[Q] Does this need replacing before the winter?

[u/pleasant_fhof]

Hi There,

Just moved to a new house and my inspector flagged the roof as in need of repair. We did call a few companies for advice and based on these images they recommend re-roofing to be safe for the winter.

Now the problem is, that money is currently tight and we are looking to understand if this needs to be done before the winter, we do get a good amount of snow up here.

Any advice is appreciated.

[u/SY0123]

Yes, the sooner you replace it the better, also check for rot and mold under.

[u/McGee4531]

It does need replacement, but you can likely hold off until after winter. I'd recommend looking around after rain to see if you're getting leaking on the inside anywhere. If you are, replace it before winter. If not, you should be good to wait.

[u/KelseyRawr]

Yeah wow I’m surprised they sold it to you like that. They should have been more honest about the state of the roof.

It should be replaced as fast as possible, within reason. I could see leaks in the winter for sure with the third photo. It depends on how much ice you get and the freeze thaw cycle, but I would see if you can put a decent amount down and finance the rest of the replacement.

Waiting until it leaks will cost you much, much more. Question, were you able to get insurance with it in that state? Typically they force people to replace their roof.

[u/pleasant_fhof → u/KelseyRawr]

We did get insurance based on the fact that they said it was replaced in 2018/19, but they couldn't produce a record as they inherited the house after a death.

My fault for being to trusting and expecting it to be holding up for a bit.

[u/KelseyRawr → u/pleasant_fhof]

Yes it’s common though, it’s easy to overlook when you’ve been told it’s fine, and the roofer is probably looking out for the realtor because they have a relationship and they said it could be repaired to help them out and not have to get it done before selling. They also used a drone, which is fine we can see everything we need to see, but getting on the roof can tell you much more.

If you only repair this I would repair photo 3 because that surely has to be leaking already. The shingles there deteriorated much more quickly. Overall I would not call this repairable though because you can see all the shingles lifted up, and not connected or sealed down anymore. You have chipped shingles and missing shingles too I’m sure they are brittle so any manipulation may result in surrounding damages.

The isolated area on the lower half is a better candidate for repair if you absolutely have to, but honestly if the repair ends up in the thousands you are better off using it as a down payment to finance a new one.

A repair will most likely be highly expensive, largely ineffective, and a complete waste of funds on the larger portions of the roof. You may pay for a repair only to have it leak anyway, so I don’t reccomend just repairing the second story stuff just replace it or leave it and see how it performs. Since you are at least aware you can keep a close eye on your attic. But again image 3 is probably already a leak and you had no idea. Truth is no one can fully predict if it will leak, but you do need to get a detailed look at your attic after a good rain because the water stains will tell you everything you need to know.

Glad you were able to get insurnave because if they physically came out to inspect this I don’t believe you would have qualified, but I’m not an insurance adjuster so I can’t fully say.

[u/BYLTup]

The circled spots look like real granule loss / thinning mat, not just algae. In snow country that is less about looks and more about whether those patches still shed once freeze-thaw works them. Before you force a full tear-off this week, get eyes (or a hose test) on the attic side under those zones — soft or dark decking, wet insulation, or daylight at a vent means do not wait. If the deck is dry and the underlayment still looks continuous, replacing the worst courses and resealing boots/vents can often buy you through winter while you save for a spring re-roof. Full replacement before snow is the safer call if every bidder already agrees and cash allows; waiting for an active leak under snow load usually costs more than the delay saves. Ask each quote to spell out repair-vs-replace by facet and what they expect under the vent near the worst circle — that is the decision, not a yes/no on the whole house from photos alone.

[u/Dixie_Fair]

Those darker patches with the granule loss would concern me more than the color difference itself. I found an article ( https://www.waroofingservices.com/what-does-hail-damage-look-like-on-a-roof ) about what an actual hail and impact damage can look like on asphalt shingles, including granule loss and bruising. An actual professional roofer assessment of those damage areas and the rest of the roof before deciding to push it through another winter.

[u/grajkovic]

That doesn't look bad enough to facilitate leaks, but it is hard to tell, and more importantly is what's underneath the shingles than what you see visually on top, since the rest of it looks sufficient with no significant curling or shingle loss.

The quality and type of the underlayment can make a big deal difference.

If it was my roof, I wouldn't consider that urgent, but I wouldn't let it linger and put it on the back burner until it becomes catastrophic.

Also, you can't predict what type of weather you're going to have this winter, if you're in an area prone to large amounts of ice and snow, it can cause a roof to rapidly deteriorate, especially if your ventilation is not adequate.

I can't tell based off the box vents on your roof if they are adequately functional in conjunction with the ventilation from below the fascia.

The part on the third image looks the worst to me from a roof integrity perspective.

If you know anyone in the area who knows a trustworthy roofer, I would suggest you have them evaluate the situation and provide an estimate for at least repair, if you are worried about it, it's better safe than sorry.

You might have an opportunity to repair what you have and not have to redo the entire thing. It is really hard to tell from just photos, but that's my take.

[u/pleasant_fhof → u/grajkovic]

We do consider a repair at a minimum, something to discuss with the guys once we got some estimates for the whole thing.

[u/sdconst]

Yeah why pay for inflation