If you are a homeowner than you know that eventually, roof replacement will be inevitable. Residential roofers can be a great service when it comes to roof replacement and roof repair and you should really take advantage of that. Coming up with your own roofing solutions doesn’t always pan out in real life like it does in your mind. While roofing materials are easy to get your hands, professional roofers have the knowledge and the experience to be able to get the roof replacement or repair done properly and generally speaking, they don’t need and even necessarily want your help. Many times when we try to do things like this ourselves, we end up causing more work to have to be fixed and thus more money to be paid out. Now that that’s out of the way, here are some ways to know if you are in need of a roof replacement:

1. Roof Age
   This is the first thing that you should consider. Most roofs need to be replaced every 20 or 25 years. Before you purchase a house, if it is not brand new then you should find out how long it has been since the roof was built or replaced. This also depends on whether the old roof was actually removed before the new one put on or if it was just laid directly on top. If the new roof was laid on top of the old roof, even if it hasn’t reached the 20 year mark, it may already be needing to be replaced right now. Even though people do it, putting a new roof over an old roof shortens the life of the new roof by up to ten years.
2. Damaged Shingles
   If you notice that your shingles are curling or buckling, this is another sign that a replacement made be in the making soon enough. The side of the roof that catches direct sunlight will probably get damaged before the other side and if the shingles that are bending and losing granules, the roof is probably past its time already. If it isn’t, the roof may be defective and need replacing anyway. In that case, it might still be under warranty or you could be eligible for a refund or reimbursement depending on how long ago that defective roof was installed. This is why you should regularly check your roof, even brand new roofs.




3. Chimney Flashing
   Check the chimney flashing. This is a good place to find out if you need a new roof. If the flashing only has roof cement or tar, this means that water has corroded the previous material that was there. The flashing should be a water tight, metal system. You may be lucky and not have to replace the entire roof if it is not showing any other systems. If that is the case you can actually purchase the flashing system by itself. You should still have a professional roofer install the flashing for you and while he is there, he can take a look at the rest of the roof and let you know if there is a need for replacement yet.




4. Daylight Through the Roof
   If you are walking on your roof and you notice that it feels bouncy, this means that the underlying material is getting weak, probably from moisture. If you have an attic, you can go in there to see if any sunshine is coming through the boards of the roof. If these two things are in place, check the insulation for moisture. If it’s there, it’s time for a new roof. If only one of these things is happening, then you should probably still call out a professional to do a quick check up of your roof and let you know if they see any potential problems with it. You may get away with only having to repair the single issue but it’s better to know if there are any underlying problems.

Finding out about these simple roofing matters will save you a world of trouble. You don’t want to wait until your roof starts collapsing to get it replaced. That will cost you more money, more time and more resources that could have been avoided in the first place.