How to tell if you should replace or patch your roof

Summer  is a great time to get roofing work done since the coming winter means  that roofing problems that have been ignored can become big roofing  problems and entire home type problems. Tiny leaks can lead to  widespread roof damage and can compromise your roof deck, ceilings,  walls, and even belongings inside your home if the leak becomes severe  enough. But how can you tell if your entire roof needs to be replaced,  or if it just needs a little maintenance to last you a few more years.  Here are a few ways you can tell.

Localized vs. widespread damage

Since  it’s probably been a while since you’ve taken a good long look at your  roof, take a pair of binoculars, head across the street where you can  see a good portion of your roof from the safety of the ground and scan  your roof. You’re looking for sagging portions of the roof and for  cracked, curling, or missing shingles. It will be pretty easy to tell if  you’ve got widespread damage because a significant portion of the roof  will show these signs of aging. If most of the roof looks fine but you  an isolated section or two that appear to have some damage, you can  probably get by with a patch but make sure to call a Spokane roofing  company about an inspection and estimate to be sure.

Granule loss

You  may have noticed that asphalt shingles have little ceramic granules on  their surface. These give it their rough texture and also boost their  aesthetic appeal. But these granules also have a functional  purpose--they protect the shingles from the sun’s harmful UV rays which  can cause the shingles to become brittle and break over time. Granules  over one final benefit--they serve as a good indicator of how much life  your roof has left. A roof needs to be replaced when the shingles have  lost the majority of their granules. You’ll have to get out your ladder  and get right up close to the shingles to observe granule loss. Another  way is to check the rain gutters and downspouts after a good rain. If  you’re seeing a lot of granule loss, there’s no sense pouring money into  patches because you’ll just need another, and another, and another when  the whole roof needs replacing anyways.

Home improvement news brought to you by bartonroof.com

Source:bostonglobe.com/magazine/2017/07/25/replace-your-roof-patch-wait-year-here-how-decide/ndhnJuxPc5Jjv27ZAPxGLO/story.html