Day in and day out, chances are you give little thought to your home's roof. Sometimes, this can be a big mistake, especially when your roof is in need of repairs. While some signs make it very obvious your roof needs some TLC, other signs are a bit more subtle. If you want to know when your asphalt shingle roof needs repairs, here are some things you should keep in mind.
Missing or Loose Shingles
If your asphalt roof is closing in on being 20-25 years old or has just been through a severe storm, you should probably take a look to see if your roof has any shingles that are loose or missing. If it does, you should not hesitate to get repairs enacted right away. Otherwise, you are setting the stage for even bigger problems.
Granules in Your Gutter
Should you be up on your ladder cleaning out your gutters, you are probably expecting to only find leaves and twigs. However, you may also notice plenty of granules from your roof in the guttering as well. If you do, this means your roof's asphalt shingles are in need of repair or possibly replacement. In most cases, granules in the gutters means your roof is getting old.
Water Leaks
When shingles become loose on asphalt roofing, water leaks into your home are usually not too far behind. If you begin to hear dripping sounds in your attic when it rains or you notice water stains on walls or ceilings, calling on a roofing contractor to make the necessary repairs should become one of your top priorities.
Higher Energy Bills
Should you start to notice your home's energy bills are getting higher and higher at a very fast rate, this could mean your asphalt roof is damaged and needs to be repaired. More often than not, sudden increases in home energy bills means your roof could have a hole in it that is letting warm air out or cold air in. Either way, this will have your HVAC system working much harder, leading to higher bills month after month. To find out what's going on, climb up into your attic or go outside and look at your roof to see if you can spot any noticeable damage.
Since most asphalt roofs are easily repaired by experienced roofing contractors, don't put off the repairs your roof needs unnecessarily. If you do, what may have started out as a minor repair may soon turn into a big and expensive repair job.
