Warning signs your Downers Grove home needs a new roof. Age, leaks, curling shingles, granule loss, and storm damage.
Most roofs in Downers Grove do not fail all at once. They give warnings for a few years first. Here are the signs to look for, what they mean, and how the age and style of homes in Downers Grove change the picture.
Downers Grove homes at a glance
Downers Grove is known for its Sears catalog homes, mail-order kit houses built in the 1910s and 1920s, and for the bungalows and four-squares near the BNSF line. It also has postwar ranches and a steady stream of new homes built on older lots.
The bungalows here have dormers, shallow porch roofs and deep eaves, all places where ice dams form. Ice barrier and proper attic insulation at the eaves do more than any shingle upgrade.
What to expect from the roof on your Downers Grove home
Near downtown and the BNSF line, including the Sears catalog homes, the question is less the shingles than what is under them. Multiple layers, plank decking and decades-old flashing mean a leak can travel a long way before it shows. If the ceiling stains are near a chimney or dormer, the flashing is the first suspect.
In the ranches and split-levels built after the war, the roof has probably been replaced two or three times already. Check when the last one was done. Low-slope sections over additions and porches wear out first and are often the only part that needs attention.
On the blocks where older houses have been replaced with new construction, a large, steep roof is hard to see from the ground, so problems go unnoticed longer. Binoculars from the yard or a professional inspection every few years is worth the time on a roof with this many valleys and transitions.
Where Downers Grove roofs wear out first
Ice is the usual culprit here. Bungalows and Cape Cods have living space tucked under the roof with little insulation at the eaves, so snow melts and refreezes at the edge. Stained soffits, peeling paint under the eaves and shingles that curl only along the bottom rows all point to ice dams.
The signs, from early to urgent
- Granules in the gutters. A little is normal on a new roof. A steady supply on an older roof means the shingles are wearing thin.
- Curling or cupping shingle edges. The shingles have dried out and will start to lift in wind.
- Cracked or missing shingles. A few can be replaced. Many, across several slopes, means the roof is brittle.
- Dark streaks and moss. Streaks are algae and mostly cosmetic. Moss holds water against the shingles and lifts their edges.
- Rusted or lifted flashing. Around chimneys, walls and vents, this is where most leaks start.
- Daylight or damp wood in the attic. Look on a bright day and again after rain.
- Ceiling stains or a sagging roof line. Water is already inside. Call now.
Repair or replace?
Repair makes sense when the damage is in one area and the rest of the roof has years left: a few shingles, a pipe boot, one run of flashing. Replace when the shingles are brittle across the roof, when leaks appear in more than one place, or when storm damage is widespread enough for an insurance claim. We will tell you which one you have and show you the photos.
How long roofs last here
Illinois weather is hard on asphalt: hot summers, freeze and thaw, hail and wind. Architectural shingles commonly last 20 to 30 years in this climate, and older three-tab shingles less. Good attic ventilation adds years; a hot, unvented attic takes them away. More detail in how long asphalt shingles last in Illinois.
Permits in Downers Grove
Permit rules are set by the Village of Downers Grove. We check what your project needs and pull the permit when one is required. See our Downers Grove page for this service, or the same guide for Wheaton.
Common questions
Call (331) 250-3726 or request a free consultation in Downers Grove.