It’s easy to think your roof is working fine as long as it’s not leaking. But waiting for a leak to address an old or damaged roof can lead to much bigger and more expensive problems later.
If you see any of these 7 signs that your roof may develop a leak soon, you could catch a big problem before it starts.
1. Black spots on your roof
Roofs can darken as they age. There are multiple causes, and none of them are good. One cause can be the shingles losing granules, which reveals darker colored asphalt underneath. Another is algae that often leaves long streaks of dark and black coloration.
Both of these are signs that the roof either has too much moisture getting through it or will soon.
2. Malformed shingles
On a healthy roof, the shingles are basically flat and straight. They have uniform texture and some dimensionality. But across the whole roof, the shingles should all have the same patterning.
If you see shingles that deviate from the normal pattern, it often means the shingles are deformed. This can be buckling, cupping, tearing, or any sort of warping. While this can be caused by an improper installation, if your roof has been on for a while and you have only just now begun noticing warped shingles, it’s a sign that the shingles are failing and water should be expected to be getting through soon if not already.
3. Popped up or missing nails
The expansion/contraction cycle caused by hot and cold temperatures can over time push nails out of the shingles and wood they’re attached to. This creates holes for water and can lead to missing shingles.
If you find nails on the ground around your roof or in gutters – or if you see nails in the shingles protruding instead of properly seated – it means there are plenty of ways for water to get in, and you’ll have a leak sooner than later.
4. Water stains around nails in attic
These can be caused by both condensation and leaks. Regardless, they need to be addressed either way. Oftentimes, a leak will show up around the penetrations first, so if you see them around the nails before anywhere else, it means you may have caught a problem before it got much bigger.
5. Granules in gutters or by downspouts
Loss of granules is one of the easiest ways to tell if your roof is near the end of its life.
When a roof is first installed, excess granules will wash into the gutters, but then soon enough that will stop and you should see very little granule loss. But eventually, years later, the loss will begin to ramp up again.
You can see this on the shingles themselves, as they will appear balder and change color. But an even easier way is to check gutters and by downspouts. If there is any increase in amount of granules in there, it probably means your roof needs to be replaced soon.
While granules are the protective outer layer of shingles, when they are lost it doesn’t mean there are additional protective layers beneath them. Granules instead fall out of the shingles because every layer of the shingle is losing integrity.
Granule loss is something you never want to ignore.
6. Animals spending time on the roof
Animals burrow and nest. They dig or peck all sorts of holes in any kind of structures they spend a lot of time around. Roofs are no different.
If you see wildlife congregate on your roof in any way, it’s usually a sign that they’ve been causing damage.
7. Whistling sounds inside the house
Along the lines of damage caused by animals, if you hear any strange sounds in your house that seem like there could be holes that air is getting through, it’s probably what’s happening.
Leaving this issue alone can result in a ton of damage later because you never know what has caused it. It could be a small spot that rain gets through and you need repairs in just that one area, or it could be from animals that are going to cause a whole lot more damage everywhere.
If you live in the south Puget Sound of Washington State and you notice any of these issues with your roof, please call us at (253) 544-3651 or fill out our quick estimate form.
