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Is it Time For a New Roof?

You’re searching endlessly for a local roof repair contractor in the East Windsor, NJ area. You just received your third estimate to replace your roof, and you got three different prices. We know how this can be frustrating, so let us give you a little advice. 

Some roofing contractors have developed a poor reputation for themselves, mostly due to the numerous rip off artists who prey on unsuspecting homeowners with catchy pricing and other unethical practices. When you hire a roofer, the first step toward knowing if you’re getting a fair deal is to figure out is whether it’s time for a new roof.

Suppose your roof isn’t currently leaking, but you think it’s about 15 – 20 years old. Asphalt roofs are a lot like tires on a car; some tires claim to have a tread-life from 30,000 up to 100,000 miles, but we have all purchased tires that we felt didn’t give us the lifespan we deserved out of them. However, we would all agree that no two drivers are alike. The roads you travel, the seasonal elements (heat, snow, or rain), the type of travel (city or highway), and the type of driver (hard braking, peel out, or city) all have a substantial impact on the life of the tire.

Just like a tire, the shingles on your roof will be drastically affected by external factors, including: 

  • The components that are under it 
  • The ventilation underneath 
  • The seasonal elements they are exposed to (Arizona heat, Montana snow, Florida hurricanes, or the Northeast, which seems to get all of that) 
  • The maintenance it has received

What To Look For

The majority of asphalt shingles that you will find on single-family homes today are made from a fiberglass matte. The matte is coated in asphalt and then layered with granules that protect the asphalt and fiberglass from UV light. Here are some telltale signs that your asphalt shingles need replacement: 

  • Spots where the majority of the granules have been completely removed from the shingle, leaving only the black asphalt exposed to the elements. 
  • Exposure of the fiberglass at the edges of the shingles. This will look like white fibers. This comes as a result of years of wind and rain exposure. 
  • Curling of shingles on the tabs. 
  • Micro-cracking, which refers to lightning bolt-shaped cracks that are no more than a couple of inches long. These are invariably a result of age. 
  • Shingles that have stopped adhering to each other. Each shingle has a small strip of asphalt adhesive applied to it that will stick to the layer below it and seal the shingles together. 

What’s the difference between shingles?

The simplest way to think about this answer is thickness and weight. Think slate; heavy and thick. Slate can last 150 years with proper maintenance. 

No matter what you decide to do with your roof, remember that nobody in Toms River, NJ does residential roof repair with the same quality and expertise as Elegant Exteriors, LLC. Contact us today for a free estimate on your roofing job!