Your roof will take a lot of abuse over the years, as it’s designed to do. A house’s roof benefits your home and everything in it by preventing water, hail, wind, and blowing debris from entering your home, and by helping to maintain the temperature inside the house when it’s very hot or cold outside. Because of its importance, homeowners really do need to be aware of common causes of roof damage so you can properly address that damage before the problem becomes much worse. Let’s take a look at the top 4 causes of roof damage.

Top 4 Causes of Roof Damage
- Weather – Wind, rain, and hail will certainly wreak havoc on any roof over time. A new roof should endure bad weather just fine. But if your roof is older, it may not hold up as well during storms. Over a period of years and many storms later, your roof will begin to show damage like washed-away shingle particles and loose roofing shingles. Weather is one of the top causes of roof damage, and why it’s so important to review it after every bad storm.
- Sun and Heat – The sun and heat in Austin will eventually take its toll on a shingled roof. Both the sun and heat will dry out a roof over a period of many years. You might start to see tears, cracking, or brittle roofing shingles as a roof ages, which are all signs of roof damage.
- Animals and Insects – Depending on your specific location in and around Austin, you might see more critters on your roof than in other neighborhoods or towns. Wooded and rural areas could bring this type of disturbance to your roof more than in a city setting. That doesn’t make it any easier to deal with, though. Animals and insects can do great destruction to a home in a short period of time. Take care to inspect your home on a regular basis and do as much as you can to prevent any animals from burrowing in your home, attic, or roofing area.
- Debris and Trees – If your roof is repeatedly hit with yard debris or tree limbs, it can start to wear and break down. This type of roofing damage could take some time, but you might see things like missing shingle grit, cuts and gouges, scrapes, and missing shingles that will let in critters, moisture, and debris to your attic and home.
Common causes of roof leaks are the same things your roof is keeping your home safe from – weather, sun, animals, and debris. Make sure to review your home’s roof on a regular basis to avoid minor damage from these pests and environmental issues, from becoming a more serious problem.
Count on Your Favorite Austin Roofing Experts
We strive to bring you the best in roofing for the Austin, Texas area. We deliver decades of roofing experience, training, and knowledge to this area’s homes. We are a prominent Austin roofing company, we work with the best roofing materials, and we will not ask for a deposit on labor or materials as a dependable way to stand out from the competition.
We are Master Elite Contractors and a member of our local area Better Business Bureau, so you know we take pride in our work and our community. Contact us by phone or email to schedule your FREE roofing inspection and quote today!
Author: Driftwood Builders Roofing
Driftwood Builders Roofing is a family-owned residential roofing company headquartered in Manchaca, Texas, serving Austin and the surrounding Hill Country since 2005. The company has delivered 2,776 full roof replacements and 783 repairs across 3,559 different customers over 20 years in business, with 97 years of combined construction experience across the leadership team and 74 years specifically inside Driftwood Builders. The company holds the highest contractor certifications offered by the major shingle manufacturers, including GAF Master Elite Contractor (the top 2% of GAF contractors nationally), GAF Certified Green Roofer, Owens Corning certified, TAMKO Pro Certified Contractor, and a Berridge Roof Installation Seminar Certificate for standing-seam metal roofs. Driftwood is an NRCA member, holds an Angie's List Super Service Award, is BBB Accredited, and is a GuildQuality member for verified customer satisfaction data. James Hardie certification covers the siding side of the business. Services include residential roof replacement, leak and storm-damage repair, tile roof repair, metal roofing, TPO commercial roofing, roof inspections, hail and storm damage inspections with insurance claim assistance, gutter work, and James Hardie siding. The customer-protection policy is straightforward: Only Pay Upon Completion. The company serves 22 cities across the Hill Country and Greater Austin and holds a 5-star rating across Google, GuildQuality, Angi, Nextdoor, Facebook, Thumbtack, and Yelp.