Spotting Roof Trouble Early

3 Possible Reasons The Asphalt Shingles On Your Roof Are Curling

5 August 2022 by William Gerard

If your asphalt roof looks like the edges of the shingles are curling up, call your roofing contractor to figure out why. If shingles aren't flat against the roof, they can get lifted by the wind and torn off.

Here are three reasons your shingles are curling and what your roofing contractor might do about it.

1. The Shingles Are Worn Down Due To Old Age   

One of the most common reasons for shingle curling is old age. Curling is a sign it's time to think about getting a new roof put on. If the curling is widespread, it may not be worth the expense to try to repair them. Your roofing contractor might think putting on a new roof is the best way to utilize your money.

Once you notice your shingles are curling, you should think about getting a new roof soon, because your roof could deteriorate fast and start leaking.

2. The Shingles Are Too Hot Due To Poor Ventilation

Poor attic ventilation can get the underside of the roof too hot and cause the shingles to curl. To solve this problem, the roofer has to increase attic ventilation by adding another vent to increase air circulation in the attic. This is sometimes done by putting a turbine vent on the roof.

Once the ventilation problem has been fixed, the roofer has to decide what to do about the curled shingles. If the problem is extensive, your roof may need to be replaced, especially if it's old. If the damage is in one area or lightly scattered over the roof, the roofing contractor might flatten out the shingles and use roofing adhesive to hold the edges down.

3. The Curled Shingles Are A Second Layer Of Roofing

If your roof has two layers of shingles, the top layer may be curling simply because the shingles don't lay flat and adhere as well as they do when they're the only layer of shingles on your roof. When your roof has this problem, the curled shingles may be randomly scattered. When that's the case, your roofer can flatten and adhere them to the roof.

Once curling starts, it might be an ongoing problem that requires regular roof checks and repairs as other shingles start curling too. By that point, your shingles may be old and at the end of their life. Your roofer may then recommend tearing off all of the old roofing and installing a new single layer of shingles to reduce the risk of curling.

Your roofing contractor can figure out why your shingles are curling no matter what the cause. It's usually best to make repairs as soon as possible or curled shingles might get blown off and then you might also have to repair a roof leak.

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