Spot The 8 Signs Of A Bad Roofing Job Before It’s Too Late

Identifying the signs of a bad roofing job is partly very straightforward and partly more difficult. Many issues are incredibly obvious, others take a more thorough eye. This article outlines some of the main signs you should watch out for, as well as offers tips on how you can avoid these signs appearing in the first place.

How Can You Spot Signs Of A Bad Roofing Job?

Before we get into the specific signs that you’ll notice when a bad roofing job has happened, there are two main ways that you can spot these signs. Visually or through a detailed inspection. Technically both are visual, but one is more thorough and purposeful than the other.

When we say that you can spot signs visually that means that you’re able to spot the signs through normal daily activities such as walking up to the house from the road, or being inside the house. These signs are incredibly obvious and usually cause you to act quickly.

Detailed inspections require you or a professional to get up close and personal with the roof either through the attic space or externally. When accessing the roof you’re able to look closely at the work that has been carried out in greater detail, spotting things that might otherwise have been obscured or out of sight from the ground or inside.

The 8 Signs Of A Bad Roofing Job

The following list outlines some of the usual signs that a bad roofing job has taken place at the property. Some are considerably easier to spot than others, but the majority become apparent during a quick visual look at the property. Many signs of a bad roofing job take time to appear or may worsen over an extended period of time, so it’s always best to keep an eye on the roof after installations or repairs.

Shingles Are Damaged Or Missing

More often this is a sign that you need to get a set of roof repairs or a roof replacement. If you’ve just had a roof installed and there are missing or damaged shingles, you’d likely be calling straight away to ask the contractors to rectify the issue. If it’s relatively recent, and the weather hasn’t been dramatically bad, then questions should still be raised. New shingles shouldn’t get damaged or go missing for a number of years, decades in fact.

The Roof Appears To Be Sagging

This is one of the biggest causes of alarm when it comes to your roof. A sagging roof looks like it might collapse at any moment, and it’s definitely a sign that you’ve had a bad roofing job. New or replacement roofs should last for decades, and certainly shouldn’t be sagging any time soon. If you’ve had a roof for a long time (over 40 years) then there’s potential for it to sag. Just be sure to get it checked out as soon as possible once you notice it happening.

Shingles Don’t Match

When you’ve got mismatching shingles, it clearly indicates a lack of care and attention from your installer. At the very least you’d expect the shingles to be the same color and the same type. If you notice that they don’t match then you should raise questions straight away. If they’re using shingles from another batch or supplier, ask why. There aren’t many explanations that will make sense.

Shingles Aren’t Uniform

Properly installed shingles should be done with guides and straight-line indicators and markers. There’s no reason why a professional installer shouldn’t be able to get all of the shingles installed uniformly. If your shingles aren’t uniform it indicates that the job was rushed, and installed without adequate attention paid to the details.

Materials Are Second Hand

There’s definitely a time and a place for using refurbished materials, but your roof is rarely the right time. You should expect new shingles to be used, as well as any supports. This will maximize the lifespan of your roof and minimize the chance that any materials are already damaged.

Water Is Entering The Property

A very obvious issue from inside, if you see water entering the property at the walls or through the ceiling this indicates a serious issue with the roof. Most leaks are easily fixed by a professional, but you’ve likely had a bad roofing job carried out if a leak happens shortly after an installation.

Stains Appear In The Attic

Typically stains are caused by old water damage, but it could be mold or another similar issue. These will appear within the attic or sometimes on the ceiling. Once spotted it’s important to find the source quickly before it spreads. As with water entering the property, it can be fixed but certainly shouldn’t be happening following a new roof installation.

Elements Are Missing

Upon closer inspection, there’s a chance you might find that some elements of the roof are missing altogether. Drip edges, underlayment, insulation, sometimes these are promised but not delivered. These are frustrating issues that might well be caused by a mistake but could be because of a dishonest roofer looking to save on materials.

How To Avoid A Bad Roofing Job

The best solution to all of the above is to tackle it before it starts by ensuring that the contractor that you’re working with is a quality contractor that you can trust. You can achieve that by:

Observe Their Inspection And Evaluation Process: One of the first steps during the quotation process will be the inspection and evaluation. You’ll be able to gain a lot of insight into their work ethic and style during this time at your property, so do try and be present for it.

Ask For The Paperwork: There’ll be a lot of paperwork, especially related to larger installations, this should be easily obtained and forthcoming. If it’s not, that should be a red flag.

Read Online Reviews: Every roofing company worth its salt should have a plethora of online reviews. These reviews will give you insight into what it might be like to work with them.

Ask Previous Customers Their Opinion: If you’ve been recommended to a company by another person then you should interrogate them for information about what it’s like to work with them, and anyone else you know who has!

Key Takeaways

Realizing that you’ve spotted one of the signs of a bad roofing job isn’t a pleasant experience for anyone to go through. Try to avoid it as best you can by being proactive in the preparation and selection stage. If you’re unlucky enough to receive a bad roofing job, the next move is to act quickly and decisively.

• If you’re unclear following a visual check, get a full roof inspection completed.
• Always work with a roofer that you’ve done your due diligence on.

If you’ve been the recipient of a bad roofing job, or you’re looking for quality roofers in Princeton, NJ, then give Trenton Roofing a call today and receive a no-obligation quotation.