We often get asked how much life is left on someone’s home. Lots of factors play into how long a shingle roof will last on your home. You might think that the warranty provided by the manufacturer against defects is how long your roof will be good for, but that isn’t always the case. Keep reading and get more insight on when you might need to consider replacing your roof!
As we mentioned above, if there is a defect in how the shingles were manufactured, that can significantly affect how long your roof will last. The good news is that if there is in fact a defect, as long as it was installed according to the manufacturer’s specifications, you should have a good case to take to the manufacturer under their warranty terms. We always suggest that you contact the manufacturer if you suspect there is a defect and follow whatever guidelines they have for submitting a warranty claim with them.
Weather is another reason that the life of your roof might be shortened. Hail and high winds (tornados are common culprits) can damage your roof to the point where it needs to be replaced. Again, the good news is that you can contact your insurance company to see if the damage is extensive enough to have the roof replaced that would be covered by your policy. Each insurance company is different and has its own processes for this, so it’s best to find out what you need to do if you’ve experienced severe weather conditions.
Inadequate ventilation on your roof could cut years off the life of your roof as well. This is one that can fly under the radar. Extreme temperatures in your attic due to a buildup of heat with nowhere to escape can cause damage to the shingles. If this is the case, a roof you thought had decent life left may need to be replaced sooner rather than later.
Normal wear and tear can also influence the longevity of the shingles. Life just happens sometimes, from animals making a meal of your roofing, to foot traffic scuffing granules off, to surrounding trees weakening the roof in a variety of ways. Even if the shingles weren’t defective, no adverse weather happens, and your roof has plenty of ventilation, it still likely won’t last the entire duration of the shingle classification period.
So, if your roof was installed more than 15 years ago, it might be time to consider getting a quote for replacement. There may be a few years of life left in it, or it could be on its last leg. Either way, you’ll get a feel for how much the replacement cost would be and can make an informed decision as to when to go forward with the project.
Roofing is a major investment and nobody wants to do wear and tear again and again on it. In order to avoid those things, call a roof inspection once in a year and repair the minor damages in the home as minor damages if repaired initially then it won't become major in the end. By contacting roof repair contractors this work can be done easily on regular basis.