The 5 signs that made me realize it was time to change my roof
You know that weird feeling when there’s something wrong with your house, but you can’t quite put your finger on it? It happened to me last year with my
At first, I ignored this intuition. After all, my roof was “only” 22 years old, and from the outside, it looked fine. But after talking to my neighbor Pierre – a former roofer – and doing my own research, I realized that there were signs that I had completely missed.
Today, with my new roof installed by Toiture Éco Québec, I’m thinking I should have acted sooner. Here are the 5 signs that should have tipped me off:
1. The age of the roof (and my shock discovery)
First lesson learned the hard way: an asphalt shingle roof is like a car. After 20-25 years, no matter how good it looks, it starts to show signs of fatigue that you can’t always see with the naked eye.
My roof was 22 when I started to have doubts. Pierre said to me: “Listen, Marc, at that age, the protective granules start to come off, even if you don’t realize it. It’s like sunscreen wearing off – at first you don’t see anything, but one day you end up with a sunburn.”
This analogy made me realize that waiting until a problem is visible is often waiting until it’s too late.
2. Those darn shingles that warp
Last autumn, while raking up my dead leaves, I had the reflex to look up. What I saw gave me a twinge of sadness: several shingles were bent upwards, like potato chips that had caught the moisture.
My wife, always practical, said, “Well, it’s only a few shingles, surely we can replace them.” But when the Toiture Éco Québec expert came to do his inspection, he explained something important to me: “Sir, when you see shingles warping, it’s rarely an isolated problem. It’s usually a sign that the whole membrane is starting to lose its flexibility.”
He was right. What seemed like a small, localized problem was in fact a symptom of general aging.
3. That damn green moss on the north side
Ah, mousse! For years, I thought it was “natural” and even a little charming. My roof had that English cottage feel with its green moss on the north side.
Big mistake.
What I didn’t know was that this moss acts like a sponge. It holds moisture against the shingles, accelerating their degradation. Worse still, it can lift the shingles and create waterways.
The technician showed me photos of what lay beneath the “pretty” moss: softened shingles starting to rot. Moss is like mold in your bathroom,” he said. It looks harmless, but it destroys everything in its path.”
4. Those flashings around the chimney I didn’t know about
Confession of an ignorant homeowner: until last year, I didn’t even know what “flashings” were. I could see those metal strips around my chimney, but I didn’t realize their crucial importance.
While climbing a ladder to clean my gutters, I noticed that the caulking around the chimney was cracked and the metal was showing signs of corrosion. I took a picture with my phone and showed it to a contractor friend.
“Marc, you’re playing with fire here. These flashings are like your window seals. If they fail, water will seep into your house and you’ll have damage to the walls.”
It made me sweat. A single neglected metal strip could cost me thousands of dollars in repairs.
5. The mystery of the granules in my gutters
Here’s something most homeowners don’t know (myself included): if you find little black granules in your gutters, it’s not normal dirt.
One Saturday morning, as I was cleaning out my gutters, I noticed that there were lots of these little black particles at the bottom. My first reaction was to think, “Well, more dirt from who knows where.”
But when I mentioned this during my consultation with Toiture Éco Québec, the expert nodded knowingly: “Ah yes, asphalt granules. It’s a classic sign that your shingles are losing their protective layer. It’s like your roof losing its hair.”
That image stuck with me. My roof was indeed “losing its hair”, and I hadn’t even realized it.
What I learned from this experience
Today, with my new metal roof installed by the Toiture Éco Québec team, I sleep a lot better. But above all, I’ve understood one important thing: a roof can’t tell you when it’s going to fail. You have to be proactive.
If you recognize one or more of these signs in your home, don’t do what I did – don’t wait. A free inspection can save you a lot of stress, time and money.
The Toiture Éco Québec team was honest with me from the start. They didn’t scare me unnecessarily, but explained clearly where I was and what my options were. Their ecological approach and expertise in sustainable roofing convinced me that this was the right investment for the next 30-40 years.
Friendly advice: call them at (514) 415-9088 or visit toituresecoquebec.ca. An inspection costs nothing, but it can save you from unpleasant surprises on the day you least expect it.
P.S.: Now, when I drive past a house with moss on the roof, I feel like stopping my car and talking to the owner. But my wife tells me that people might think it’s weird… She’s probably right!
