8 Signs Your Louisiana Roof Needs Replacing

Shingle granules protect the asphalt from the sun. When you see them piling up in gutters or at the bottom of downspouts, the shingles are wearing out. Some granule loss is normal on a brand-new roof. Steady loss on an older roof is not.

Edges that curl up or centers that cup are a sign of age and heat, often made worse by poor attic ventilation. Curled shingles catch wind and are the first to blow off in a storm.

A few missing shingles after a storm can be repaired. Many cracked or creased shingles across several slopes usually mean wind damage or brittle, aging shingles.

Go up into the attic on a sunny day. Daylight through the deck boards, dark water stains on the wood, or damp insulation all point to water getting in.

A roofline that dips, or decking that feels soft underfoot, means water has been reaching the wood for some time. This needs attention soon, because it gets worse with every rain.

One leak is a repair. A new leak every few months, in a different spot each time, usually means the roof as a whole is at the end of its life.

If your attic is extremely hot and your upstairs rooms never cool down, the roof may be short on ventilation. That cooks shingles from underneath and shortens their life. We fix ventilation as part of every replacement.

If your roof is the original builder-grade roof on an older home, or if it is older than you know, have it inspected even if it looks fine from the street.

Dark streaks on north-facing slopes, common under Louisiana trees and humidity, are usually algae. They look bad but do not by themselves mean the roof is failing. Algae-resistant shingles help on the next roof.