Continue reading »]]> Is my roof leaking? Does my roof need
replaced?  These are not two versions of the same question.
This is a point born out by an article by some maryland roofers.  They explain that you can see your roof entering
the last phase of it’s life and make sure to replace it before it
fails. Doing so you can avoid costly water damage.

If your roof is leaking you have a big
time problem.  Mold, mildew, rotten wood, destroyed electronics,
all of these problems can be avoided by checking in on your roof from
time to time, to make sure it’s still healthy.  Kind of like
your car not starting; there are warning signs, before a car dies. 
There are warning signs too that your roof may be on it’s last
leg.

Warning sign one:  Age.

How old
is your roof?  I don’t know is a pretty bad answer. 
If you have any old neighbors who are overly friendly try to get them
to tell you when the previous owners put the roof on.  Average
lifespan of a roof is about 15 years.  If your roof is listening
to Justin Bieber and starting to notice other roofs then you might
might want to think about replacing it.

Warning sign
two: Wear and tear.

More than a few missing shingles? 
This means that your roof needs repaired, at least; or replaced in
many cases. A missing shingle is more than just an eyesore, it’s
actually a chink in the armor of your house. By the time you’ve
found a leak it’s usually done hundreds of dollars of damage. 
Don’t wait until your paint is bubbling and peeling.

Warning
sign three: The tops of your walls.

Look at the spot
where your interior walls reach the ceiling.  They can tell you
if your roof is starting to ‘phone it in’.  Loss of paint or
water marks means that you need to jump on that roof problem,
pronto.

Warning sign four:  Extreme
weather.

Hailstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, gusty
days, snow and ice all take a vicious toll on your roof.  If you
live anywhere that has these intense weather situations you will
definitely want to think about replacing your roof sooner rather than
later.