It can be a very frustrating experience when you purchased a roof 20 years ago, were told the shingles have a 30 year (or sometimes a 50 year) lifespan and are now failing. One quickly finds themselves getting estimates on replacing the roof. Why is this?

Asphalt shingles expand and contract with weather changes. Midwest winter can be one of the hardest seasons on a roof as the ice, snow, wind, and drastically low temperatures wreak havoc on shingles. The shingle adhesive bond is strained as it cannot keep up with temperature changes, even incrementally  from 15 to 35 degrees can especially hard on older roofs. As the snow/ice melts and the wind picks up, worn shingles will easily blow off your roof. Finding shingles in the yard is an obvious sign of an aged roof

Over time asphalt shingles will dry out and become brittle. Expansion and contraction accelerates the drying rate. After a winter full of temperature changes, frail shingles may be crumbling; other signs can be curled shingles, cracked shingles, or missing asphalt granules.

Even if the roof-life is evaluated at having 3-5 years left, it won’t mean those remaining years are without maintenance costs. It’s up to the homeowner to determine if the maintenance costs are worth it. Example: If it costs $10,000 to replace the roof today; or wait 3 years with repairs costs $2,000. Depending on point of view, repair costs could be 20% towards the roof replacement.

Click to learn about our Unconditional Roof Warranty – where you will actually get 50 years out of a roof Carlson Exteriors Repairs.