Roof Looks Bad but Isn't Leaking?

A roof that looks bad but isn't leaking is the roof most people leave alone. The shingles have faded, there are granules in the gutter, and nothing is dripping through the ceiling. So nothing gets done.

That is a reasonable call most of the time. For one kind of roof, it is the wrong one, and the reason runs backwards from what you would expect.

Why waiting feels right

Most people know two states a roof can be in: fine, or due for replacement. A roof that isn't leaking goes in the first box. A new roof is expensive and you would rather not buy one before you have to, so you wait for the roof to tell you.

If your roof is in good shape, that is the right answer. We will say so if we look at it. Plenty of roofs have nothing for us to do yet.

Why a roof that isn't leaking is the only one we can help

Asphalt shingles on this stretch of coast usually dry out before they wear out. Heat and UV drive the oils out of the shingle. It goes stiff, cracks when the roof moves, and stops holding its granules. That is where the granules in your gutters come from.

A rejuvenation treatment soaks into the shingle and puts those oils back. It only works on a shingle that is still there to treat. It does not seal a leak, close a crack, or replace a shingle that has gone.

So the roof the treatment is for is exactly the roof that looks tired and isn't leaking yet. Once it leaks, or a storm has damaged it, or the cracks go all the way through the shingle, treatment is off the table. What is left is a repair or a replacement, and we do neither.

Waiting for a leak means waiting until the cheaper option is gone.

How long is the window?

We can't tell you from here, and we would be suspicious of anyone who could. It depends on the shingle, the pitch, how much sun that face of the roof takes, and what has happened to it over the years.

It is not an emergency. There is no deadline and nothing about this needs doing this week. But the window is set by your shingles, not by us or by the calendar, and it only moves one way.

Signs you are in the window

• Granules collecting in the gutters or at the bottom of the downspouts.
• Shingles that look faded or dry but are all still in place.
• No stains on the ceiling and no water in the attic after a heavy rain.
• No storm damage: no hail bruises, no creased or missing shingles.

None of these tells you for certain. Whether a shingle has enough left in it is decided by bending it, on the roof, which is the first thing we check.

When you should not call us

If your roof is leaking, call a roofer. Same if you have storm damage or missing shingles. A treatment would not help, and we would turn the job down.

If a roofer has already told you it needs replacing, they may well be right. Here is when a second opinion is worth getting, and how to tell whether you need one.

What to do instead of waiting

Have someone get on the roof and look at the shingles. Our assessment is free. We walk the roof, photograph the shingles, and give you one of three answers: it is a good candidate, it is too early, or it is not a roof we can help with. You keep the photos whichever answer you get.

If you want to weigh it up first, read how rejuvenation compares with replacement, what the treatment costs, or whether a roof can be too old to save.