Most roofing problems don't announce themselves with a dramatic leak. They build slowly — a missing shingle here, a damp patch in the attic there — and by the time water is dripping into your living room, the damage has already spread to the decking and insulation.
This is the same five-point check our inspectors run on every house, and you can do most of it from the ground or your attic in under fifteen minutes.
1. Granules in your gutters
Asphalt shingles are coated in fine mineral granules that protect the asphalt layer underneath from UV damage. When granules wash off in bulk — you'll see them piling up in gutters or in the splash zone below downspouts — it means the shingles have lost their UV protection and are aging fast.
2. Curling or lifted shingles
Healthy shingles lie flat. As they age or as the underlayment beneath them shifts, the corners begin to curl up or the centers lift away from the deck. Lifted shingles are a wind-failure waiting to happen.
If you can see a shingle's underside from the ground, it's already failing — and so is every shingle next to it.
3. Water stains on ceilings
Brown or yellow circles on a ceiling or upstairs wall mean water has already made it past your roof, underlayment, and decking. By the time you can see it indoors, the leak has been active for weeks or months.
4. Sagging or soft spots
From the ground, sight along the ridgeline. It should be ruler-straight. Any dip or wave is a sign that the decking underneath has absorbed water and is delaminating.
5. Sky visible from the attic
Wait for a sunny day, climb into the attic, and turn the lights off. Any visible pinholes of daylight through the roof deck are also holes through which water enters when it rains.
When to call us
Any one of the five signs above is worth a free inspection. Two or more together usually means the system is at the end of its life and a replacement will be cheaper than an ongoing series of repairs.