When To Replace A Roof in Richmond VA

How to Know When it’s Time to Replace Your Home’s Roof in Richmond VA

Roofers Replacing a Roof in Richmond VA Has your roof seen better days? Do you think it’s time to invest in a new one? Here’s how to know when it’s time to replace your home’s roof in Richmond VA.

The idea of roof replacement may seem daunting to some. The cost and repair time may not be savory to most. However, not only is roof replacement a good way to up your house’s value, but it is also vital to the safety of your home.

Want to learn more? We put together a guide to figuring out when to replace your roof in Richmond VA– and why you absolutely should invest in a new roof.

Why You Should Replace Your Roof

Before we get into the signs that it may be time to replace your roof, let’s get into why it is so vital to keep up with your roof and replace it when needed.

Whether it is springtime in Richmond or well into autumn, a damaged roof will need to be evaluated by a trusted roofing contractor to determine if you may need to replace your roof.

Leaks. One major problem with avoiding roof replacement is leakage. Sure, you can just get the leaks repaired as they happen– but if your roof is leaking chronically, it may be a waste of money to pay for repairs when you should be replacing your entire roof.
Utility costs. A faulty roof could lead to conditioned air leaking through cracks and holes. This will lead to inflated energy costs and a poorly heated or cooled home.
Mold. If your roof is in serious disrepair, the springtime rain in Richmond could be coming in through holes and settle into your roof’s insulation. This leads to mold, which can be potentially dangerous to your health.
Insects and animals. If you have small holes in your roof and a lot of them, they can serve as tiny doorways for insects like spiders, flies, and termites to shack up in your home. Larger holes or cracks could invite animals into your roof as well.
Overall safety. If the foundation of your roof is beyond repair and needs to be replaced, neglecting it could be very hazardous. Richmond winters are often snowy, and the weight of the snow against a dilapidated roof could lead to full-blown collapsing. This isn’t such an outlandish probability either.

The cost of roof replacement varies, but one thing is set in stone: there will come a time when you’ll need to replace your roof.

When To Replace Your Roof In Richmond VA

These are some sure-fire signs that it may be time to get a roof evaluation and replacement.

Your roof is getting on in years.

Age is one of the biggest factors when it comes to figuring out if a roof needs replacement.

If your roof is upwards of twenty to thirty years, there’s a good chance that time has worn it down significantly.

Shingle damage.

Take a look at your shingles. Are most of them curling up and buckling? Are a significant amount of them missing?

A missing shingle or two is an easy repair, but an excessive amount of damaged or missing shingles could mean it’s time for a full blown roof replacement.

Shingles, like most materials used to construct a home, have a life expectancy. Buckling and curling are telltale signs that they may have passed theirs.

Spongey foundation.

If you decide to get up onto your roof to expect it, evaluate how it feels. Is there a bouncy, unstable feeling to it? If so, that could mean that the bottom layers of your roof are wet and deteriorating from moisture.

This isn’t something that can be repaired and your roof will definitely need to be at least partially replaced.

Light in the attic.

If you have an attic, crawl up there and inspect the roof from underneath. Is light shining through your roof into the attic? If so, there may be significant damage to your roof that could lead to flooding and leaking in your attic as well as the rest of your home.

Cracked shingles.

Cracked shingles are a bit different from curling, buckling, or entirely dislodged shingles. Cracked shingles are often the result of extreme wind damage.

If you’ve only noticed a few shingles with cracks, you may only need to replace them rather than the whole roof. However, if you can spot random spots all over your roof with cracked shingles, it may be a sign that a roof replacement should be in your three-year plan.

Damaged valleys.

Roof valleys are the connective spot between the slopes of your roof. If you look closely, there will be a noticeable dividing line in the roof valley made of shingles.

If these shingles are falling apart or a significant amount of them are gone, you may need a new roof.

Valleys are incredibly important to the stability of your roof. They allow for snow, rain, and debris to funnel down the roof into the gutters. Without a well-built valley, your roof could experience a lot of damage.

Shingle debris in your gutters.

Give your roof’s gutters a good cleaning. Do you notice a lot of broken shingle fragments mixed in with the leaves and other debris?

Broken shingles in your gutter could mean that your roof is reaching the end of its lifespan and the materials are starting to fall apart.

Moss on your shingles.

This is not by any means a major sign that roof replacement may be in your immediate future, but you may want to consider a roof replacement if you don’t want a bright green roof that can be spotted from miles away.

Many modern roof shingles are made to be resistant to algae, but older ones are not. And you can’t simply power wash your roof to remove it, as this could be extremely damaging to your roof.

If you hate the look of a moss-covered roof, it may be a good idea to do a full replacement with moss-resistant shingles to prevent the problem from happening again.

How was our guide to figuring out when to replace your roof? Tell us your thoughts, along with your roof replacement inspection tips, in the comments below!