Your roof is one of the most important parts of your home. When it’s working properly, it protects the rest of your house and your belongings.
However, it can start to show signs of wear and tear over time. When it does, it’s time to have a new roof installed.
1. Water Stains
The roof is your home’s primary protection from the elements. It does a lot of important jobs, including insulating your home from heat and cold, keeping rain water off of your home’s surfaces, and more.
But even the best roofs don’t last forever, and they may need to be replaced sooner than you think. Fortunately, there are several warning signs that will alert you to the need for a new roof.
One of the first things to look for is stains. They can be any color, but they can also indicate water quality issues. Red stains are usually caused by high iron levels, while blue-green ones are more likely to indicate low pH levels.
If you notice stains on your wood floors, walls, or other surfaces, it’s time to get them cleaned up. But before you do, it’s important to understand what causes them.
Water stains on wood can be difficult to remove, but they’re not impossible to fix. There are a few tricks to try, but if you’re not sure what you’re doing, it’s best to leave it to a professional.
Another easy fix is to use white toothpaste (skip the gel and whitening varieties). Rub it into the stain, then wipe away with a paper towel.
While the process can be messy, it’s a relatively quick and inexpensive way to get rid of stains from your home. Plus, it’s environmentally friendly.
Regardless of the cause, water stains can be an indicator that your roof needs to be replaced. The sooner you call a roofing contractor, the better. If you don’t get your roof fixed, water damage can lead to leaks, mold, and wood rot.
2. Unusually High Energy Bills
Unusually high energy bills are a sign that you need to get your roof repaired as soon as possible. This is because they can cause serious damage to your home’s structure if left unchecked.
When your home is not properly insulated, hot or cold air can escape through your roof. This causes your heating and cooling systems to work harder than usual, resulting in higher bills than you should be paying.
This is especially true if you live in an area with extreme weather, like a hurricane or earthquake. When there are storms, your HVAC system will work much harder to keep the interior of your home at your desired temperature.
A high energy bill could also be caused by a pandemic, as people may stay inside their homes more often than usual. This can lead to increased electricity usage, as people tend to use computers and other devices more frequently than normal.
Another reason that energy bills might go up is if your supplier underestimates your energy use. If you send your supplier regular meter readings, they should be able to keep track of how much energy you’ve used over the course of a month and send you an accurate bill based on that amount.
You’ll be able to find out how much your energy costs by checking online or using a utility app. The utility can also give you more information about how it determines your rates.
If you are concerned about your bill, you can contact the utility company to ask for help. There are several programs that can help those who are struggling financially, and you can also get a payment plan for your electric or gas services.
3. Ice Dams
Ice dams are a common winter issue that can cause serious damage to your roof and the rest of your home. They can lead to rotten decking, mold growth in the attic, and interior drywall damage.
Ice dams form when snow melts and refreezes on the warmest parts of a roof’s surface. This causes water to back up behind the ice and creates pools of melted water. The resulting puddles take up a large portion of the roof’s surface, which makes it difficult for it to drain away.
Then, this backed-up water flows under the shingles and into your house. It can find cracks in the shingle seals and swell to a large, unstoppable mass that will eventually break down the shingles, creating a leak.
In some cases, ice dams can also affect gutters and the landscaping around your house. The melted snow from the ice dams can build up in the gutters and clog them, preventing the flow of water off the roof.
These clogged gutters can also lead to water damage in the siding, foundation, and landscaping. Once this happens, you will need to hire a contractor to fix the problem.
To prevent ice dams, you should check your insulation levels and make sure that your gutters are properly installed and cleaned of debris. You should also look for potential problems that could lead to ice dams in the future and address them as they occur.
Having a professional handle these problems will ensure that your roof will continue to protect your home well into the future. Plus, a professional will have the knowledge and experience to get your roof in shape so that it is able to withstand the harsh winters we often have in the Midwest.
4. Loose Shingles
The most obvious sign that you need to have a new roof installed is missing or damaged shingles. This is a huge concern for homeowners, as if you don’t have a professional shingle roof installed, it can lead to rot and other serious problems in your home.
Aside from the aesthetics, missing or damaged shingles can cause water to leak into your home, which is dangerous for you and your family. Moisture under your shingles can lead to rotting, mold and other health problems, so it’s important to address any issues right away before the problem gets worse.
Shingles can come off your roof in one of several ways, including from the wind or falling trees and debris. They may also be blown off due to improperly fastened shingles.
Another way that shingles can get loose on your roof is if the nails are pulled out of them by weather or age. This is a normal part of roof wear, but if it occurs too often or too quickly, it can be a sign that your shingles are getting older and need to be replaced.
Curled, cracked, or missing shingles are also a clear sign that you need a new roof. Asphalt shingles go through a lot of wear and tear as they age, so seeing lots of this type of damage is a good indicator that you need to replace your shingles soon.
Shingles can also begin to lose granules as they age, so this is a big sign that you need to have them replaced. This is especially true if your roof was recently damaged by hail or other weather events. We advise you to visit GSORoofing.com as soon as you’re able to so that you can schedule a roof inspection.
5. Dead Animals
If you find a dead animal on your roof, it can be a sign that you need a new one. Rodents, squirrels, raccoons, and other small animals can enter homes in search of food and shelter, but they can also get trapped on the roof in an area where they can’t easily escape. Once they’re stuck, they can do a lot of damage to your roof over time.
The most obvious signs of dead animals on your roof are droppings and chewed wood shavings. They can also leave holes that allow water to pour in, which can cause mold and mildew to grow in your home. Once a dead animal is on your roof, you should call an experienced roofing contractor to inspect and make necessary repairs.
To avoid attracting these animals to your roof, keep the yard and garden neat and clean. Keep fallen fruits and vegetables out of the ground, and trim any vegetation in your yard regularly. This will discourage these animals from seeking shelter on your property.
When you spot a dead animal on your roof, call the professional experts at Solutions Pest and Lawn to help. We can provide odor control products to eliminate any lingering dead animal smells and get your home back to normal.
After we remove the dead animal, we can also perform a necropsy on it to check for any health issues that might have occurred in the animal. We’ll then put the carcass in a plastic body bag and seal it as soon as possible. This will ensure that the remains are properly disposed of and prevent any potential zoonotic diseases from spreading. Remember to always wear gloves when handling dead animals, and wash your hands after touching the skin.
