How to Determine if Your Roof Is Brittle and Can It Be Repaired?

Many homeowners would rather not hear the words "your shingle is brittle" from a roofing contractor. Unfortunately, it is possible, and a shingle brittle test is one way to find out if this is a problem for you.

What is a Shingle Brittle Test?

A shingle brittle test? What the heck is that? Unless you have been warned you may need to acquire a new roof before leaks start appearing, most people will neither understand nor have any cause to ask this question.

You can find out if the shingle on your roof is brittle with a simple test. To do this, lift a piece of shingle and move it at a 45-degree angle 2-3 times. If the shingle piece has visible fractures and seams or breaks off, it is too damaged to be repaired. You would be able to visually see an angled line or a break in the shingle you tested.

Damage to a brittle roofing shingle may look minor and straightforward at first glance, but this is not always the case. If one area is brittle then you can bet that most of the roofing shingle is brittle.

What Causes Asphalt Shingle To Become Brittle?

The sun's UV rays can damage asphalt shingle over a period of time. The oils contained in the asphalt are pulled to the surface of the shingle by the heat of the sun as they are slowly released over time. This causes the shingles to become brittle and dry out as they age. By drying out and becoming brittle it is now at a greater risk of being damaged during storms which can break the shingle or blow it right off the roof.

Can I Fix the Brittle Shingle?

Can you fix the brittle shingle? The idea of having to replace the entirety of your roof is an overwhelming thought, we know that! The facts are that if your asphalt shingle is brittle then it is at risk of breakage and cracking when a wind gust comes through. Once your shingle breaks or cracks it exposes your roof to rain damage that can cause not only damage to your roof structure but now to the interior of your home.

Some roofing companies may claim that they can repair the brittle shingle in that specific area. The problem with this is that, once again, if one area is brittle, the entire roof is at risk of having brittle shingles. Therefore once you start repairing one area you have to repair another due to shingle breakage. If you replaced your whole roof before that storm, you wouldn't have to worry about strong wind gusts damaging or blowing off your brittle shingles and putting your home at risk for leaks.

I Have Shingles on my Roof that are brittle, Now What?

If you find that your roofing shingle is brittle, your first course of action should be to get in touch with a reliable roofing contractor as soon as you can. If you are not sure you have brittle shingles call your local roofing contractor to evaluate your roofing shingle system.

Your roof's condition may deteriorate quickly if you put off making repairs or a complete roof replacement. The longer you wait to repair damage to your roof, the greater the likelihood that it will develop leaks and affect the integrity of your roofing structure.

If you are looking for high-quality roofing work on your home at a fair price then contact us today for your FREE estimate! We have been serving the North Georgia area for over 20 years and offer not only experience but reputable customer service!

Accurate Roofing Pros, LLC focuses on Residential roofing including roof installation, roof replacement, roof repair, new roofs for homes and Commercial buildings as well as Roof Tune-Up services. Accurate Roofing Pros LLC's goal is to provide customers with high-quality materials and workmanship at competitive prices while delivering outstanding customer service.