Missing, curled, bent, discolored, or otherwise damaged shingles are far more than an eyesore. Problems like these can leave your roofing substrate and your home vulnerable to the elements. If you don’t have damaged roof shingles taken care of right away, you may start noticing water spots on your ceilings, mold at the building interior, developing pest infestations, and more. Learning how to repair roof shingles is often a quick and cost-effective way to avoid additional issues. However, unless you know exactly why your shingles are damaged, it’s always best to call a professional roofer instead. Badly deteriorated shingles are one of the surest signs that it’s time for a roof replacement. In some instances, damaged shingles indicate the need for more attic insulation, better roof underlayment, and other mitigatory strategies.
Before attempting to start any DIY shingle repair, take a good look at your roof and try to figure out what’s going on. It’s not uncommon for one or two shingles to come loose during or immediately after a strong wind storm. If your home has recently weathered a hail storm, finding a few bent, broken, or bruised shingles isn’t all that surprising. However, other forms of shingle damage usually have an underlying cause that must be addressed as well. If you repair damaged shingles without dealing with the problems that have caused them, water damages may still occur, and your shingles will once more look worse for the wear in virtually no time at all.
Different Strategies for Dealing With Various Shingle Problems
Discoloration is one of the most common signs of shingle damage. If you have dark black streaks on your roof, this may mean that you’ve got a problem with roof mold. Roof mold often develops in warm, humid climates. It can also be problematic on homes that aren’t properly insulated, and on those that have slow roof leaks among other issues. If left untended, roof mold can undermine the integrity of the roofing substrate or the roof boards that act as a foundation for the entire roofing system. Roof moss, mold, and other growths can also enter the home via the HVAC system or get tracked into the living environment by household residents. Once there, it will wreak havoc on the respiratory health of both humans and pets.
One of the best ways to eliminate dark streaks on your roof shingles is by cleaning them with a solution of equal parts water and chlorine bleach. Unless you have access to pressure washing equipment that has a soft-wash setting, this mixture should be applied with a spray bottle and then rinsed off approximately 20 to 30 minutes after application. Using it too frequently can break down important roofing components. Moreover, applying any solution with a high-powered pressure washer can break shingles, lift them off entirely, and cause other structural damages to the roof, gutters, downspouts, and siding. It’s important to note that not all dark streaks are the result of roof mold. Sometimes roof shingles can become dark as they get old and their granules start falling off.
Take the time check the base of your roof’s downspouts and to look in the gutters. If you spot any shingle granules in these areas, this likely means that your roof is at the end of its lifespan. Although replacing a few discolored shingles might stave off leaks for a short period of time, the only sure way to keep your home investment protected is by replacing the roof entirely. This is also true of shingles that are buckling. Buckled or warped shingles mean that water has already caused malformation in the underlying roof boards. In severe cases, the architecture beneath buckled shingles will be bloated and have the same shape.
Curled shingles can be laid flat with a quality bituminous roof adhesive. You can alternatively use a flat pry bar to break their adhesive seal and to remove the nails that have secured them in place. If you’ve got extra shingles left over from your roof installation or a recent repair job, you can apply these as replacements using an appropriate roof sealant. After a small amount of sealant has been applied to the corners of replacement shingles with a caulk gun, nail them down in their former pattern, and then weight them with a brick. These shingles should stay weighted for at least 24 hours while the new adhesive cures. If you want quality shingle repairs and an accurate diagnosis of the roofing problem that’s caused your shingle damage, we can help. Call us at 913-850-6556 today.