How to Know When Your Porch Needs a New Roof

How to Know When Your Porch Needs a New Roof

Dec 4, 2020 | Roofing Tips

A porch with a roof is always a nice place to sit, relax, and enjoy the outdoors. However, you can’t forget to include your porch’s roof in your regular inspections and maintenance.

Unfortunately, many homeowners forget about their porch roofs until it’s too late, and they end up falling in. You can prevent this from happening to you by keeping an eye out for the tell-tale signs that your porch needs a new roof.

In this article, we’ll cover the signs that you should look out for and what they can mean for your porch roof. Continue reading to learn more!

Age

The first thing to keep in mind with your porch roof is its age. The age of any roof is a major giveaway for knowing when it needs to be replaced. Typically, a roof should last for around 20 to 25 years before it needs replacement. If your roof is coming up on the 20-year mark, you may want to consider having it replaced soon before it can cause damage to your home.

Damaged Valleys

The valley of your porch’s roof is where most leaks and gutter clutter occur. These areas will see some of the most wear and tear on your porch roof. If left unchecked, damaged valleys can lead to water damage in your porch roof, the porch itself, and even leak into your home. If you notice that the valley is broken or falling apart, you need to have your porch roof replaced.

Missing or Curling Shingles

When you inspect your porch roof, the shingles can be a dead giveaway about the health of your roof. If any shingles are missing or starting to curl up, it’s time to invest in a roofing replacement. As shingles age, they’ll lose granules and become ineffective. As a result, they can dry out and curl up or fall off entirely. Remember to inspect your porch roof’s shingles regularly.

Roofing Material Present in Your Gutters

Whenever you’re cleaning the gutters around your porch, keep an eye out for gutter granules or broken pieces of shingles clogging up your gutters. This is a prominent sign that your shingles are weakening and breaking. If you find a lot of pieces in the gutters, it means your entire roof is becoming dangerously weak and will need to be replaced soon to prevent expensive damage to your house.

Sunlight Shining Through the Roof

The majority of the time, a damaged porch roof can be seen from the ground level. When you’re standing on your porch, take a look around the ceiling to check if there are any rays of sunshine visible through the porch’s ceiling. If you notice light shining from above, this is a surefire indication that your porch roof has leaks and may need replacement. Sometimes leaks are fixed with a simple repair, but you should have it inspected to check if you need a full replacement.

Wrapping Up

There are several signs that can indicate that your porch needs a new roof. If it’s aged, the valleys are damaged, it’s missing shingles, shingles are curling, roofing material is present in the gutters, or sunlight is shining through the roof, you’ll likely need a porch roof replacement. Don’t let your porch become a danger! Keep an eye out for these signs!