As the owner of an older home, you may not have spent too much time wondering whether you need a new roof.
But what you mightn’t know is if your roof is reaching the end of its life, or whether it’s causing concealed damage within your home.
But just how are you supposed to know whether your roof needs replacing or not?
In our experience, there are a couple of red flags that you ought to keep an eye on. If you see any of these five warning signs in your home, it might be a good idea to add “new roof” to your to-do list for 2023.
You start noticing stains or patches on the ceiling
If you have young kids, finding new stains, scuffs and spills on your walls doesn’t come as too much of a surprise!
But what happens when they start appearing on the ceiling? Or if you have no children?
If you start seeing dark marks on your ceiling, it could mean there’s some kind of leak within your home’s ceiling!
Dark streaks, stains, and patches on your ceiling are the most visible sign that your roof is suffering a leak. This can mean many things, including:
- Your roof has not been properly maintained in the past
- Your roof was originally poorly installed (particularly true for a newer roof)
- Your roof has suffered damage
No matter the reason though, the result is the same: water is leaking through and pooling up on your ceiling.
And as the water builds up without drying out properly (water inside your ceiling or roof can last a very long time before drying up), it soaks through the plaster of your ceiling, leaving nasty stains and marks. It can also weaken the structural integrity of a home.
What’s next?
Your first step is to organise a roof inspection, where your roofing contractor can advise on the best solution, including repair or metal roof replacement. They’ll also talk you through the replacement process.
You can see a slightly sagging ceiling
In the same way that water weakens paper or cardboard, it can also damage your ceiling… especially if sits unnoticed over time.
In addition to patchy stains, a leaking roof can seriously damage your ceiling, weakening it to the point where it can’t take its own weight anymore.
If this sounds like your roof, you need to treat this like an emergency!
A sagging ceiling isn’t something to be taken lightly. It’s a sign that your ceiling – or worse, the supports holding it up – are suffering water damage, and you need to move fast to stop it caving in on your living room!
In many cases, the damage to your ceiling is the result of a faulty, old, or leaky roof. For a professional opinion, contact Watermaster Roofing for a no-obligation consultation.
Is your roof covered in moss, mould, or algae?
You come home one day, pulling into the garage as usual. As you get out of the car, you look up at your roof. And then you notice it: it’s green.
Thankfully, moss, mould, and algae aren’t normally a sign that you need your roof replaced – in most cases, it’s just an eyesore and can be cleaned off easy.
However…
If you have asphalt or wooden shingles in your roof, moss or algae can be a sign that you need to talk to a roofing professional, and soon.
This is because moss and algae absorb and hold moisture. No big deal, usually… except asphalt and wooden tiles are relatively soft roofing materials, and are much more susceptible to water damage than metal.
If mould, moss and algae has been on your roof for some time, it might be a good idea to talk to a roofing specialist for an inspection. Leave it alone, and your roof might quickly start to rot, crack, and leak.
Or even better, think about changing to a metal roof! Metal roofing is much less vulnerable to water damage. Find out more benefits of metal roofing here.
Your roof is simply old and worn
Tiles crack. Shingles rot. No roof lasts forever, even with regular maintenance. And with the amount of sun, rain and hail your roof puts up with every year, it’s hardly surprising.
Some roofs have a use-by-date: a well-maintained tiled roof can last 15-30 before replacement becomes the most viable option, while shingles may reach 20 years. (Metal roofing, on the other hand, can last up to 50 years!)
A roof that goes past its expiry date without a regular maintenance schedule starts posing frequent and sometimes severe issues.
So even if they look good from the outside, there could be invisible damage that only a professional can identify!
Your roof has suffered any kind of damage
And of course, if your roof suffers damage during a storm it could very well require partial (or complete) replacement.
Common examples of roof damage include:
- Hail
- Strong winds and storms
- Cracked, shattered, or missing tiles
- Loose and missing bolts
- Rotting
Does your roof show one or more of these signs? You may need metal roof replacement!
Call Watermaster Roofing for a roof inspection
Most of us put a lot of thought into home maintenance and keeping our homes spick and span. We vacuum the carpets, repaint the walls and give the back deck a nice polish.
But it’s important to think about your home’s roof as well.
Whether your roof is leaking, damaged in a storm or simply reaching its use-by date, trust Melbourne’s roofing professionals for a proper solution. Give our friendly team a call today on 1300 576 075 or contact us here to learn more about our metal roof replacement and re-roofing services. We’ll take care of your problematic roof!