A few shingles were starting to curl, but nothing that would necessarily make a homeowner think, “I need a new roof.”

Then I walked around to the back.

That changed things.

I’m inspecting a home with asphalt shingles that are clearly getting older.

From the front yard, there are some signs of wear. A little curling here and there. Enough to catch my attention, but the roof is still covered. There aren’t shingles missing everywhere. There isn’t an obvious hole.

Then I get to the rear of the house.

This side faces south and gets considerably more sun.

And the shingles look completely different.

Large areas have lost much of their surface granules. The shingles are faded, worn and brittle.

Normally I would walk the roof for a closer inspection.

Not this one.

The deterioration is severe enough that simply walking across parts of the roof could damage the shingles further. They feel like they could crumble under my boots.

Yet from the ground at the front of the house, you could easily have thought:

“The shingles are still there. What’s the problem?”

The problem is what those shingles have already lost.

Asphalt shingles aren’t just pieces of black asphalt stuck to your roof.

The coloured granules covering the surface actually serve an important purpose: they help protect the asphalt underneath from ultraviolet sunlight.

Some granule loss is completely normal, especially with newer shingles where loose excess granules can wash into the gutters.

The concern is widespread granule loss that begins exposing the asphalt underneath. Roofing manufacturers warn that once those bare areas appear, the asphalt is exposed directly to the elements and deterioration can accelerate.

That can eventually leave shingles brittle, cracked and much more vulnerable to damage.

And different parts of the same roof don’t necessarily age at exactly the same rate.

In this case, the difference between the front and the sun-exposed rear slope was dramatic.

You don’t need to climb onto your roof to look for the early warning signs.

In fact, I’d rather homeowners stay on the ground.

Stand far enough away from the house that you can see as much of the roof as possible. Binoculars can help.

Look for:

Then do something homeowners often forget:

Look at every side of the house.

The roof you see from the driveway may not be the roof that’s deteriorating the fastest.

If one area looks significantly different from the others, have a qualified roofing contractor take a closer look.

You can’t stop shingles from aging, but you can catch deterioration before the first obvious sign becomes a stain on your ceiling.

A few simple habits help:

One important point:

Granules in the gutter don’t automatically mean your roof is failing.

Some granule shedding is normal.

What deserves attention is substantial loss accompanied by bare or deteriorated areas on the shingles themselves.

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Want to learn more about Asphalt Shingles?

This Old House — 31 of Your Toughest Roofing Questions Answered

Angi — What Does Shingle Granule Loss Mean for Your Roof?

This Old House — How Long Does a Roof Last?

Nothing had cracked yet. But the support underneath was disappearing.

Next week, I’ll show you the warning sign I found beneath a driveway—and why catching it early could prevent a much bigger problem later. 🚗🔎