Most people who think they need a new roof need a repair, and most people who are told they need one are being told by someone who sells them. Here is how to tell, without anyone on your roof yet.
Signs that mean act now
Any of these and it is worth getting looked at within weeks rather than months.
Granules collecting in the gutters
The mineral surface is what protects the asphalt from UV. Once it is washing off in quantity, the shingle underneath is aging fast. A handful after a new roof is normal; a steady accumulation on a fifteen-year-old roof is not.
Shingles curling or cupping at the edges
The mat has dried out and is losing its shape. Curled shingles catch wind, and the next storm takes them.
A dip or sag along the ridge or between rafters
That is structural, not cosmetic. It usually means the wood has been wet long enough to lose its strength, and it will not improve.
Daylight through the roof boards from the attic
Self-explanatory, and more common than you would think on 1950s houses that have been re-roofed twice.
Signs that can usually wait
A handful of missing shingles after a storm is a repair. Dark streaking is algae, which is cosmetic and cleanable. A single stain on a ceiling is a leak to trace, not a roof to replace, and tracing it is what a free inspection is for.
Being honest about this is the point. Roughly one inspection in five ends with us saying the roof is fine and to call back in a few years.
The age question
Architectural asphalt is rated 25 to 30 years and realistically gives 20 to 25 in this climate. If your roof is past 20 and showing two or more of the signs above, you are near the end. If it is past 20 and showing none, you have time.
More than 127,000 homes went up in Montgomery County during the 1950s, so a great many local roofs are on their second or third covering. If yours is carrying two layers already, Ohio only permits two. The next one is a full tear-off regardless.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a roof last in Ohio?
Architectural asphalt gives 20 to 25 years here, against a 25 to 30 year rating. Freezing and thawing between a 27°F January and a 74°F July is harder on a roof than the ratings allow for. Metal runs 50 years or more.
Is roof algae a problem?
Cosmetically yes, structurally no. Those dark streaks are algae feeding on limestone filler in the shingle. It looks bad and it cleans off. It is not a reason to replace a roof.
Not sure which of these you have?
We will get on the roof, photograph it, and tell you plainly whether it needs doing yet.