Warning signs your Joliet home needs a new roof. Age, leaks, curling shingles, granule loss, and storm damage.
Most roofs in Joliet 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 Joliet change the picture.
Joliet homes at a glance
Joliet is the Will County seat and one of the oldest cities in the area, so one job can be a limestone-trimmed foursquare near the Cathedral Area and the next a 2004 two-story off Caton Farm Road. Few towns we work in have that much range in a single zip code.
Older Joliet roofs are often steep, cut up with dormers and laid on plank decking instead of plywood. That takes more labor and more care at the valleys than a simple ranch roof.
What to expect from the roof on your Joliet home
Near downtown, the Cathedral Area and St. Pat's, 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.
On the west side, in the ranches and Cape Cods built in the 1950s and 1960s, 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.
In the far west subdivisions off Caton Farm Road, if the house still has its first roof, it is at or near the end of its life. Builder shingles from that period were often the lightest grade. Curling on the south slope and granules in the gutters are the usual first signs.
Where Joliet roofs wear out first
On Joliet's older two-story homes the trouble usually starts at the chimney and the dormers, long before the open field of shingles gives out. Limestone and brick chimneys need properly stepped and counter-flashed metal, and many have decades of tar instead. On west side ranches, look first at any low-slope addition at the back.
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 Joliet
Permit rules are set by the City of Joliet. We check what your project needs and pull the permit when one is required. See our Joliet page for this service, or the same guide for Plainfield, or the same guide for Lockport.
Common questions
Call (331) 250-3726 or request a free consultation in Joliet.