Shingle Roof Repair in Linden, NJ

Common shingle problems

• Missing shingles after wind, usually along the edges, the ridge, and the side facing the storm
• Creased or lifted shingles whose adhesive seal has broken. They may look fine from the ground but flap in the next wind.
• Cracked or brittle shingles on older roofs, especially on the south- and west-facing slopes that get the most sun
• Curling or cupping, where the edges turn up or the middle sinks, usually from age and a hot attic
• Granule loss that leaves dark, bare patches
• Nail pops, where nails back out and push up through the shingle above
• Moss, algae or black streaks, common on shaded north-facing roofs. Streaks are mostly cosmetic; moss holds moisture and does damage.

How shingles actually keep water out

Shingles work like overlapping fish scales. Each row covers the nails and joints of the row below it, and a strip of adhesive along each shingle bonds it to the one underneath so wind can't lift it. When one shingle goes missing, it exposes the nails and seams of the row below, and rain can run straight onto the underlayment and the wood deck.

That's why one missing shingle is worth fixing quickly. On its own it's a small job. Left for a season, it can mean rotted decking and a stained ceiling.

What a shingle repair involves

A roofer carefully breaks the seal on the shingles above the damaged area, removes the nails, slides in a new shingle, nails it in the correct spot and reseals everything. Lifted shingles can often be resealed with roofing cement if they aren't creased. Done right, the repair is hard to spot.

Matching your existing roof

A roofer will try to match the brand, style and color of your shingles. On roofs more than 10 years old an exact match isn't always possible, because colors fade in the sun and manufacturers change their product lines. A close match on the back of the house is usually fine; on the front, some homeowners prefer to replace a full slope so it looks uniform.

When repair stops making sense

If you're replacing shingles every year, if they're cracking when touched, or if the damage is spread across the whole roof, you're probably paying to patch a roof that's worn out. At that point a replacement is often the better use of money. You can read more in repair or replace your roof?