When you notice water stains on the ceilings and walls of your home, it's a good sign that you have issues with your roof. First, you need to have a roofing contractor climb up on your roof and see what the problem is. After looking at your roof, the contractor will tell you what the problem is and what they think needs to be done about it. You will either need to replace or repair it. How can you tell which one you need to do?
Sagging Roof
One sign that you need a new roof is that your rooflines are sagging. When you stand outside your house and look at your roof, the line created by the peak of your roof should be straight and level. Ideally, the line of the edge of your roof and the line of the peak of your roof should be parallel. This way, the roof should be a flat plane in between. Sags and dips show that the roof deck, which is the part under the roofing material, has broken down, which can mean it is saturated with water and rotting.
Mossy Shingles
If you have moss on your roof, that's a sign that there has been a lot of moisture on it. Moss likes wet places to grow. It can also be a sign that you have gutter problems because the water isn't getting carried away from your roof the way that it should and is standing in the gutters, letting moss grow on the roof. When there is moss on your roof, you may be able to see it from the ground, even if you aren't 100% of what it is. You may see it as a greenish tint to the shingles or a discoloration.
Damage Around Protrusions
If there is a lot of damage around protruding features like skylights, chimneys, ventilation stacks, or other similar features, it can be a sign that you should have your roof replaced instead of just repaired. Those things are already weak points in your roof because they break the line of shingles or roofing materials, so damage often shows up there before anywhere else. If there is significant damage in those areas, replacing your roof will likely be the less expensive method in the long run.
When you notice water damage on your ceiling, you need to check your roof. Call a residential roofing replacement contractor to ask them to inspect your roof and let you know what should be done with it.
Share6 April 2023
When it came time to install a new roof on my home, I had no idea where to start. In fact, I was exploring roofing options that were a really poor fit in my climate. It wasn't until I reached out to a local roofer that I got some lessons on how to choose the right roofing material for my home and the weather exposure it is subjected to. I built this site to share my journey, including the mistakes I made and the things that I learned along the way. If you are considering replacing your home's roof, I hope that the information here can help to guide you through the process.