Answers
37 questions homeowners actually ask
Short answers, in five groups: whether something is actually wrong, storms and insurance, hiring a roofer, what the work involves, and materials and upkeep. No prices, because roofing cost varies by an order of magnitude with region and roof and this site holds no pricing data for either country.
Roof Warden publishes 37 short answers to common homeowner roofing questions for the United States and Canada, grouped as Is something wrong?, Storms and insurance, Hiring a roofer, What the work involves, Materials and upkeep. Each page gives a direct answer in one or two sentences, then the practical detail. Roofing contractor licensing, permits, insurance practice and deductible rules are set state by state and province by province, so the pages name the mechanism and send the reader to their own authority rather than stating a rule that is wrong in half the continent.
Is something wrong?
- How do I know if I need a new roof?Age is the weakest signal and the one most often used to sell. What actually indicates a roof is finished, and what indicates a repair.
- How long does a roof last?Material sets the range and the install and the ventilation decide where in it you land. Why two identical roofs on the same street fail a decade apart.
- Is it a roof leak or condensation?Water in an attic is not always a leak. What the timing and the pattern tell you, and why the fix is completely different.
- Why does my roof only leak in heavy rain?Most leaks are not holes. What overtopping, wind-driven rain and backed-up gutters actually do, and where a roofer will look first.
- What does hail damage on a roof look like?Hail bruises before it breaks. What an adjuster looks for, what a soft spot is, and why the roof is not the only place to check.
- What does wind damage to a roof look like?Wind lifts before it tears. The signs from the ground, the ones only visible up close, and why a shingle that went back down is still damaged.
- Why are my shingles curling?Curling up at the edges and cupping in the middle are two different failures with two different causes. What each one means for what to do next.
- Should I worry about granules in the gutter?Some granule loss is normal and some is the roof telling you it is finished. How to tell which you are looking at.
- What are the black streaks on my roof?Almost always algae, not dirt and not mold. Whether it damages anything, and what removes it without damaging the shingles.
- What causes ice dams, and how do I stop them?Ice dams are a heat problem wearing a weather costume. Why the roof is not the cause, and what actually stops them recurring.
- How much attic ventilation does a roof need?Balanced intake and exhaust matters more than total area, and getting it wrong is the most common reason a roof fails early.
- My roof looks like it is sagging. What does that mean?A dip in a roofline is structural until proven otherwise. What causes it, what is urgent, and who should look.
Storms and insurance
- Does homeowners insurance cover a new roof?Sudden damage is generally covered and wear generally is not. The distinction that decides most claims, and the policy terms that decide how much you get.
- What is the difference between ACV and replacement cost on a roof?Two ways an insurer values the same roof, with very different outcomes on an older one. How recoverable depreciation works.
- Should I file an insurance claim for roof damage?Worth filing when the damage plausibly exceeds the deductible and is from a covered event. How to decide without committing.
- How should I document storm damage to my roof?Evidence you gather before anyone else arrives is worth more than evidence gathered for you. What to capture and how.
- A roofer knocked on my door after the storm. Should I use them?Not automatically no, and not casually yes. The pattern, why it ends badly often enough to matter, and the checks that take ten minutes.
- What is an assignment of benefits, and should I sign one?It transfers your rights under your own insurance policy to a contractor. Why that is rarely in your interest.
- A roofer offered to cover my deductible. Is that allowed?Generally not, and in many places it is a crime rather than a discount. What the offer actually is.
Hiring a roofer
- How do I check a roofing contractor is licensed and insured?Licensing for roofers is set state by state and province by province. What to ask for, where to check it, and what insurance actually protects you from.
- What should I ask a roofer before hiring them?Twelve questions that separate a company that will still be there when the warranty is tested from one that will not.
- What should be in a roofing contract?The clauses that decide what happens when something goes wrong, and the two that decide what you pay.
- Why is one roofing quote so much cheaper than the others?Quotes for the same roof differ mostly in what they leave out. The eight line items where the gap usually lives.
- How do I read a roofing company's reviews?The average is the least informative number on the page. What the distribution and the replies tell you instead.
- Do I need a permit to replace my roof?In most places yes, and the inspection is the part that protects you. What it covers and why skipping it costs more later.
What the work involves
- Can you put a new roof over the old shingles?Often legal, usually a worse roof, and occasionally the right call. What you give up and when it makes sense.
- What happens if my roof deck is rotten?The most common mid-job price change, and the one that is easiest to agree in advance. What to put in the contract.
- How long does a roof replacement take?Most houses are a day or two of actual work. What stretches it, and what happens if the weather turns mid-job.
- How is my property protected during a roof replacement?Tear-off is messy by nature. What a careful crew does about landscaping, driveways, gutters and nails, and what to agree beforehand.
- What is ice and water shield, and do I need it?A self-adhering membrane that seals around fasteners and stops water that gets behind the roof. Where it goes and why it is required in cold climates.
- What are flashing and drip edge, and why do they matter?Most roof leaks start at a detail rather than in the field. The metalwork that makes those details work, and the shortcut to watch for.
Materials and upkeep
- Metal roof or asphalt shingles?Lifespan, cost, noise, weight and who can install it. What actually separates them, and the myths that do not.
- How do I get moss off my roof?Moss holds water against the shingle and lifts it. What removes it safely, and the one method that does more damage than the moss.
- How often should a roof be inspected?Twice a year and after every significant storm is the common advice. What a real inspection includes, and what you can check yourself.
- Is it safe to walk on my own roof?Two reasons not to: the fall, and the damage. What you can do from the ground instead.
- Why is my skylight leaking?Usually the flashing rather than the unit, and sometimes not a leak at all. How to tell before paying for a repair.
- I have solar panels and need a new roof. What happens?Removal and reinstallation is a separate scope with its own warranty implications. What to line up before the roofer starts.