by Jami Wright

Created on: April 29, 2009   Last Updated: May 04, 2009

Your home is one of the largest and most important investments you will make in your lifetime. It only makes sense that you want to take care of it. Your roof helps to take care of your home as well. Your roof battles the elements for you and does what it can to protect you and your family. Be proactive in taking care of this essential part of your house by learning to recognize signs of aging in your shingles.

First know that a lot of aging comes from variables like the weather and the sun. If you live in harsh weather climates or have extreme weather changes your roof will generally take the most of the damage. If you live in places that have constant UV rays beating down on your roof you will see more aging. Here is a list of aging signs to look out for.

Blistering:

Caused by the sun is generally harmless causing no real damage to the roof shingles until the blister bursts and exposes the inside of the shingle. Your asphalt shingles are coated with a compound of protective granules. It looks like shiny rock dust. Once you start losing these granules the shingle can become damaged quicker.

Mineral Granule loss:

The mineral compound that is placed on the shingles is a form of sun reflection and protection from wear and tear. Once this is rubbed off the shingle is bare and subject to the natural effect of erosion. If you notice an unusual amount of granule particles in your roof drain or see patches of roof that show missing granules you will want to start watching for these next signs that show wear and tear and aging of your shingles.

Thermal Splitting or Cracking:

This usually follows blistering. Thermal splitting or cracking is wear and tear from sun and erosion. Once the shingle is split it weakens the shingle and allows for more damage. This is when the elements can start to seep into your home. Leaks go through cracks and weaken the structure of your roof and your home.

Curling (not to be confused with cupping):

This is when the two ends curl under. This generally happens before cupping and is probably a good time to start researching on new roofs. Curling is a part of the normal aging process. Excessive curling can indicate that your roof is aging faster than general.

Cupping:(this looks like the shingles are curling up on each side)

This is similar to curling and usually the next step in the aging process. Sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference between cupping and curling but if you take the edge of a roof shingle that is cupping it is so brittle it can break off in your hand. This is a good indication that your shingles are reaching the end of their life. A shingle that can break that easily is not going to be able to protect your home.

Things to be aware of:

It is good to go green but not by allowing moss and lichen to grow on your roof shingles. This can cause excess wear and tear and cause your roof to degrade quicker. Use power wash or chemically treat roofs that have this issue. Fishmouth curling, where the center of the shingle is raised and resembles a fishmouth is an indication of possible water damage not of age and wear. Always remember walking on a roof can cause more damage than good. If you already have aged shingles walking can break them further.

These are the biggest indicators that you will need to replace your roof soon. Recognizing the signs of aging on your roof shingles can help you plan ahead. There are some proactive steps you can take to lengthen the life of a roof that is showing aging signs. Being aware of the signs can help you save money and possibly allow you to replace the roof further into the future.

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