As a homeowner, one thing you are almost certain to have to do at some point in time is replace your roof. Although modern roofing materials are quite long-lasting, very few homeowners escape ever having to invest in replacement roofs — sometimes due to weather damage and, in other cases, due to sheer age. Here, you’ll find some helpful tips for North Carolina and South Carolina homeowners.
It bears noting that the advice in this guide is for those who do not know for sure they need a roof replacement imminently. If, for instance, you reside in the coastal Carolinas and your house has sustained even minor hurricane damage, you should schedule a roof inspection without even reading this checklist first — file it away to read at a later date instead.
Look for interior leaks
Sometimes, people don’t think about the fact that the best way to tell if their roofs need to be replaced is by looking inside. Leaky ceilings are often one of the best indicators that a home’s roofing materials are failing. Water should not, after all, be penetrating your shingles and underlayment, ultimately seeping into your home. If this is happening, it’s time to schedule an inspection as soon as you can.
See when your roof was last replaced
Another good way to decide if it’s time for a new roof is to look up when it was last replaced. If you were the last homeowner to have a roof installed on your North Carolina or South Carolina residence, you probably already have at least a rough idea of when the project occurred. If, however, the prior homeowner had the last new roof put on your current house, you may need to do some digging. The real estate agent you worked with on your purchase is a good starting point.
The majority of shingle manufacturers rate their products for between 20 and 25 years of use. If your existing shingles are older than that, it would behoove you to invest in a new roof even if there aren’t obvious red flags yet — there undoubtedly will be. Other roofing materials have different lifespans. Slate tiles, for instance, can last over a century, but are not nearly as common as asphalt shingles.
Look at your shingles
Whether you wait on a professional inspector or you take a look at your shingles on your own first, cracked areas, missing shingles, and mold growth are all serious problems that need to be addressed sooner rather than later. Any of these problems is likely to signal — at least to an expert roof contractor — that you need a new roof on your house.
The team at Hatch Homes is here to provide you with the assistance you need throughout your Carolina roof installation project. Our team will not only answer your questions but will treat you and your family with the utmost professionalism from the first day of your job until your roof is entirely installed.