Your Place: Keep an eye on roof damage, CO alarms

Coming soon to the Philadelphia area: Ask This Old House, and the producers of the PBS home-repair program are looking for questions from you.

If you need solutions to plumbing, carpentry, electrical or landscaping problems, submit your questions at www.thisoldhouse.com/askaquestion.

Up on the roof. Here are five signs you may need to replace your roof, offered by the Metal Roofing Alliance:

High winds have removed shingles from your roof, creating an invitation for leaks. Use binoculars to inspect your roof without a ladder.

Shingles that are obviously cracked or peeling - even if the shingles aren't missing, if they're curling or torn, they're on their way to failing.

Stains or water marks on your ceiling, which can indicate a leaking roof even if you don't see a puddle. It's important to find the source of the leak and make repairs before the problem grows.

Discolored shingles, which can be a sign of mold or algae growth on your roof, particularly in warm, wet climates. The elements are hard on a roof, and can cause it to deteriorate and fail.

Age. If you have a typical asphalt-shingle roof and it's more than 10 to 15 years old, chances are, you're going to need to replace it in the near future.

It's now the law. The Pennsylvania Carbon Monoxide Alarm Standards Act, signed into law in December 2013 and effective June 1, requires owners of multifamily dwellings to install carbon-monoxide alarms in every unit of their properties. Multifamily dwellings are defined as buildings with more than two units.

Owners must install, repair, maintain, and test these devices in each unit before it is leased. After the lease is signed, the tenant is responsible for the upkeep of the alarm and replacement of batteries.

The law applies to all multifamily residences that contain carbon monoxide sources or are situated in structures that contain one or more source of the poisonous gas.

The law gives flexibility to the types of alarms that are allowed, as well as the power source - battery-powered, plug-in, and hardwired alarms with battery backup.

aheavens@phillynews.com or write him at The Inquirer, Box 8263, Philadelphia 19101. Volume prohibits individual replies.