We would rather have this conversation before we drive out than after.
Not every roof is a candidate for GoNano Structural Roof Rejuvenation. That is by design, and it is worth being direct about it, because the alternative is a company that finds every roof to be a perfect candidate regardless of what is up there.
Here is what actually makes the difference.
The three things a roof needs
It has to be asphalt shingle. This treatment is formulated for the asphalt in a shingle. Metal, tile, slate and flat roofing are different materials with different failure modes, and they are outside what this addresses. Most homes around Cleveland and Chattanooga are asphalt shingle, so this rules out fewer roofs than it sounds like it might.
It has to be aging. A roof needs to have lost something before there is anything to restore. Six year old shingles usually still have their oils and their granule coverage, and treating them is solving a problem the roof does not have yet. Somewhere past the ten year mark is where this typically starts to make sense, though condition matters more than the number.
It has to still be sound. This is the one that decides most cases. The shingles need to be intact and still flexible, the deck underneath needs to be solid, and the roof needs to not be leaking. Treatment protects a working roof. It does not rescue a failed one.
What rules a roof out
These are the conditions where the answer is no, and where the honest next step is a roofing contractor rather than us.
- Active leaks. Water getting into the house means something has failed. Treating the surface does not address the cause, and it does not stop the leak.
- Missing or badly damaged shingles. Gaps in coverage are a repair problem. There is nothing to treat where there is no shingle.
- Deteriorated decking. If the wood underneath has gone soft, the roof has a structural issue that surface treatment cannot reach.
- Visible sagging. A sagging roof line points at framing or decking, and that needs a professional assessment quickly.
- Shingles that crumble. If a shingle breaks apart rather than bending when handled, the asphalt is past the point where restoring flexibility is possible.
- Roofs at the end of their run. Widespread bare asphalt, cracking through the mat across most slopes, and heavy curling together mean the roof has reached the end.
None of that is a judgment about the house. Roofs wear out. It is what they do, and knowing which situation you are in is the useful part.
The gray area, and how we handle it
Plenty of roofs land in between. Aging clearly underway, granules coming off, some fading and edge curl, but the shingles still flex and there is no water coming in.
That is the population this treatment is built for, and it is also where judgment enters. We look at each slope on its own, because the south and west faces are often years ahead of the north. A roof can be a reasonable candidate overall while one slope is further along than the rest.
We also weigh what you tell us. A roof with a history of leaks that were repaired is a different proposition from one that has never had water in it. An attic that runs hot in summer explains a shingle that has aged ahead of its years.
Try it yourself first
You can get a reasonable read from the ground and a ladder at the edge, without walking the roof. Please do not walk the roof.
Look for granules collecting in gutters and under downspouts. Look at the roof in low morning light and check for flat, darker patches where the surface has thinned. Look along the shingle edges for curling. Compare the sunny side against the shaded side. And think back on whether you have ever had a stain appear on a ceiling.
If you find aging signs and no leaks, a roof evaluation is worth the time. If you find missing shingles or you know the roof leaks, call a roofing contractor first. That is the right order, and getting it right saves you a visit.
What the evaluation involves
We look at the roof, we ask you what you know about it, and we tell you which of three situations you are in.
The roof is a reasonable candidate, and we explain what treatment is designed to do and what GoNano reports about its systems. The roof is not a candidate, and we tell you what it appears to need instead. Or the roof is simply not there yet, and the right answer is to check again in a few years.
We are not a roofing contractor and we do not want to be. We do one thing, on roofs where it applies. Telling you when it does not apply is part of doing it properly.