How Do I Know When It's Time for a Roof Replacement?

By the LPS Exteriors team · Leesburg, VA · Updated 2026

Short answer: if your asphalt shingle roof is 18–25 years old, is losing granules, or has curling, cracked, or missing shingles across multiple areas, it's time to have it professionally inspected, and likely replaced. One leak can be a repair; widespread wear is a replacement.

The 6 warning signs to look for

1. Age. Most architectural shingle roofs in Northern Virginia last 20–25 years. If yours was installed before the mid-2000s, it's living on borrowed time.
2. Granules in the gutters. Shingles shed their protective granules as they age. If your gutters and downspout splash blocks look sandy, the shingles are wearing out.
3. Curling, cracking, or cupping shingles. Once shingles deform, they no longer seal against wind-driven rain, and Loudoun County gets plenty of it.
4. Missing shingles or exposed nail heads. Every gap is a direct path for water into your decking.
5. Interior signs. Water stains on ceilings, damp attic insulation, or daylight visible through the roof boards.
6. Storm damage. After hail or high wind, damage may not be visible from the ground. Bruised shingles and lifted seals shorten a roof's life dramatically, and may be covered by insurance.

Repair or replace?

A good contractor will tell you honestly. A few damaged shingles on a 10-year-old roof? Repair. Widespread granule loss and multiple leaks on a 20-year-old roof? Replacement is the better investment, patching an aging roof means paying twice.

What a replacement looks like with LPS

Most residential roofs in Loudoun County are replaced in a single day. We tear off to the deck, replace compromised plywood, install modern underlayment, ice-and-water shield, flashing, ventilation, and your choice of shingle, metal, slate, or cedar, then magnet-sweep the yard for nails. Every roof is backed by our 1-year workmanship warranty on top of the manufacturer's warranty.

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