Crafting Quality Roofs.
One Shingle At A Time.

Shingles that are cracked, curling, or completely missing have stopped doing their job, and the roof deck underneath is exposed to rain, wind, and sun. Curling in particular means the shingle has dried out and lost its flexibility, so it no longer seals down and is far easier for wind to lift. Damage spreads from these spots, so they are worth addressing before the next storm rather than after it.

Granules are the mineral coating that shields your shingles from UV rays, so finding them piled in your gutters or at the bottom of the downspouts means that coating is wearing away. A small amount of shedding is normal on a newly installed roof. Heavy or ongoing granule loss, especially with bare patches visible on the roof itself, is a sign the shingles are nearing the end of their lifespan.

Water stains usually mean a roof leak, but the entry point is rarely straight above the stain. Water travels along the underside of the decking and down rafters before it finds a place to drip, so the hole can be several feet uphill. Stains are worth chasing down promptly, because the same water that marks the ceiling is soaking insulation and framing on its way there.

A visible dip or wave in the roof line means the structure under the shingles has been weakened, most often by moisture that has been reaching the decking or rafters for a long time. It can also come from added weight, such as layers of old roofing left in place. Either way it is a structural issue rather than a surface one, so it needs professional attention rather than another patch.

Most asphalt shingle roofs last 20-25 years, though ventilation, sun exposure, and storm history all move that number. If your roof is nearing that age or past it, an inspection is worth scheduling even when nothing is obviously wrong, because that is the stage where small problems start turning into leaks.

The dark streaking most people see is algae, and it is largely cosmetic. Moss is the one to watch: it holds moisture against the shingles and works its way under their edges, which lifts them and keeps the surface wet long after the rain stops. Heavy moss usually also points to a section that stays shaded and damp, which is a condition worth correcting rather than just cleaning off.

Hail, high winds, and falling debris damage a roof in ways that are easy to miss from the ground. Look for bruised or pockmarked shingles, tabs that are lifted or creased along ridges and edges, dents in gutters, vents, and metal flashing, and a rush of granules into the downspouts. Hail is the deceptive one: the roof can look intact from the driveway while the shingle mat underneath is broken, which is why a close look after severe weather is worth the trouble.

It can. Poor attic ventilation and missing insulation let heat build up under the roof deck, which shortens the lifespan of the shingles above it and makes the rooms below harder to keep at an even temperature. That shows up as higher heating and cooling costs, and in winter it is also what feeds ice dams at the eaves.