9 Signs You Need a New Roof, Not Another Repair

From the ground

1. Curling or cupping shingle tabs

Edges lifting up or the middle dishing down. The asphalt has dried out and lost its flexibility. This is age, not damage, and it does not reverse. Once it is widespread the roof is in its final years.

2. Bald patches where the mat shows

Granules are the only UV protection asphalt has. Where they are gone, the mat is being cooked. Scattered bald spots on an older roof mean the clock has run out.

3. A sagging line along the ridge or between rafters

This is structural, not cosmetic. It means the deck or framing is holding moisture and losing strength. Get it looked at soon, not eventually.

4. Missing shingles after every wind event

Once, replace them. Every time it blows, the sealant strips across the whole roof have released and the field is no longer bonded. That is a whole-roof condition.

In the gutters

5. Granules accumulating steadily

A cup or two in the first months after a new install is normal manufacturing shed. On a ten to fifteen year old roof, a steady accumulation each time you clean gutters is the roof measurably wearing out, and it is the earliest reliable indicator you get.

In the attic

6. Daylight through the deck

If you can see light, water can get in. Turn off the attic light and look on a bright day.

7. Staining on the underside of the sheathing

Dark blotches or streaks on the wood mean water has been getting in, possibly for years, possibly without ever showing on your ceiling. This is the check almost nobody does.

8. Frost on the nails or sheathing in winter

Warm moist air is reaching the cold deck. That is a ventilation and air sealing problem that will rot the deck and cause ice dams. It needs fixing whether or not you replace the roof.

On paper

9. Age past 18 years plus two or more repairs

An 18 to 20 year old asphalt roof in North Dakota that has already needed multiple repairs is not going to get better. Every subsequent repair costs a mobilization charge on a roof with limited life left.

The repair-or-replace rule

Two questions.

1. Is the problem localized or general? One failed pipe boot on a twelve year old roof is a repair. Granule loss across three slopes is not.
2. Is the repair quote more than about a third of a replacement quote? If yes on an older roof, you are paying labor twice to still own an old roof.

A roof at 12 years with one leak: repair it, and be suspicious of anyone who says otherwise. A roof at 20 years with three patches and granules in the gutter: replace it, and start planning before it forces the timing in February.

One thing to check before you spend anything

Look at your attic intake ventilation. If soffit vents are blocked by insulation, the roof you just paid for will age exactly as fast as the one it replaced. Baffles are cheap and they are the difference between an 18 year roof and a 25 year roof.

Questions we get asked