Nobody wants to hear they need a new roof. A good roofer's job is to tell you honestly when you don't — and to be straight with you when you do. Here's what we're actually looking at when we climb your roof.
1. Age. An architectural asphalt shingle roof in Western Washington typically runs 20 to 30 years, and a 3-tab closer to 15 to 20. If your roof is in that window and showing other symptoms on this list, repairs start becoming money spent twice.
2. Granule loss. Check your gutters and downspout splash blocks. Granules that look like coarse black sand mean the shingles are wearing through. Bald patches on the shingle surface tell the same story from above.
3. Curling, cupping, or clawing shingles. When shingle edges lift or the centers bow up, the asphalt has dried out and lost flexibility. Wind gets underneath them from there.
4. Repeated leaks in different places. One leak is a repair. Leaks showing up in three separate spots over two winters means the system as a whole is failing, not one flashing detail.
5. Sagging or spongy decking. If the roof deck flexes underfoot or you can see a dip in the roof line from the ground, water has already gotten into the sheathing. This one moves a roof from 'watch it' to 'replace it.'
6. Daylight or moisture in the attic. Go up with a flashlight on a dry day. Light through the boards, damp insulation, or dark staining on the rafters all point to an active problem.
7. Heavy moss with lifted shingles. Moss on its own is a cleaning job. Moss that has already lifted and cracked the shingle courses is often past cleaning.
If you're seeing two or three of these, get an inspection before the wet season rather than during it. VZR Roof Services provides free roof inspections with photos across Thurston and Pierce County, new roofs start at $9,999 with 15% off installation, and every install carries a 10-year workmanship warranty. Call (360) 884-2185.