Roofing in Lake Mary, Florida

The median home here dates to 1997. Countywide it is 1988. That suggests many Lake Mary shingle roofs are likely on a second layer or near needing one. Only 12.6 percent of homes here were built before 1980, so very old roofs are rarer than elsewhere in Seminole County.

Citizens Property Insurance sets a line at 25 years for shingle roofs. Past it, the policy needs documentation of at least five more years of useful life. Tile, slate, concrete and metal roofs get a 50-year line. A 1997 shingle roof that has never been replaced would cross the 25-year mark in 2022. Your insurer or agent decides what paperwork counts.

Newer construction also matters. By the Census figures, 27.2 percent of Lake Mary homes went up in 2010 or later, against 12.3 percent countywide. Those roofs were built under later editions of the Florida Building Code. That can change how much of a repair has to meet the current code.

Soldiers Creek runs through Lake Mary and is periodically subject to flooding, per the city. Water covers 8.1 percent of the town's area. Flooding mostly affects ground-level property, but it is a reason to keep roof drainage and gutters clear.

Orlando Sanford records 49.63 inches of rain a year, with 22.25 inches falling in June through August. Sanford averages 108.5 days a year at 90 F or hotter. Heat and summer downpours wear on shingles, flashing and sealants every year.

A 10-year storm here drops 2.88 inches in one hour and 6.16 inches over 24 hours. For a 100-year storm, the 24-hour depth is 10.5 inches. Roof valleys and penetrations have to shed that much water quickly.

In Seminole County, Hurricane Irma in 2017 affected 4,939 of 7,125 assessed residential structures. Hurricane Matthew in 2016 caused its damage mainly from falling trees. County storm history is one more reason to photograph your roof's condition before the next season.