You may spend a lot of time under the roof of your home and greatly rely on it for home protection, but if you are like most homeowners, there is a lot you do not know about the asphalt shingles up there. There are people in the roofing business known as asphalt roofing specialists, and these can be valuable people to have around for several reasons. Check out some of the things an asphalt roofing specialist can do for you and your home. 

They can tell you how old your roof is and how long it will last. 

Maybe you have just moved into your home and you have no idea how old the roof on the house is. Knowing the expected lifespan of a roof is hugely beneficial to you as a homeowner so you can plan for replacement and start saving money back for the replacement in advance. If you would like to know how old your roof is or how long it will last, an asphalt roofing specialist can give you this insight. They will examine things like:

• the overall quality of the roofing shingles
• cracks and frayed shingle edges
• roofing trim components

Once they have assessed the roof, it is easy for them to provide you with a general idea of your roof's age. 

They can determine if your asphalt shingle roof was installed correctly. 

Bring in an asphalt roofing specialist and they can tell you if the people who put the roof in place on your home did a good, professional job. There are certain methods and guidelines that should be followed during asphalt shingle installation, and to the trained eye, it is easy to spot when those procedures were not followed. Knowing that your asphalt shingle roof was not properly installed can help you avoid future issues with leaks or compromised roofing. 

They can make product and installation recommendations. 

If you already know that you are going to need a new roof, bringing in an asphalt roofing specialist can still be a good thing. This skilled professional can help you track down the asphalt shingles that will yield you the most years of use for your home, that will provide the best warranty, and that will be the overall best choice. Likewise, if there are certain attributes about your roof that make it harder to apply shingles to, they can make specific installation recommendations.