Roof Shingles

bad asphalt shingles

There are a wide variety of composition shingle roofs, which are comprised of asphalt or fiberglass materials impregnated with mineral granules that are designed to deflect the deteriorating ultra-violet rays of the sun. These roofs are warranted by the manufacturer to last from twenty to thirty years, and are typically guaranteed against leaks by the installer for two to five years. The actual life of the roof will vary, depending on a number of interrelated factors besides the quality of the material and the method of installation. Poor roof maintenance is the most common cause of roof failure, but a southern exposure can cause a roof to deteriorate prematurely, as will the practice of layering over another layer of roofing material.

However, the first indication of significant wear is when the granules begin to separate and leave pockmarks or dark spots. This is referred to as primary decomposition, which means that the roof is in decline, and therefore susceptible to leakage. This typically begins with the hip and ridge shingles and to the field shingles on the south facing side. This does not mean that the roof is ready to be replaced, but the areas that are causing the roofing shingles to deteriorate should be corrected immediately. Regular shingle maintenance will certainly extend the life of any roof, and will usually avert most leaks that only become evident after they have caused other damage inside your home. This is important because in accordance with the home inspection industry standards, my home inspection does not include a guarantee against roof leaks. For such a guarantee, you would need to have a roofing company perform a water test and issue a roof certification. However, the sellers or the occupants will generally have the most intimate knowledge of the roof; I recommend you ask them about its history.

If you would like to see your roof shingles get their full life expectancy, please follow my guidelines in the following web pages...

ROOF MAINTENANCE

ROOF VENTILATION

Share:

Here is what my clients have to say about my home inspection services:

Press F5 (on your keyboard) for additional testimonials

Dave had an impressive website that seemed to be too thorough to be anything but genuine. The thing that seemed to sell me was that he says right on his website that you may pay a little more for his service, but that his quality is higher. So I decided to give him a try even though I had no reference from another person hoping for someone of top quality. I was not disappointed. He was at the home early as promised and had done an inspection of the exterior and was writing up notes so that when I arrived, he walked me through the exterior first. Even with his early arrival, we were still there for about 3 hours looking through every little corner and cubby. He would occasionally stop and fill out his inspection forms which were easy to follow and read; he gives you a full folder of his notes that are well organized.

Dave was open to all questions and concerns so every time I saw something that was potentially concerning to me, he would look, give his opinion and often shared other experiences with similar circumstances. He also had a good sense of humor which helped to lighten what can be a stressful experience (having someone pointing out problem items that you didn't see). I would highly recommend Massachusetts Home Inspections.

Michael

Last updated on Feb 28, 2013

Massachusetts Home Inspections YOUR INVESTMENT IS MY CONCERN

Roof Shingles

Here is what my clients have to say about my home inspection services:

Areas Served