Our house is 21 years old, with the original roof. Do people get a new roof based on years, or on some other factor? We have had no problems so far. Thanks!

There are many things to look for when assessing your roof. Right now, it appears to be doing its job by keeping water out of your house but you want to make sure it continues to do so in the future.

I had a customer who we just replaced there roof because the roof finally gave way to the elements and their living room got drenched with rain water. We did an assessment on their roof a few months ago and stated it was time for a new roof based upon several characteristics the roof was showing but also noted the roof was still doing its job of shedding water. The hard part for a homeowner is to know when to hold and when to fold. It is hard to replace a roof that is still working but sometimes you have to bite the bullet to ensure your house stays dry.

My advice would to be to get a good roofer to look at your roof and give their opinion on what kind of life it has left. What makes you think you need a new roof other than the age?

Micah
323 Roofing and Restoration

Probably your best bet would be to call a couple of roofers for free estimates. They can point out the signs of aging and failing shingles that mean a roof needs replacement.

Because of the age of your roof, it would be wise to get this assessment soon. You don't have to tell the roofer right off the bat how old the roof is - if they know what they are doing, they will be able to tell right away that it is pretty old.

Getting multiple estimates will allow you to get more than one opinion on the state of your roof. From there you have to make the decision. However, just because you aren't seeing water in your living areas doesn't mean there isn't any water getting in. Your best bet is to have it checked.

Lone-Star Roof Systems, Aggie-owned and operated.

From what I have learned there are a few signs. Loss of granules is one sign that you can see. You can’t always see wind damage. If your shingles have wind damage then you can lift the shingles up. You might also have decking that sags or curls up in places.

I have a pretty general question. We had a pretty big hail storm last year, and filed a claim. Insurance company said there was enough strikes and gave me a claim for replacement of the entire roof. My roof was fairly new, so the depreciated value was negligible, about $200. How quickly does this move a roof to failure? I’m sure this is impossible to answer without visual inspection by a pro. I’ve walked the roof and checked it during several major storms and haven’t seen any signs of failure.

The reason I’m holding out is I’d like to take the opportunity to switch to a metal roof, but I’m not quite ready to throw down the additional $ today. Am I probably playing with fire?

Loss of granules and exposed nails were a couple things that tipped us off. The explanation was that the granules block the sun from the material underneath, and the lack thereof will accelerate your shinglr failure. Also that exposed nails become an entry point for water over time.

With all due respect to the Aggie roofers on this thread, I am confident that if you call a roofer they will say that roof is due for replacement.

"Those are 20 year shingles"

"When they say 30 years that only means under perfect conditions."

Etc.

I replaced the roof on my home two years ago. My home was built in 1991, so the roof was 20 years old. Mine was done as an insurance claim. I had been losing shingles during big storms. I repaired them myself, since I had spare originals. But the shingles were clearly "tired." They had lost their strength - wind gusts were getting under the edge and just ripping them off, leaving the big staples behind. Granules were flaking off.

Roofs are expensive. So there is no reason to replace a good one early. But there are good reasons for replacing it before it fails. I chose to call USAA after I had a small leak and at the same time ran out of matching replacement shingles.

I'm not saying don't consider replacement now. Just don't expect a roofer to look at it and tell you "I think its good for five more years."

[This message has been edited by SpicewoodAg (edited 6/13/2013 11:42a).]

Thanks, everyone.