Ask the Agents #27 Old Roof, New Roof

Question: My shingled roof is 15 years old. When should I replace it?

Answer: We touched briefly on this subject last fall in 9 Things to Ready Your House to Sell. At that time we advised that, if youre putting your home on the market, you should probably replace a shingled roof that is more than 12 to 15 years old. A new roof warranty goes a long way toward putting a buyers mind at ease. Indeed, it might be the single best investment you can make to prepare your house to sell.

But what if youre not selling your house? Replacing a roof can be a chunk of money, and its natural to wait as long as possible to get the most out of your current roof. On the other hand, you should replace your roof before it fails entirely. When should you pull the trigger and call a roofing contractor?

There are seven obvious signs that your shingled roof should be replaced or repaired:

1. Its more than three-quarters through its lifespan. For many homeowners, when they hear 20-year shingles, they expect the roof to last at least 20 years. Alas, not always. The general rule of thumb is that you should replace a roof somewhere around the 80 to 85 percent mark of the manufacturers life of the roof. For a 20-year roof, that would be around year 16 or 17; for a 25-year roof, it would be year 20.
2. Moss or weeds or, heaven forbid, tree saplings are growing on your roof. Vegetation can make its way into cracks and gaps and degrade shingles. If these take root, they can damage rot the wood decking. If you notice wet spots on your roof or streaks of algae, those are also warning signs.
3. You find gravel in the gutters or washing down the downspouts. Loose gravel is a sign that the shingles are degrading.
4. Shingles are curled, cracked or missing. This may be due to rain, wind, sun or tree branches that repeatedly rub an area of the roof. If rain can get under your shingles, it can cause leaks. Always check your roof after a major storm, a much easier task today with the assistance of a drone. Remember that our Houston sun can be very damaging to a roof, so be alert.
5. Your roof is sagging. (This gives us the heebie-jeebies just to think about.) You may have broken or compromised beams. Call the roofer.
6. You develop leaks around flashed areas. Flashing is the metal that is used to seal the roof around chimney or vents. A windy tropical storm, for example, can bend up the flashing and allow rain to get under.
7. There are moist or wet areas in your attic. Call the roofer, as this moisture can quickly lead to the growth of mold.

A new roof is a big investment, so choose your roofer carefully. Ask your friends or neighbors for a referral or give us a call.

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