Why can’t you leave an old roof alone? How bad can it get if you never replace your roof? It may surprise you to learn just how dangerous it can become. 

Structural Damage Rendering It Uninhabitable

Over time the damage that accumulates on the roof reaches into supporting structures and walls. You could end up with structural damage, making your home unsafe to live in. If it’s pronounced uninhabitable, you would have to relocate until it’s completely repaired and deemed safe again for human life.

Water Damage Involving Mold

How many homes have been destroyed by mold when they could have just prevented it by keeping the roof maintained and replacing the roof as needed? As water seeps into the roof and then into the walls and attic, it leaves a trail of moisture in its wake that turns into mold and eats away at the components of your home. Extreme water damage from your roof and the resulting mold didn’t need to happen. 

Unwanted Plant Growth

You might have seen illustrations in children’s books of trees growing straight out of the roofs of run-down homes. While this is a very extreme depiction, plants can and do grow from old roofs. The damage from their root systems means your roof cannot be repaired. You will need a new roof to remove the plants.

Sagging Roof Leads to Cave-In

Old roofs start to sag. They will continue to sag until they cave in. When they cave in, they collapse on the first floor underneath them, whether that’s the second floor of your home where most bedrooms are, or the first (and only) floor where everything is. If you and your family happen to be in your bedrooms during the cave-in, you could all be badly injured or worse. 

Complete Financial Loss

The financial ramifications of leaving an old roof as-is are intense. You could lose your home completely and it would not be sellable. While a new roof is expensive, it beats losing the biggest investment you will ever make.