Only 10 Years Old! What This Roof Inspection Revealed

Jay, Blue Fox Roofing & Renovations:

We've got a ten-year-old roof here, and the homeowner wants to be proactive.

So, what do we find when we inspect a roof that's only ten years old? Let's take a look.

First, let's talk about this heat stack.

I suspect this heat stack was installed after the roof was put on. HVAC technicians aren't always comfortable working on a roof this steep, and you can see why. It's a pretty steep slope!

I think what happened here is that there may have been a leak, and someone tried to address it by installing some ice and water shield.

Unfortunately, they didn't get it underneath the shingles where it needed to go.

It also looks like the original opening may have been cut too large, so they slid another shingle underneath to cover the gap.

But when they did that, they loosened the shingle above it and didn't properly secure it afterward. These shingles should have been sealed and nailed down.

Now, I'm also going to apply some sealant around the storm collar on this heat stack.

Because the pipe isn't perfectly vertical, water can run down the side and potentially find its way into these openings. If the pipe were standing straighter, that would be less of a concern.

It's not a major issue right now, but it's something worth addressing.

You can also see another opening here that could use a little sealant.

Okay, so I've applied some caulking around the storm collar and along the upper seam, just in case water tries to enter there.

Notice I didn't seal the lower portion. That's intentional. We don't want to trap any water that might get underneath. We want to give it a way to escape.

Now, let's look at another issue.

You can see this high-traffic area where the shingles are showing significant wear.

It's not great, but that doesn't necessarily mean the roof is going to fail tomorrow.

The problem is that as shingles lose their protective granules, the sun's UV rays begin breaking down the exposed asphalt.

Eventually, you'll start seeing more of the fiberglass mat underneath. That fiberglass doesn't provide the same waterproof protection as the asphalt coating, and over time, that deterioration can lead to leaks.

Does that mean this roof needs to be replaced right now? Not necessarily.

It might have another five years or so of useful life, but that's something we'll need to keep an eye on.