Guide
Signs your roof is finished
There is no single moment when a roof stops working. It fails gradually, and the useful skill is recognising which stage yours is at.
Get it looked at
Three questions, and up to three Villa Park contractors. Free either way.
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No provider in Villa Park is taking requests through this service yet. We are lining them up, and yours is kept until one can.
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- One email when someone can help. When a provider covering your area can take it on, we email you once and ask whether you want that company, by name, to contact you.
- Deleted after 90 days. If nobody can take it on, or you do not say yes, your contact details are deleted 90 days after your request.
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Nobody will call you about this request unless you say yes to a company by name.
Granules in the gutter
Asphalt shingles are protected by a granular surface. When that surface starts washing off in quantity, the mat underneath is exposed to ultraviolet and the clock speeds up sharply. A handful of granules after a new roof is normal shedding. Cupfuls, years later, is not.
The age on the paperwork
Age alone is not a reason to replace. Age plus any one of the symptoms above usually is.
Repeated repairs in different places
When the leaks stop clustering and start appearing anywhere, you are not fixing a fault any more. You are paying for a replacement in instalments, at a worse rate.
Shingles that curl, cup or go brittle
Look along the roof from the ground at a low angle rather than straight on. Edges that lift, corners that curl upward and a surface that no longer lies flat all mean the material has lost its flexibility. Brittle shingles crack when walked on, which is why contractors stop wanting to walk them.
Sagging along a line
A ridge or a plane that dips is a structural signal rather than a covering one. It usually means decking that has been wet long enough to lose strength, and occasionally framing. This is the one symptom that should not wait.
Daylight or damp in the attic
The attic tells the truth earlier than the ceiling does. Staining on the underside of the deck predates any stain you will see downstairs by a long way.
In short
If two or more of these apply, get somebody to look at it and give you a remaining-life number in years. That single number turns the decision from a worry into arithmetic.
Related questions
Why three quotes and not one?
One quote is a number with no context. Three gives you a range, and the conversation about why they differ is where you learn what you are actually buying.
Should I repair or replace?
It depends almost entirely on how much life is left in the material. Ask any contractor who inspects it to give you a number of years and a reason. If two of them independently say the same thing, believe it.
Should I take the cheapest quote?
Not automatically. Put the quotes side by side on layers, not on totals — underlayment, ice-and-water, drip edge, valley treatment, ventilation, decking allowance, warranty. Cheap usually means less of those, not the same roof for less money.
Ready for a real number?
No cost. We email you once when a provider near you can take it on.