r replacing
ep pl
p aci n
Y OUR
YOUR
R
r roof
roo
It’ s something most of us take for grante
It’s
granted: the roof
over our heads. If th
that
hat roof is old or leak
leaky, it’s time to act.
even in its old age,
Even if your roof continues
co ntinues to function normally
n
it might be wise to replace
r
it before pro
problems arise. There are some telltale ways a
roof lets you know i it’s
t’ s reached the end o of its useful life or has been damaged beyond repair.
REAL ESTATE 101
Cool off your roof
COMPROMISED
COMPROMIS
SED INTEGRITY
Shingle problems: Asp
Asphalt
phalt shingles that curl,
e with bald spot from losing
buckle or crack, or those
granules, , are p
g
probably
y d
ue to be replaced.
p
due
Appearance: Dark stre
eaks form on roofs because
streaks
of algae growth. Y
o
ou mig
ght be able to remove those
You
might
ixture of bleach and water
streaks using a 50-50 mi
mixture
(being sure to use low pr
ressure and direct the
pressure
runof
runoff f down gutters into a bucket where you can
dispose of it so it doesn’t t kill your landscaping).
Moss growing on your roof
ro
oof can trap rot-causing
moisture, destabilizing your
yo
our roof.
STORM
ST
ORM DAMAGE
If a wind or hail storm has caused damage to
homes in your area, it’s a good idea to have a
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don’t see damage from t the
he ground. Hail doesn’t
have to cause visible pocks
poc cks or break through
integrity. . Roofers are
shingles to compromise their
t
integrity
trained to look carefully at
a the condition of shingles
for evidence of hail damage.
dama
age. Likewise, wind can
damage roof decking beneath
ben
neath the shingles, making
it hard to spot damage without a trained eye. If your
you r
gutters, fencing or siding
sidin
ng have sustained damage,
that’s a good indication
n there could be roof damage,
damage
e,
as well.
ROOF
ROO
OF AGE
Most roofs will last 20-25
2
years. If you live in a
subdivision where all th
the
he homes were built around
the same time and many
man
ny of your neighbors are
replacing their roofs, it’s s time to start thinking about
replacing yours. You
Y o
ou probably
pr robably have the same kind of
o
roof, installed at about the same time, which means s
it probably has fared similarly
si milarly and is well worn.
Buying a new roof isn’t
is sn’t as much fun as buying
a new car or going on a fancy vacation, especially
when you haven’t had any
a leaks or other problems,
but it’s a wise investment
investme
ent to prevent inevitable future
futur e
problems. Roofs often fail
f catastrophically,
catastrophically , meaning
g
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your personal property inside the home.
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Your
Y
our
o homeowner’s insurance
i nsurance policy probably
covers storm damage to
t your roof. Check your
14 | Property Lines: At Home edition 2017 | www.dailyastorian.com
If you’re replacing your roof and looking
t to
o make your
y our home e more
mor e energy
ener gy efficient,
efficien t,
c consider
onsider a cool
c ool roof.
r oo
of . A cool
c ool roof
r oof reflects
r eflec ts
mor
sunligh t and absor
bs less heat
hea t than
more e sunlight
absorbs
traditional
tr
aditional r roofs.
ooff s . T The
h benefits include r reducing
he
educing
utility y bills,
uninsulated
utilit
bills , cooling
c ooling
g and heating
hea ting uninsula
t ed
par
ts of your
y our home,
home e , such as a garage,
gar age , and
parts
extending
life
learn
more,
visit
ex
t ending the lif
fe of
o the r roof.
ooff. T To
o lear
n mor
e , vis
it
the U.S.
U .S. Department
D epar tmen
n t of Energy
Ener gy website
w ebsit e at
a t
w
w w .ener gy .go v/e ener gy sa v er/c ool-r ooff s .
www.energy.gov/energysaver/cool-roofs.
surance policies have
deductible. Some ins
insurance
b
on a percentage of yo
our
deductibles that are based
your
e
home’s replacement value, making the deductible
etter of
so high that you’re be
better
off f replacing the roof
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olicy to see if it takes into
Also check your po
policy
our roof. If so, you might be
account the age of yo
your
e roof’s depreciated value. Y
o
our
able to claim only the
Your
so could decide that only on
e
insurance adjuster al
also
one
slope of your roof has
s suf
fered storm damage and
d
suffered
t.
requires replacement
replacement.