If your roofing system is old and not built for today's harsher weather, it'll likely deteriorate faster and develop leaks. It can then suffer more problems, including structural decay and mold. Catastrophic failure can also happen, particularly during a horrendous storm.
Storms are of particular concern, as extreme weather events are becoming more common.
According to the Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments (GLISA) program, severe storms are increasing in intensity and frequency. From 1958 to 2016, the amount of precipitation in the 1% of the heaviest storms has gone up by 55% in the Northeast and 42% in the Midwest.
Don't wait for worsening weather events to catch you off guard by causing severe damage to your dated roof. Instead, familiarize yourself with what can happen to it and what updates or changes you can make.
What Are the Types of Roofing Systems?
There are two primary types of roofing systems: steep-slope for residential installations and low-slope for commercial applications. The materials used for residential roofing systems vary, but the most common include:
- Asphalt shingles
- Clay or concrete
- Copper
- Metal
- Modified bitumen
- Slate
According to InterNACHI, clay/concrete and slate have among the longest lifespans, with clay/concrete lasting for 100+ years and slate for 60 to 150 years. Three-tab asphalt shingles, on the other hand, have a 20-year lifespan.
What Is the Most Common Roof Repair?
Fixing leaks is the most common type of roof repair.
Roof leaks can arise from many causes, including environmental factors. High winds, for instance, can lift and blow away shingles. Hail or heavy rain can strip away their protective granules.
Clogged gutter systems can also be behind leaks.
Gutters should supposedly help protect your roof and your home's siding and lower sections from water damage, as explained by the experts at Skyview Exteriors. However, if you let them get clogged with debris, leaves, and twigs, they'll prevent water from flowing away from the roof.
Instead, the water can "wick" back upward and under the shingles, ultimately causing leaks.
Leaks can also stem from flashing failure (e.g., rusted metal components or cracked sealants). When flashing fails, water can enter through transitions like roof valleys or a vertical surface like a solar skylight, chimney, or dormer.
What Can Happen if Your Roof Can't Withstand Today's Tougher Weather?
If your roof is old, it doesn't have the design or materials made for today's harsher weather, so it'll likely experience faster deterioration. The sooner it deteriorates, the higher your odds of facing problems like leaks, structural decay, mold, and catastrophic failure.
Faster Deterioration
Heavier rains and stronger winds aside, climate change is also making temperatures soar, triggering an increase in extreme heat events.
As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency explains, average temperatures throughout the U.S. have already increased by around 60% over the global average since 1970. It also projects extremely hot days to occur more often and heat waves to become worse.
Extreme heat can wreak havoc on your roofing system, too, as high temperatures, combined with high ultraviolet (UV) indices, can speed up the drying of its materials. Dryness makes them brittle and more likely to spring leaks.
Roof Leaks
Heavier rains, faster winds, and heat-induced brittleness can all make a roof not designed to withstand worsening weather conditions develop roof leaks faster.
Your gutters may also experience premature failure due to extreme weather events (e.g., collapse under heavy rainstorms), further contributing to faster roof deterioration.
Structural Decay and Mold Development
As today's tougher weather increases the potential of your roof developing leaks, you face higher risks of dealing with structural decay and mold growth. Such problems can affect many components of your roofing system, including:
- Exterior materials (shingles, tiles, or metal panels)
- Flashing (those around the chimneys, valleys, and vents)
- Internal structures (decking or sheathing, insulation, wall framing, ceilings, and foundation)
Catastrophic Failure
Catastrophic failure can result from today's harsher climate events, such as when an extremely strong wind during a storm blows an entire roof (or parts of it) away. Another example is when extreme, large-diameter hailstones drop and cause sections of the roof to collapse.
How Do You Combat Problems an Outdated Roof Can Experience?
One of the best strategies for roof protection, regardless of your system's age, is to have it undergo annual professional inspection and servicing.
After inspection, professional roofers can advise you whether your roof just needs updates to make it more weather-resistant. Examples include roof ventilation installation and waterproof membrane/UV-protective coating application.
If your roof is old, however, such as if it's just a few years from the end of its estimated service life, your roofer will likely recommend replacing it with a new system designed for today's harsher climate and environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Old Is "Old" for a Roof?
It depends on the primary roofing material. If your roofing system, for instance, consists of asphalt shingles, it most likely classifies as "old" if it's near or over 20 years old.
A lack of maintenance, however, can make any roofing system age faster. Instead of lasting 20 years, an asphalt shingle roof that doesn't see any upkeep at all will likely last way shorter than its estimated useful service life.
Do New Roofing Systems Come With Warranties?
Yes. Most new systems come with guarantees, with some even offering lifetime roofing warranties.
If you partner with a reliable and reputable roofing company, you'll likely get two separate warranties. One is the manufacturer's warranty, which protects against material defects. If it's a "lifetime" warranty, it should remain valid for as long as you, the original buyer, own the home.
The second warranty you'll likely get is a craftsmanship warranty. It guarantees high-quality service and installation from your roofer. It protects against installation errors, although the term can span anywhere from one to ten years, depending on the contractor.
Improve Your Roofing System's Ability to Withstand Harsher Weather
Unless your roofing system is strong enough to hold out against changing, worsening weather events, it's at risk of developing leaks, structural decay, mold growth, or worse, catastrophic failure.
Before any of these happen, partner with an experienced local roofer. They can advise you on protective measures and whether updates, upgrades, or replacements make the most sense.
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