What are your shingles trying to tell you?

The most common roofing system in the Fort Wayne area that homeowners use to protect their home is the asphalt shingle. In most cases, homeowners tend to forget about their roof until it fails and gives them a reason to find a roofing company to fix a roof leak.

There's virtually no other area of your home that takes all the abuse mother nature can throw at it than your shingled roof. It sheds water in rain storms, takes high winds, extreme cold and high heat. Mother nature is relentless and she will break down a roofing system over the course of two decades or more.

That said, it is possible for a homeowner to avoid roof leaks in most cases if they are mildly proactive and know what to look for. All it takes is a quick walk around your home twice a year and visually inspect your roof. It also helps, if we know the round about age of the roof system because we can forecast some problems that are likely to occur around the 12-20 year mark.

Most importantly, we have to understand what to look for and the importance of resolving issues when they are small and allow your roof to age gracefully and keep your home dry for years to come.

Here's a quick Asphalt Shingle Homeowner 101

#1. Curling

If your shingles are curling, it’s usually a sign that there is a moisture problem on your roof. Maybe a result of the roof being shaded by trees for majority of the day keeping it from drying. Curling should be addressed, because the shingles are lifting from the asphalt strip and our prone to blow offs if conditions are right.

#2. Blistering

There are a number of factors that can cause shingles to blister. If your roof is older, and you have noticed small blisters forming, it’s often just a sign of normal wear and tear. However, if your asphalt roof is newer and you notice blistering, it could be a sign that your attic isn’t properly ventilated. Simply put, the heat that is rising in your attic is cooking the shingle from below and the sun is cooking the shingle from above.

#3. Granule Loss

Have you started noticing asphalt granules in the gutters or downspouts of your roof? Granule loss typically occurs when your shingles have reached the end of their lifespan. If you've had a new roof put on and your finding granules in your gutter it's not time to panic.

During the manufacturing process they add far more granules to the shingle than will adhere. As the new shingles begin their relationship with mother nature they will release a small amount of granules. It's very common and everything is working as it should.

#4. Raised Shingles

Raised shingles have lost their bond with the asphalt strip and have opened up. If you're finding this is likely that your roof is nearing the end of it's lifespan. It's going to be very important for you to call a professional roofing company to replace shingles here and there or consider re-roofing your home. If nothing is done to correct the lifted shingles you can expect to find shingles missing if we experience high winds.

If the roof was just installed and you're seeing some raised shingles it's very common. As the shingles heat up they will relax and “seat” themselves into the asphalt strip. Depending on the weather and manufacturer this could take a few day or if the roof was installed in colder weather could take a few weeks. Again, the shingle needs the warmth of ambient temperatures to seat themselves.

#5 Rotting Rubber Plumbing Boots

Another area to keep an eye on will be the boots that surround bathroom vents. Years of UV damaged from the sun will dry out the rubber boots and they will crack. This is one of the most common roof leaks we see in older roofs. It's also a very inexpensive to replace them.

These are the most common problems homeowners will experience as their roof ages over the years. It's important to understand that these problems are quite natural and are to be expected depending on the age of the roof.

If you're finding any of these issues in small amounts we highly encourage you to be proactive and call for help quickly. Replacing a few shingles here and there really is very inexpensive and it prolongs the overall length of time between re-roofing your home.