced homeowners can always come to a relatively accurate conclusion about its roof by simply inspecting his or her living space.

1) Signs of Water Damage or Leaking in Your Indoor Space

If you roof is failing and in a severe shape, you are likely to see water spots on the ceiling and water trails on the walls. Signs of water infiltration are especially prominent after rain, so by simply keeping an eye on your ceiling and walls, you will gain valuable clues about your roof condition without the aid of a ladder.

2) Seeing Skylights on a Sunny Day

You know that the shingles of your roof are compromised when you see sunlight penetrating your attic ceiling. This usually suggests that something has happened to the shingles, and that they are no longer tightly nestled next to each other and bracing the roof.

3) Shingle Granules in the Gutters

When it comes to the general life expectancy of your roof, most experts agree that it falls between 20 to 25 years. As your roof ages and deteriorates, the granules that were supposed to protect and preserve the durability and aesthetics of your shingles will also come off. According to Popular Mechanic, “If you suddenly notice a lot of the granules flowing out of the downspouts every time it rains, the next step is to get on a ladder and examine the shingles to see if they look ‘exposed’ because most of the granules are gone.”

Once You Are On the Roof

You’ve probably heard of the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” However, when it comes to assessing your roof, you will need to judge its condition by its shingles.

4) Curling, Clawing, Broken, and Missing Shingles

Roofs have enemies that seek to compromise its strength, functionality, and beauty. The sun, for example, emits heat and ultraviolet radiation that may cause roofing materials to discolor and deteriorate. If it has been at least two decades since your roof replacement, be expected to see curling or clawing that are rigid and highly susceptible to wind uplift and ice damage. As a result, you may also find some broken and missing shingles on various spots, especially on the valley and around the edge of your roof.

5) Rusted, Missing or Damaged Flashing

Additionally, a roof that needs to be replaced generally will have rusted, missing or damaged flashing. Check the flashings located around skylights, valleys, eaves, rakes, wall details, stacks, and chimneys for signs of separation, lifting, and dried out caulking. According to Angie’s List, “If your flashing consists of roof cement or tar, it may need to be replaced with a long term, water-tight fitting which would be a metal flashing system.”

Replace Your Roof Now Before It Fails Your Home

Missing and torn shingles can compromise the durability of neighboring shingles and expose your roof system to water damage, rot, and leakage. Therefore, it is critical for you to immediately contact a professional roofing contractor if your roof is showing any of the 5 signs we have discussed in this article.