This document provides tips and guidance on maintaining a roof to prevent damage and costly repairs. It outlines signs of potential roof problems to look for, both outside and inside the home, such as missing, curled or cracked shingles, and water stains or mold growth. The document also discusses best practices for attic ventilation and insulation. When replacing a roof, factors to consider include building codes for re-covering, common roofing materials like asphalt shingles or metal, and impact ratings. Regular maintenance and inspections can help catch issues early and save money on repairs.

1. For a roof that’s right up there
Roof maintenance
Every second of every day, your roof is put to the test. Rain can wash granules away from shingles, resulting in slow,
certain wear. Sunlight can cause shingles to curl and crack. Hail can cause damage to shingles, or hurricane-force
winds can tear them away and even blow off the underlying decking. Over time, even a small roof leak can lead to
moldy, rotten decking, damaged rafters, and expensive repairs. Why not stop damage before it starts? Learn how to
recognize the first signs of a problem, and take steps to make your roof stronger.
What to look for
Outside your home
• Look for shingles that are missing, curling, cupping, broken, or cracked. Check valleys for damaged or
deteriorated materials.
• Look in gutters and downspouts for excessive granular loss. Manufacturers cover asphalt composition
shingles with granules to block ultraviolet rays from the sun, but natural aging will cause granules to erode
and expose the asphalt. Granular loss begins during installation and occurs daily. This is an expected
condition, but excessive loss may indicate a problem.
• Blisters, or small bubble-like raised areas on shingles, may appear when moisture trapped between the
shingle layers is heated and rises to the surface. These blisters can break open, causing grit to fall away.
Blisters are often a result of poor ventilation in the attic, causing heat to build up beneath the roof.
• The dark stains and streaks that sometimes develop on roofs (especially roofs with light-colored shingles)
are caused by blue-green algae. This is more likely to happen in hot, humid areas. Algae can damage
shingles over time, and should be removed by a professional roof cleaner.
• Tree branches that are rubbing against the roof should be trimmed.
• Flashing around plumbing vents and chimneys should not be rusty, cracked, or loose.
• Keep roof, valleys, gutters, and downspouts free from leaves, twigs, and other litter to allow for
proper drainage.
• Water should not be pooling on low-pitched roofs. This may be an indication of inadequate drainage.

2. Helpful Hints
A stuffy, overheated attic
can make your shingles ageinstalled to prevent the
insulation from blocking
Inside your home
• Check the attic for leaks which often leave dark stains on rafters and the underside of decking. Most likely
areas are around the chimney, vents, skylights, and valleys.
• Check for mold on the underside of roof decking. This usually happens when ventilation is poor, and moist
air builds up in the attic.
• See if decking is sagging between the rafters. Sagging decking materials or broken rafters may have been
badly damaged by consistent, long-term leaking.
• Make sure soffit and ridge vents, gable vents, and any roof vents aren’t blocked by insulation or storage items.
Proper ventilation will help prevent structural damage caused by moisture, increase roofing material life,
reduce energy consumption, and enhance the comfort level of the rooms below the attic. The requirements
for proper attic ventilation may vary greatly, depending on the part of the United States in which a home or
building is located, as well as the structure’s conditions, such as exposure to the sun, shade, and humidity.
To make sure your attic has enough ventilation, the National Roofing Contractors Association recommends a
minimum of one square foot of free vent area for each 150 square feet of attic floor.
• Make sure that your attic floor is covered with a gap-free layer of insulation to help prevent heated or air-
conditioned air from escaping your home.
When it’s time to replace your roof
Your shingles may have a warranty of 15, 30, or even 50 years, but they may not last as long depending on the
pitch of your roof, quality of the installation, quality of the attic ventilation, and weather conditions in your area. If
your roof is showing serious signs of wear, ask a roofing professional to inspect it for you and whether it needs to
be replaced; if your roof has been badly damaged by hail or wind, contact your insurance company. Here are some
things to think about before having a new roof installed.
Re-covering an old roof
If heavy snow, hail, or strong winds are common in your area, building codes may not allow covering an old roof with
new shingles. In other areas, building codes may only allow one roof re-cover. When a re-covered roof wears out,
both layers of shingles need to be removed, and new underlayment and shingles installed.
Choosing a new roof
• Asphalt shingles, also known as composition shingles, are the most common type of shingles used on U.S.
homes.1
They are made with either tough roofing felt or a fiberglass mat, saturated with asphalt and coated
with mineral granules on the exposed side.
• Slate, available in different colors and grades, is considered very durable. But it is more expensive than
other roofing products, and its installation takes special skill and experience.
• Metal roofing products come in panels and shingles. Panels are available in different shapes, while
metal shingles often are made to look like wood shingles and tile. Metal roofs are durable and relatively
lightweight, though they can be noisy during rain or hailstorms. Some have a Class A fire rating.
• Synthetic roofing products are made to resemble slate and wood shingles and shakes. Some are highly fire
and impact-resistant.
Rating your roof
When you’re shopping around for new shingles, remember to see how well they rate for fire, wind, and impact
resistance. Many roofing products are tested with standards created by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and
FM Global to see how well they stand up to extreme conditions. Here are some ratings you should look for:
• Wind – If your area is prone to high winds or hurricanes, you’ll want shingles that are more likely to stay
put during a storm. Shingles that have been evaluated according to ASTM D 7158 standard may be given a
Class D (90 mph), G (120 mph), or H (150 mph) rating.
• Fire – Fire-resistant shingles are classified by the UL as Class A, B, or C, with Class A being the highest.
• Impact – The UL 2218 and FM 4473 standard gives shingles an impact resistance rating of Class 1
(the weakest) through Class 4 (the toughest). A roof with impact-resistant shingles may qualify you for a
discount on your homeowners insurance premium.2
You’ll find a list of more than 1,000 impact-resistant
roofing products at statefarm.com/insurance/home-and-property/homeowners/discounts/roofing-materials.
Keep a lid on repair costs
Be sure to take the basic preventative steps outlined here, and file this sheet away for future reference. Just by
keeping an eye out for problems, you could save your home from damage, spare yourself costly repairs, and even
keep your insurance premiums lower. For more home maintenance tips, visit statefarm.com®
.
State Farm®
does not endorse, guarantee, or recommend roofing products, nor is the application of a discount to
be construed as any type of an express or implied warranty by the manufacturer, supplier, installer, or State Farm.

3. Helpful Hints
A stuffy, overheated attic
can make your shingles ageinstalled to prevent the
insulation from blocking
Inside your home
• Check the attic for leaks which often leave dark stains on rafters and the underside of decking. Most likely
areas are around the chimney, vents, skylights, and valleys.
• Check for mold on the underside of roof decking. This usually happens when ventilation is poor, and moist
air builds up in the attic.
• See if decking is sagging between the rafters. Sagging decking materials or broken rafters may have been
badly damaged by consistent, long-term leaking.
• Make sure soffit and ridge vents, gable vents, and any roof vents aren’t blocked by insulation or storage items.
Proper ventilation will help prevent structural damage caused by moisture, increase roofing material life,
reduce energy consumption, and enhance the comfort level of the rooms below the attic. The requirements
for proper attic ventilation may vary greatly, depending on the part of the United States in which a home or
building is located, as well as the structure’s conditions, such as exposure to the sun, shade, and humidity.
To make sure your attic has enough ventilation, the National Roofing Contractors Association recommends a
minimum of one square foot of free vent area for each 150 square feet of attic floor.
• Make sure that your attic floor is covered with a gap-free layer of insulation to help prevent heated or air-
conditioned air from escaping your home.
When it’s time to replace your roof
Your shingles may have a warranty of 15, 30, or even 50 years, but they may not last as long depending on the
pitch of your roof, quality of the installation, quality of the attic ventilation, and weather conditions in your area. If
your roof is showing serious signs of wear, ask a roofing professional to inspect it for you and whether it needs to
be replaced; if your roof has been badly damaged by hail or wind, contact your insurance company. Here are some
things to think about before having a new roof installed.
Re-covering an old roof
If heavy snow, hail, or strong winds are common in your area, building codes may not allow covering an old roof with
new shingles. In other areas, building codes may only allow one roof re-cover. When a re-covered roof wears out,
both layers of shingles need to be removed, and new underlayment and shingles installed.
Choosing a new roof
• Asphalt shingles, also known as composition shingles, are the most common type of shingles used on U.S.
homes.1
They are made with either tough roofing felt or a fiberglass mat, saturated with asphalt and coated
with mineral granules on the exposed side.
• Slate, available in different colors and grades, is considered very durable. But it is more expensive than
other roofing products, and its installation takes special skill and experience.
• Metal roofing products come in panels and shingles. Panels are available in different shapes, while
metal shingles often are made to look like wood shingles and tile. Metal roofs are durable and relatively
lightweight, though they can be noisy during rain or hailstorms. Some have a Class A fire rating.
• Synthetic roofing products are made to resemble slate and wood shingles and shakes. Some are highly fire
and impact-resistant.
Rating your roof
When you’re shopping around for new shingles, remember to see how well they rate for fire, wind, and impact
resistance. Many roofing products are tested with standards created by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and
FM Global to see how well they stand up to extreme conditions. Here are some ratings you should look for:
• Wind – If your area is prone to high winds or hurricanes, you’ll want shingles that are more likely to stay
put during a storm. Shingles that have been evaluated according to ASTM D 7158 standard may be given a
Class D (90 mph), G (120 mph), or H (150 mph) rating.
• Fire – Fire-resistant shingles are classified by the UL as Class A, B, or C, with Class A being the highest.
• Impact – The UL 2218 and FM 4473 standard gives shingles an impact resistance rating of Class 1
(the weakest) through Class 4 (the toughest). A roof with impact-resistant shingles may qualify you for a
discount on your homeowners insurance premium.2
You’ll find a list of more than 1,000 impact-resistant
roofing products at statefarm.com/insurance/home-and-property/homeowners/discounts/roofing-materials.
Keep a lid on repair costs
Be sure to take the basic preventative steps outlined here, and file this sheet away for future reference. Just by
keeping an eye out for problems, you could save your home from damage, spare yourself costly repairs, and even
keep your insurance premiums lower. For more home maintenance tips, visit statefarm.com®
.
State Farm®
does not endorse, guarantee, or recommend roofing products, nor is the application of a discount to
be construed as any type of an express or implied warranty by the manufacturer, supplier, installer, or State Farm.

4. CI-10112.4
09-2015
Printed in U.S.A.
1
From the National Roofing Contractors Association article, “Everybody needs a roof,” at nrca.net.
2
For qualifying metal roofs, a cosmetic damage exclusion is required to receive the discount.
The information was obtained from various sources. We believe it to be reliable and accurate, however, we do not warrant the accuracy or reliability of
the information contained herein. We do not endorse, recommend, or guarantee any products. The information provided is not intended to replace any
manuals or other instructions provided by the manufacturer. Further, State Farm makes no guarantees of results from use of information contained herein.
The information contained herein does not affect any policy contract. We assume no liability in connection with either the information contained in this
material or the loss control suggestions made. Moreover, we caution that not every acceptable loss control procedure is contained in this material. When
appropriate, you should consult a licensed, qualified professional to perform various loss control measures.
State Farm Fire and Casualty Company
State Farm General Insurance Company
Bloomington, IL
State Farm Florida Insurance Company
Winter Haven, FL
State Farm Lloyds
Dallas, TX
statefarm.com®