Routine maintenance is important if you want your roofing system to protect your home from different weather elements. This means addressing the issues spotted by your trusted roofer, such as water leaks and damaged shingles. If you have loose or missing shingles, for instance, they need to be replaced to prevent further damage to your roofing system. But if you have blistered shingles, you’ll not only need to replace them, but also find what’s causing the problems to prevent future damage.
A DIY roof inspection and repair isn’t recommended even if you have some experience in home improvement. Depending on the level of damage, blistered shingles can indicate a bigger problem in your roof and will need professional attention. So, when you need to get work done on your roof, be sure to hire an experienced professional who can identify the source of the blistering problem and repair it appropriately. To understand how you can repair and prevent more blistered asphalt shingles on your roof, here’s what you need to know:
Why Does Your Roof Have Blistered Shingles?
Blistered asphalt shingles are usually caused by a few factors:
- Trapped Moisture
Asphalt shingles tend to blister when moisture gets trapped during the manufacturing process. When exposed to sunlight, the shingles get heated, and the moisture inside evaporates. Normally, this won’t affect asphalt shingle lifespan as long as the shingle granules are mostly intact, but if some of the shingles have already popped, then they should be addressed professionally.
- Poor Ventilation
If your roof doesn’t have an adequate ventilation system in place, it can compromise your shingles’ effectiveness against the natural elements. This can happen during the summer months when hot air rises and gets trapped in your attic. Without proper ventilation, the hot temperatures can cause your shingles to blister.
- Inadequate Installation
Sometimes, trapped moisture can be caused by shingles that were not properly installed. If the adhesive wasn’t applied properly, moisture can accumulate and evaporate under your shingles. Over time, this causes blistering and can lead to other types of structural damage.
Differentiating Blisters From Other Types of Damage
Knowing the difference between hail damage and blister damage can be difficult, but this won’t be a problem for professional roofing contractors. They’ll look at your roof more closely and see if the damage is located n just one part of your roofing system. They’ll even know if there are popped and unpopped blisters caused by foot traffic. But if they see more uniform damage mostly on one side of the roof, then the damage is usually caused by hail. This is because of the wind direction during the hailstorm.
There may be times when it’s hard to spot blisters on your roof, especially if it already sustained some other type of damage. Hail damage can be a bit identical to blister damage, which can be confusing unless looked upon more thoroughly. Of course, this won’t be a problem when you hire professional roofers as they’ll know what to look for when looking for blister damage.
Can Blistering Shingles Affect Your Roofing System?
This mainly depends on what type of damage your blistered shingles have and what’s causing them. If the blisters have the granules intact, then it shouldn’t cause any problems to your roof’s lifespan. But eventually, the blisters will pop, which can dislodge the granules and leave the asphalt material exposed. This means they’re unprotected from the ultraviolet (UV) rays and will start to lose more granules over time. To avoid this, make sure to hire a trusted contractor in roofing repair and replacement so that they’ll do a thorough job of inspecting and replacing affected shingles.
Some blistered shingles appear a few months after a full roof replacement. They can even be present before the shingles are installed and can turn into “wear pits” that can shorten their lifespan. If you think you’re already having this type of damage on your roof, you’ll need to get it replaced to prevent further damage.
How Can You Deal With Blistered Shingles?
Once blistering starts to occur on your shingles, there’s no way to stop it unless you repair the affected areas. As a trusted contractor in roofing, we strongly recommend not walking on the surface unless it’s necessary. You’ll only risk popping the blisters, especially during the summer months. And, if you find traces of granules in your gutters and on the ground near your roof, then this may just be the excess from your newly installed shingles.
However, if your roof is already a few years old, then it’s more likely caused by popped shingle blisters. If you have blistered shingles occurring in small areas of your roof, then they can be patched by a roofer. Doing the necessary repairs as soon as it’s needed is crucial if you want to keep the damage and deterioration from spreading to your roof. But if the blisters are found in many areas of your roof, or you choose to delay the repairs, you’re giving time for the damage to progress, leading to other problems and issues that will cost more to address.
Preventing Future Problems
As long as the damage is minor, blistered shingles can be prevented through routine maintenance by roofing contractors. They’ll find any sign of blistered shingle along with other types of damage that may cause problems later on in your roof’s lifespan. This includes addressing hail bruises, curling, cracks and even missing shingles.
If you’re planning a full replacement because of the extent of how blistered shingles have damaged your roof, don’t just hire any other contractor for the job. You’ll feel more at ease if you work with someone who’s locally trusted in the area and has the right experience to get the job done right!
If you think your roofing system has blistered shingles, don’t hesitate to consult AQ Roofing LLC. When you’re looking online for a local, experienced contractor, just check out what we have to offer! You can also contact us at (501) 951-1683 or by filling out our convenient online contact form.