“If you’re not crawling around up there, you’re gambling, plain and simple.”
That’s a solid point. I’ve been on jobs where the homeowner swore their roof was “fine” because it made it through a couple of storms, but then we’d pull up a shingle or two and find rotten decking underneath. Sometimes it’s not even the obvious stuff—like missing shingles—but little gaps in the flashing or dried-out sealant around vents that let water creep in over years. You can’t always see it from the ground.
I do think there’s a bit of luck involved, though. I mean, two identical roofs, same age and materials—one gets hit dead-on by a branch, the other doesn’t. But in general, yeah, maintenance tips the odds way in your favor. Even just clearing out gutters and checking for loose nails or popped fasteners makes a difference over time.
My uncle’s house had architectural shingles, supposed to last 30 years. He figured they were “set and forget.” After 15 years, a tropical storm ripped up half the ridge cap. Turned out the original installer skipped using proper ridge vent fasteners. If he’d had someone up there every year or two, he probably would’ve caught it before it became a big deal.
I’m still learning all the ins and outs, but I’ve noticed that even small things like re-caulking exposed nail heads or making sure pipe boots aren’t cracked can prevent major headaches. It’s not glamorous work, but it beats dealing with water stains and mold inside later.
Guess what I’m saying is, “luck” might get you through one storm, but regular checks are what keep you dry for the long haul.
Is it really “gambling” if you’re not up there every year, though? I get the logic, but I’ve lived in my house for 12 years and only checked the roof up close maybe twice. It’s a basic asphalt shingle roof, nothing fancy, and we’ve had a few hurricanes roll through. No leaks yet, at least not that I can see inside. I do wonder if sometimes the risk is a bit overblown, or maybe it depends on the age of the roof or the climate? I’m not saying ignore it, but I’m not convinced everyone needs to be crawling around up there all the time either.
I do wonder if sometimes the risk is a bit overblown, or maybe it depends on the age of the roof or the climate?
I get where you’re coming from. I used to only check mine after big storms, but then I found a couple of cracked shingles that weren’t leaking yet—just waiting to become a problem. For me, it’s less about crawling around every year and more about just giving it a quick look from the ground or with binoculars. Have you ever noticed any granules in your gutters after those hurricanes? Sometimes that’s the first sign things are wearing out before leaks show up inside.
For me, it’s less about crawling around every year and more about just giving it a quick look from the ground or with binoculars.
Same here—no way am I climbing up there unless I absolutely have to. I’m in Florida, so after every hurricane season I check for missing shingles and those little granules in the gutters. Last year, I thought my roof was fine until I noticed a pile of grit by the downspout... turns out, that was the warning sign. Age definitely matters too—my neighbor’s newer metal roof barely flinched, but my 15-year-old asphalt one is starting to show its age. Sometimes luck helps, but a quick check now and then saves a lot of headaches later.
Same here—no way am I climbing up there unless I absolutely have to.
That’s smart, keeping an eye out for granules and shingle loss after storms. I’m with you on not getting up there unless it’s really necessary—safety (and saving cash on hospital bills) comes first. I’ve got a 17-year-old architectural asphalt roof here in central Florida. After Ian, I did the same thing: checked from the ground, looked for missing tabs, and found a surprising amount of grit in the gutters. Like you said, that “pile of grit by the downspout” is easy to miss if you’re not looking for it.
I do think age is a big factor, maybe more than luck. My neighbor’s metal roof was untouched too, but they paid almost double what I did back then. Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth biting the bullet and switching, but for now, regular checks and minor patch jobs have kept me from spending thousands all at once.
Quick inspections might not catch everything, but they’ve saved me from bigger headaches more than once. Not perfect, but better than ignoring it until water’s coming through the ceiling...
