No part of your home is more exposed to the natural elements than the roof. If there is any part of your house that is always having a bad day, its the roof. Rain, shine or snow, your homes roof takes a beating three hundred and sixty five days a year and that is why, in due time, some type of maintenance will be necessary; especially for the shingles. Since your homes roofs first line of defense is the shingles, they are the component of a roof that will age first. Since aging roofing shingles can cause problems with water penetration, moisture buildup and even mold concerns, its important that you are aware of the signs of aging roof shingles.
1.Curling
Because of the suns ultraviolet rays, over time, asphalt shingles will begin to shrink. This process will cause curling of the shingles edges, which of course is not noticeable if you are watching your shingles daily, because everything happens at the molecular level. As time passes though, you will begin to notice this process and should you notice this, its best to call an Arlington roofing company to assess the situation.
2.Cracking of the surface
Most Arlington roofing contractors claim that shingle surface cracking is caused by the depletion of flex oil as the roof is constantly exposed extreme convection; the repeated process of heating and cooling. As the oil is slowly dried out, the shingles begin to brittle and in time, surface cracking will begin to manifest.
3.Blistering
Another natural aging phenomena that can occur as the shingles are exposed to changing weather conditions are blisters. These are small bubbles that can appear on the surface of a roofing shingle. The size of these blisters can vary; sometimes they can be as large as a quarter or can be as small as a pea. If these blisters split open, Arlington roofers say that water can then penetrate into the shingle may cause moisture problems over the long run.
4.Staining
Depending on whether or not your homes roof is located under a canopy or trees, algae growth can develop and cause staining of the shingles. These black or brown streaks are especially visible with light colored type of shingles and while the staining of a shingle does not cause any major concern to the integrity of your homes roof, algae does.
As you can see, the natural elements play a major role in the longevity of your roofing shingles. Forget about your roof having a good day, because it never will.