Top 7 Signs your shingle roof needs replacing  

Top 7 Signs your shingle roof needs replacing  

It’s no surprise that Colorado holds the record for most snowfall in less than one day–nearly 76 inches (six feet) in Silver Lake on April 14, 1921. This blizzard continued for 24 hours before ultimately blanketing the area with 95 total inches of snow. The National Weather Service further reports Colorado Springs residents shoveled 36 inches of snow from October 2018 to April 2019. By the end of the 2015-2016 shoveling season, the same residents had to deal with 50 inches of snow! In fact, Colorado snowplows see just as much action as New England snowplows.

That’s a lot of snow.

Any Colorado Springs roofer will tell you that snow and ice are the worst expeditors of shingle damage. In addition to blizzard-force winds loosening shingles or blowing shingles off the roof, ice dams are also primary perpetrators of roof damage. An ice dam happens when snow or ice melts from heat inside your home and backs up underneath shingles. As melted snow trickles down the roof and reaches the roof’s edges and eaves, it then refreezes rapidly from lack of heat. The resulting ice dam prevents water from running off your roof like it should run off. Water remaining under shingles for months at a time will deteriorate shingles, remove protective granules and allow water to leak into your home.

7 Signs of Damaged Roofing Colorado Springs Homeowners Should Watch For

  1. Clawed/Curling Shingles

Shingles with upward curling edges may indicate ice damming or age-related deterioration. Curled shingles are susceptible to being blown off by strong winds. “Clawed” shingles curl downward at the corners instead of upward. Shingle clawing happens when the shingle’s bottom layer shrinks smaller than the top of the shingle. Clawing is mostly caused when excessive heat from a windowless or under-ventilated attic affects shingles. However, snow and ice dams quicken clawing of shingles which can restrict a roof from shedding water properly. Heavy rainfall hitting roofs with clawed shingles could allow ponding runoff to soak through shingles and leak into the home.

  1. Dark Spots and Missing Granules

Shingle granules protect shingles from sunlight, snow, ice and rain. Although shingles may not be clawed or curling, they could still be missing enough granules to cause hardening and brittleness due to sun and heat. A good sign of heavy granule loss is finding piles of granules at the bottom of eaves spout drains. Loosing shingle granules not only accelerates aging of your roof but can also lead to leaks where no granules are left on shingles. Discolored or darkened spots on shingles mean you are seeing the bottom layer of the shingle and all granules have been washed away.

  1. Broken/Cracked Shingles

You might dismiss one or two cracked or broken shingles but just one opening in a shingle, no matter how small, will let water trickle through onto the framework of your roof. Cracked shingles also reduce the ability of your roof to remove water properly by interfering with the flow of water off the roof and into gutters.

  1. Wavy/Buckling Shingles

Shingles that bulge and rise upward but appear to have edges still attached to the roof are “buckling” shingles. Buckling shingles commonly run vertically upward across a roof’s slope. Vulnerable to ice, snow and wind damage, they can be ripped off roofs instantly by just moderate wind speeds of 20 to 30 miles per hour. If you had a new roof replacement only a few years ago and already notice buckling shingles, it may be due to poor installment of the underlayment to which shingles are attached.

  1. Flashing Damage

Roof flashings are pieces of sheet metal surrounding or attached to joints embedded in roofs to prevent water from leaking into a home. You will find flashings around eaves, skylights, chimneys, valleys and rakes. Age and weather extremes will cause lifting and separation of flashings by drying out caulking and deteriorating shingles around the flashing. Rapid contraction and expansion of flashings produced by fluctuations in temperature can also loosen fasteners and bottom flange that allows water to leak into your home. In most cases, if you have flashing damage, you have shingle damage as well.

  1. Moss Growth on Shingles

Dark-colored or greenish moss growing on your roof indicates you have a major problem with your roof’s inability to dry out completely between snow, ice and rain events. Moss aggravates the problem by retaining moisture and increasing the risk of leaks through damaged shingles. Most of the time, moss grows on roofs because roofs do not receive enough sunlight due to overgrown tree branches covering the roof. Unless moss is removed and your roof’s moisture issue is resolved, you’ll likely need to call a Colorado Springs roofer for a roof replacement.

  1. Worst Sign of Your Shingles Need Replaced?

No, it’s not missing, cracked, clawed or buckled shingles. It’s a roof that sags.

You would be surprised how many calls a Colorado Springs roofer receives from homeowners who request replacement of shingles, only to have the roofer find out the roof is sagging in places and may not even be safe enough to walk on. A sagging roof sags because of rotting boards, moisture that has been trapped under shingles for years and the ensuing fungus and moss growing on shingles. If your roof is sagging, call us immediately for a complete inspection.

Roof Replacement vs Roof Repair

If your roof is over 10 years old and shows signs of shingle damage, it’s better to replace the whole roof than just a few shingles. Roof leaks are not always visible inside the home, especially in the early stages of shingle damage. Long-term roof leaks may also destroy deck sheathing and insulation which will increase the cost of a simple roof replacement.

Licensed roofing contractors in Colorado Springs have the experience and “trained eye” essential for determining what kind of shingle issues you may have. Before you find your roof “leaking” on your parade, call our roofing company today to receive a free estimate and other information you need to make a decision about roof replacement.

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