How can you tell if you have a bad roof?

 

There are only a few things in the world that are more stressful than a bad roofing job. Not only is it a cause for a headache, but it also eats up a lot of time and money to get it fixed right away. On top of that, a lousy roofing job poses a risk to you and your family. It can also encourage damages to your house and other structures in your home.

Luckily there are signs you can look out for to spot a bad roofing job, even if you’re new to this. Here are some of the most common ones.

Missing or damaged shingles after a storm

Typical wear and tear when it comes to roof shingles are typically standard, especially after a strong storm or hurricane. Still, your roof is newly installed and immediately broke down on its first or second storm, then you know the roofing is terrible. A high-quality roofing job should reasonably withstand a typical storm and not be damaged or missing. Another good indicator is also to check the shingles of houses around you because if yours is the only one whose roof shingles are damaged, you are absolutely sure it is a bad roofing job.

Black marks on your roof

A stain on the top of your roof indicates a leak, usually of the most common symptoms of a bad roofing job. Be sure to double-check the highest ceiling to spot where the leak is coming from.

Uneven wear and tear

Any structure that functions as a cover or a shield usually experiences wear and tears. Your roof is no exception to this rule, and, naturally, it happens over time. However, your roof should be damaged evenly, especially the color and thickness of the wear. Take a look at your roof and carefully examine its condition. If you notice that one particular side is wearing down faster or slower than the other, it is usually an indication of a bad roofing job. Some usual causes for this are the use of low-quality materials or bad roofing techniques.

Incorrect roof nailing

Another standard indicator of a bad roofing job is improper nailing. A professional roofer uses proper techniques when nailing the roof or shingles. You can check the following to check for a poor nailing procedure.

The nails are buried: Nails that deep and buried into the shingles of your roof. You’ll notice that the nails are sunken and look driven too deep. This improper way of nailing exert too much pressure and may cause damage to your roof.
Wrong location: The standard placing of nails in a roof is usually 1 inch above the cut-out and also 1 inch from the border or edges.
Rusting nails: This is an obvious one. Any professional roofer who knows how to do nailing in a roof properly would never use old nails or rusting ones. Nails that professionals commonly use are often galvanized steel or stainless steel.

Flashing materials that were used are recycled

Are there signs of annoying roof leaks such as stains on your ceiling? Well, this is most likely caused by old flashing materials being used by the contractor.

An important thing to remember is that flashing materials are designed to be installed only once. If ever you decide that you need a roof replacement, do consider getting a new one. Even if your old flashing materials look good, it doesn’t mean that there are no holes. Leaks on flashing materials are sometimes tiny and hard to spot.

Your roof looks off

People often forget to take another look at their roof after it’s been installed. Make sure that you do this from time to time as one of the most obvious of a bad roofing job is your roof not having a uniform appearance.

Things to look for are:
Sagging roof lines: Take a look at your roof from the middle and notice the left and right sides. Is one party sagging or drooping down? If it is, it’s an indication of bad quality materials that were used for your roof.
Discoloration: If your roof’s asphalt shingles are not uniform in color, it is an indicator of a bad roofing job.
One part stands out: Notice any section of your roof that looks different compared to the rest? This usually indicates that the contractor compromised and used another type of material—usually a cheaper one.

Improper installation of roofing material

Using the wrong types of nails or materials for your roof can have devastating effects. An unqualified roof contractor who mistakenly used the incorrect amount of materials will inevitably cause some form of harm to your roof. This is very easy to prevent as proper guidelines for this reset by the local country or the city building code.

Incorrect use of roofing materials is quite hard to spot on the ground. That’s why when you checked your roof, do remember to check the number of nails and materials used.