Older roofing shingles and wood shakes typically have a 15- to 30-year lifespan depending on the shingles’ quality, the location and tree cover of your home, and how well the roof was installed originally. Direct sunlight, weather/wind, and poor roof deck ventilation are rough on Bay Area roofs.
Though the Atlas and GAF shingles we use today have lifetime warranties, they didn’t a decade ago. We tell our customers that 12 years is a good rule of thumb to go by. At that point, check for these warning signs:
Curling shingles
Loss of the asphalt granulation (looks like bald spots)
Evidence of leaking on your ceilings
Cracked or discolored interior drywall (painted or wallpapered)
Decaying shingles
Missing shingles
Visible cracks
Wind damage
Broken or damaged shingles
Rusted or missing flashing
If a residential roof is over 15 years old, we recommend you call us out for a look. Sometimes damage isn’t visible to the untrained eye on the ground, and catching it early can avoid expensive interior repairs in the future.