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As a homeowner, it can become stressful when you start to notice cracks, leaks, or breakage anywhere in your home. It’s especially overwhelming when the area that needs repairs or replacement is on a structural element of the home, most notably the roof.
If you have noticed that the shingles on the top of your roof are curling or buckling, it is important to have a skilled, professional roofing contractor evaluate your roof shingles. The longer curled shingles go ignored, the bigger your roof problems will become.
Our roof repair experts explore what curled shingles mean for your roof, your home, and your budget and how best to tackle the issue you’re having with the help of a roofing professional.
What Are Curled Shingles?
Those rectangular, overlapping elements on your roof add character and aesthetics to your home, but shingles also serve as the first line of defense to protect your house and what’s in it. Roof shingles create a protective fence that drains water away from the entire roof, stopping potential water damage or moist air from seeping in to create further damage.
Two things can happen to roof shingles that threaten the health and safety of your roof: shingles can curl or buckle.
- Curled shingles: when the corners of the shingles become loose and curl upward, exposing the whole roof to potential damage.
- Buckled shingles: when the center of the shingle is raised up as a result of moisture being trapped underneath it.
Curled shingles are an indication that your roof needs to be repaired. If left unattended for too long, a few curled shingles can cause poor ventilation, water damage, roof leaks, mold, and the potential for a whole roof replacement.
Why Do Roof Shingles Curl And Buckle?
In order to fully understand why your roof’s shingles are curling, you will need to set up an inspection with one of our experts in roof repairs. Our roofing contractor will evaluate the level of damage to your roof and where the source of damage originates and provide a free estimate of what shingles repair or replacement shingles will cost you.
Understanding the most common reasons your roof’s shingles are curling is the first step in determining whether they should be replaced or repaired.
Improper Installation
The installation process of shingles determines how well your home is protected from outside elements. Unfortunately, homeowners sometimes experience roof damage that is the result of improper installation. In fact, roof shingles installed incorrectly are the number one most common cause of curled shingles.
Shingles have manufacturer’s specifications to ensure they are installed correctly, but despite these instructions, human error can result in having your shingles curl over time.
Some errors that might have occurred when new shingles were initially installed on your home’s roof are:
- Not enough nails were used
- The wrong-sized nails were used
- Cheap nails were used
- Nails were used in the wrong places
- Shingles were not properly lined up to the tar line
Your roof is perhaps the most important structural element of your home, aside from its foundation. Hiring a reputable, knowledgeable, and talented roofing contractor from Artisan Quality Roofing to properly install new shingles and replace existing shingles that are curling will help protect the integrity of your home.
Poor Attic Ventilation
Poor ventilation can ultimately result in the buckling of roof shingles, making it one of the most common causes of curling shingles. When moisture builds in the air, it rises up because it has nowhere else to go. The result is moist air getting trapped between the underlying materials of the roof and the attic. Stagnant, trapped moisture and humidity can lead to the growth of mold and mildew, jeopardizing the quality of air in your home. In addition to your roof’s shingles curling, this moisture buildup can serve as a potential health risk to you and your family.
Shingle Age
Roofs are built for a long-term lifecycle, but not even a roof is immune to the deterioration that comes with aging. Most shingles come with 30-year, 40-year, or even lifetime warranties, while most roofs themselves usually need replacement every 20 years or so. This means that even if your shingles are quality and were properly installed, as the years go by they will slowly deteriorate and can lead to the potential need for roof repairs or the replacement of an old roof. The reason your roof’s shingles are curling could simply be that they are at the end of their lifespan.
Materials used
Unfortunately, like with all professions, not all contractors have integrity in the work they produce and in the materials they use. This is one of the reasons that hiring a certified, professional, and experienced roof contractor is important to the health and well-being of your home. Sometimes unprofessional or inexperienced workers may use outdated, recalled, or defective materials to cut costs.
The use of defective materials can lead to you spending more money over time, as you’ll need to hire an entirely new team of roofing professionals to come to install new shingles. The most cost-effective way to save money, time, and frustration is to research your contractor and ensure they have the necessary credentials so you can trust your replaced shingles are properly installed with the right materials.
A New Roof Installed Over The Old One
There are some instances where a new roof can be installed correctly over an old roof, so long as the old roof does not show any signs of water or other damage. One of the worst money-saving mistakes homeowners make is to install a new roof over an old roof that has damage or deterioration. Having the old roof underneath the new one can lead to further damage and more extravagant costs to fix not only curling shingles but the whole new roof entirely.
Do Curled Shingles Need To Be Replaced?
There are two potential fixes to curling shingles: repair or replacement.
To determine if your shingles can be repaired or if they need to be replaced by new roofing materials will depend on the severity of your roof’s damaged shingles, how many shingles have curled edges, and the reason for the curled shingles.
A Few Damaged Shingles
If there are a few shingles that are damaged due to storms and heavy winds, it could make more sense just to replace those few rather than entirely replace your shingles. However, consider the age of your roof and the origin of how the shingles became curled in the first place. The help of a contractor experienced with repairs and replacements of roofing materials can help determine the best course of action for your home.
One Or Multiple Damaged Areas
Sometimes the shingles can become curled in a particular section of the roof, or the damaged shingles can be scattered about the roof randomly. This affects the aesthetics of your home, and even if you are not worried about the look of the roof because your first priority is cost, it’s important to consider curb appeal when it comes to reselling value. Only replacing damaged shingles means you might not be able to perfectly match the style or color of the existing shingles.
Type Of Damage
Depending on the type of damage done to your shingles will determine the best course of action. If strong winds or detrimental weather were the cause or if an underlying cause like trapped moisture or incorrectly installed materials is the cause, the approach to repairs or replacement will vary. Only a thorough inspection done by a professional roofer can provide answers to the type of damage to your roof and shingles.
How To Fix Curling Asphalt Shingles
In order to fix the curling shingles on your roof, our roof repair and replacement expert will:
- Lift the lower shingles to access the nails
- Remove existing nails to remove shingles
- A new shingle is laid down
- Roofing sealant is applied
- New nails of the appropriate length and used to secure shingles to the roof
- Sealant can be used to add extra strength to the head of the nails used
Contact Artisan Quality Roofing For All Of Your Roof Repair And Replacement Needs
If you’ve noticed signs of curling or buckling on your roof’s shingles, it’s vital that you have your roof looked at by a professional as soon as possible! Artisan Quality Roofing serves Raleigh and the surrounding areas! Call us today at 919-906-3791 to request a free estimate and inspection with one of our skilled, reliable, and certified roofing contractors.
