Four Easy to Miss Signs of Roof Damage

Your roof is a large surface, and that means it can become damaged in a number of different ways. While some signs of damage are fairly obvious things like damaged or missing tiles, signs of warping and wood rot, or even drips of water permeating down into your home below, most signs of roof damage are far more subtle. In fact, some of the signs of damage are so small and easy to miss that you may not even think twice about them unless you’re a seasoned and experienced roofing professional.

That’s not necessarily a good thing: when you don’t know what it is to look for, you can’t tell if your roof is damaged or not, and that means you can’t get issues fixed until after they’ve created a serious issue for your home. To help you take better care of your home and the roof that protects it, here are four lesser-known signs of roof damage that you should keep a constant eye out for.

Whistling Sounds

Whistling sounds are not exactly uncommon in homes, particularly during windy seasons. For the most part, people just overlook these sounds as air going through screens on their windows or vibrating small sections of material on their exterior. In some cases this is the truth, but in other cases the actual cause of this sound could be roof damage.

Small cracks and other mini sources of roof damage can create small inlets where air can penetrate into the attic. Of course, when air can get in somewhere that means water can as well, which means these small instances of roof damage can be hotspots for roof damage come the next big rain or snow melt. If your home is completely sealed and you still hear whistling noises, then there’s a good chance you may want to check your attic to see if that’s where the whistling is coming from.

Buckling Tiles

Buckling tiles and shingles can be tough to spot from ground level, especially if your roof is constructed from a material that’s already somewhat uneven to begin with like clay tiles or wood shakes. However, buckling in the surface of your roof is a sign of warped decking, which usually is a strong indicator that there’s a leak somewhere allowing water to penetrate into the deck material.

It’s generally easier to spot warped decking and bowing in your roof with an inspection from inside your attic. Try looking at the wood in your attic from an angle, rather than straight on. Looking from a profile view can often clearly show you where any signs of warping may be present, and give you an idea where a leak might be. Likewise, look for areas of discoloration and see if there’s any warping around those areas and you should be able to spot where a leak might be pretty easily.

Strange Nails

Have you ever noticed a strange, out-of-place nail in your planter, on your lawn, or anywhere else near your home? Was a contractor randomly walking through and dropped a nail? Is it raining fastening hardware? No—it’s actually probably from your roof. Believe it or not, over time nails can pry loose from your roof, and when they do, they’ve got only one place to go: down. Typically, nails roll down your roof, off the sides or the bottom, and then land on the ground by your home or even get caught in your rain gutters.

If you start finding random nails around your home, then your roof may be experiencing a pretty big problem, and it’s strongly advised you have your roof inspected by a professional right away. Your roof could have developed considerable weak points where shingles or tiles may be loose.

Black Spots in Your Attic

Black spots on your roof are difficult to spot from the outside, and easy to ignore when they’re in your attic. After all, aged plywood usually has black spots all over it from dried glue that has aged. However, if you spot any black spots which look fuzzy or have a white or greenish tint to them, then you’re dealing with something entirely different—black mold. Black mold develops when mold spores settle in a location that’s damp, protected from sunlight, and has a food source (which exposed plywood is a perfect choice for). This means you have a leak somewhere in your attic that’s causing water to penetrate into your roof, making the decking damp, and it’s staying that way usually due to lack of proper attic ventilation.