Are you seeing spots on your ceiling? It's bad timing to find out you need a new roof after seeing your ceiling leaking, with questionable sources of water entryways. It would be better to find out if your roof is repairable or needs to be replaced before the water damage is done.
Just because the leak is over your dining room table doesn't mean there's a hole in your roof over the dining room. The weakest point could be somewhere else entirely, but the water worked its way down the path of least resistance, leaving a trail of dampness and mold in its wake.
A new roof is a big investment, going from $5000 up to $20,000 or more depending on the quality of the materials used, the warranty on both the product and the labor, and contractor fees. What are other signs you need a new roof before costly water damage is done? In addition to the cost of the roof, replacing dry wall, painting, and cleaning add up to even more money.
The most obvious are where water is pooling or bare spots where shingles have fallen off and ceiling spots are exposed. The integrity of the wood beneath is constantly being weakened by the exposure to the elements. This is temporarily repairable, a patch job can certainly help too much damage being done at once, but there are likely other signs of wear and tear on your roof. Have a closer look.
Shingles that are blistering in the heat, curling up, buckling or all of the above are also in need of replacement. They are also exposing the wood underneath. As that rots so water finds it's way inside the house to damage things further. The shingles can fall off, leaving you with that nasty bare spot, and could potentially hurt someone when they do.
You'll also want to check the flashing. The flashing is covering up those crevices around the chimney, vents, skylights, or roof drains, to prevent those small corners being exposed to the elements. If that is cracked, rusted or pulled away it's exposing the chimney and everything else to the sun and rain. It can also weaken the integrity of the brick or stone molding on the chimney itself.
What this ultimately leads to are algae, molding and rotting of your wood underneath the shingles, the inside of your walls and the support beams. They eat away and let in more water and more weakening until you have leaks in your ceilings and mold inside your walls. Both are expensive to repair, and the mold in the walls is not healthy to those living there, either.
Not all damage is visible from the ground. You'll be thankful to get a proper inspection done. A roof might not be leaking to need to be replaced. It's worth checking on these points and seeing what your home needs to keep in shape and protect the inside from the outside. Not only that, but it will add value and beauty to your home for years.
