The life of a shingle roof in Tampa, Florida depends on the materials used, surrounding vegetation, and weather conditions. An asphalt shingle roof is estimated to last15-20 years. However, many factors affect asphalt shingle life.
1. Damaged shingles
Curled or buckled asphalt shingles denote that deterioration has set in. This can be because of aging. Premature aging is often caused by exposure to intense weather. Extreme heat will cause the curling of shingles. The UV rays will make the shingles dry, and as a result, they may crack. If a large portion of the roof is covered with damaged shingles, it shows that the roof will most likely require a replacement.
2. Sagging roof
Sagging of your Tampa roof shows that it has incurred structural damages. This also is the impact of the elements. There can be several causes for this. Frequent and violent storms and hurricanes can shake the roof as a whole, and the framework may be affected. Deluges will cause water to penetrate the roofing material to damage the underlayment and decking. A sagging roof should be replaced without delay so that you will not have any property damages.
3. Damaged flashing
Flashing is used to seal the joints around chimney, skylight and other roof-top installations. The metal sheets used for this purpose can be damaged due to many reasons. Wind will lift these and gaps will be formed. Rains of many seasons may rust the metal sheets, and they will be corroded. Extreme heat will crack the roof cement and portions of it will be displaced by the wind or rain. If these defects are not noticed on time or ignored, it will result in the premature ageing of your roof.
4. Stained ceiling
The dirty patches on the ceiling denote roof leaking. The source of the leaks should be located and corrected. More often than not, these leaks will be noticeable only long after it had started. By the time the seepage begins to affect the ceiling, some crucial parts of the roof will be already spoiled. This will speed up the failure of your roof.
5. Clogged gutters
Gutters are likely to be clogged with debris. In such cases, periodical cleaning of the gutters will solve the problem. However, if the gutters are clogged with granules from the shingles, it signifies the deterioration of your shingles. This can be caused by extreme heat that will loosen the granules, hailstones that will pound the granules out of shingles or continuous rain that will displace and erode the shingles. This will cause untimely failure of the roof.
6. Algal growth
If algal growth is spotted at many places on the roof, it is a warning that your shingles have gone soft and water pooling may have occurred. The softness of shingles shows its decaying condition. Algal growth will further quicken the process resulting in the damage of the roof.
7. Loose nails
If you notice several loose nails standing on your roof or lying about on the roof, you can be sure that the shingles have grown soft because of decay. Wind will lift these shingles and the nails will pop out. Water enters through the hole damaging the underlying roof structure.
8. Mold on the walls
Patches of mold growth on the outer or inner walls show that the roof leak had been occurring for quite some time. This means that considerable damage has already been done.
9. Tree damage
After a violent storm, if a tree or tree limb had fallen on your roof, you can be almost sure of severe damage that affects the general health of your roof. If the extent of the damage is not assessed and corrected, your roof will fail far before its time
All the above issues are severe and they have to be carefully evaluated. You will need the help of an experienced roofer for the appraisal as well as repair.
