Shingles

[SteveL]

I have a 25 year old cape style home in Massachusetts. I was cleaning the gutters recently (in the rain, naturally) when I noticed that the shingles seem to be saturated with water.

I'm guessing I've needed new shingles (roofing?) for a while? How can one tell? The house was built in 79, so it's 25 years old. Time for new shingles? Any advantages of any particular type or color? Can they shingle over the existing shingles?

The house is a cope type roof with one dormer. 36 X 28 house. Ideas on pricing? Any recommendations for good contractors in the north central Ma area?

Thanks Steve L Ashby Ma.

[Joseph Meehan]

Well if those are original shingles they are due. You should consider replacing them. To find out if they are currently a problem, you can hire someone with a little experience to offer an opinion of how long they may last. The amount of "gravel" still on the shingles, any splits, broken or missing shingles and non-flat shingles are factors to consider. You also should take a look at the roof from the attic and see how things look.