7 Signs Your Memphis Home Needs a New Roof
Not sure if your roof is done? Here are 7 warning signs Memphis homeowners can check from the ground, and what each one means.
Most homeowners don't think about their roof until water shows up on the ceiling. By then, the damage usually isn't just the shingles. It's the decking, the insulation and sometimes the drywall too.
The good news: a roof almost always gives warning signs before it fails. At Pinegrove Roofing and Exteriors, these are the seven we look for most often on Memphis-area homes. You can check most of them from the ground or from inside your attic. Please don't climb on your roof. A fall is far more expensive than any roof.
1. Your roof is 20 years old or more
Age is the simplest warning sign. The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) estimates basic 3-tab asphalt shingles last about 20 years and architectural (dimensional) shingles about 30. Memphis summers are hot and humid, which is hard on asphalt, so many roofs here wear out at the earlier end of those ranges.
Don't know how old your roof is? Check your closing papers or home inspection report. A roof replacement in Memphis and most of Shelby County normally requires a permit, so the permit record can also show when the last roof went on.
2. Shingles are curling, cupping or cracking
Look at your roof from the street or across the yard. Healthy shingles lie flat. Shingles whose edges turn up (curling), whose middles sink (cupping) or that show cracks have lost their flexibility. They let wind get underneath and water get through.
3. Bald spots and granules in the gutters
The gritty granules on shingles protect the asphalt from the sun. When you see dark, smooth "bald" patches on the roof, or a lot of sand-like granules collecting in your gutters or at the bottom of downspouts, the shingles are wearing out. Some granule loss right after a new roof is normal. Heavy loss on an older roof isn't.
4. Missing shingles after a storm
One or two missing shingles after a strong wind can often be repaired. But if shingles keep blowing off every time a storm comes through, the sealant strips that hold them down have usually failed across the whole roof. That's a sign of age, not bad luck.
5. Daylight or water stains in the attic
On a sunny day, go into your attic with a flashlight and turn it off. If you see pinpoints of daylight through the roof boards, water can get in too. Also look for dark stains, damp insulation or mold on the underside of the roof deck, especially around chimneys, vents and valleys.
6. A sagging roofline
Stand back and look along the ridge and the roof surface. It should be straight and even. A dip or sag can mean the decking underneath has rotted from long-term moisture. This one needs attention quickly.
7. Moss, algae streaks or rising energy bills
Black streaks on shingles are usually algae. On their own they're mostly cosmetic, but heavy moss holds moisture against the roof and shortens its life. And if your upstairs is getting hotter and your energy bills are climbing, a worn roof and poor attic ventilation may be part of the reason.
One sign = check it. Several signs = plan for replacement.
A single issue, like a few missing shingles on a 10-year-old roof, can often be fixed with a repair. Several of these signs together, especially on a roof over 20 years old, usually mean it's time to start planning a replacement before the next big storm decides for you.
Not every warning sign comes from age. After a recent storm, a Memphis homeowner noticed new stains on her ceiling and called us. When we inspected her roof, we found hail damage on the shingles from that storm. Her insurance company inspected the damage, approved the claim and paid for a full roof replacement, which our crew installed.
Ceiling stains a Memphis homeowner noticed after a storm. The cause was hail damage on her roof.
A Pinegrove roof replacement in Memphis: the old shingles come off down to the decking, and tarps protect the yard and landscaping.
The shingles we installed
For this roof, we installed Owens Corning TruDefinition Duration shingles in the color Teak. Duration shingles are rated Class 3 for impact resistance under the UL 2218 and FM 4473 tests, which measure how well a shingle stands up to hail. The scale runs from Class 1 to Class 4, with Class 4 the highest. Some insurance companies offer a discount for impact-rated shingles, so it's worth asking yours.
Get a free roof inspection in Memphis
If you noticed any of these signs, Pinegrove Roofing and Exteriors will inspect your roof and show you photos of what we find, so you can see it for yourself. We're licensed by the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (license #10362) and serve Memphis and the surrounding Shelby County area.
Call (901) 626-3486 to schedule your inspection.