Has your local roofing contractor been at your house more than your close friends and relatives? That’s a sign that the problems you are having with your roof may go well beyond just minor surface problems that are causing your leaks. It usually means there are some significant problems in the underlayment and possibly even your roof sheeting too. If that’s the case with your roof then you may want to consider doing a whole roof replacement instead of repeatedly doing roof repairs that you know will only be a temporary fix.
This is never an easy decision though and there are many factors that need to be considered when deciding whether it’s time to replace your roof or if you will just keep getting it repaired as necessary. That’s what we will discuss in a little more detail in this article so you can make a sound decision as to continue doing temporary repairs to your roof or you will replace the whole roof to make sure you have no more leak problems well into the future.
What Does A Roof Repair Involve?
A roof repair can consist of a wide variety of options. It could mean just replacing a few shingles here and there, redoing flashing around leak prone areas or putting down a whole new layer of shingles over your entire roof. Basically a roof repair does whatever it takes to stop any leaks that you have in your roof.
What Does A Whole Roof Replacement Entail?
Over time direct sunlight, extreme heat and extreme cold take their toll on your roof and start to wear it down. Strong winds, hail and severe storms can accelerate this natural wearing process too. Eventually the damage and wear to your roof will not only impact its surface but most likely will have affected its underlayment and maybe even your roof’s sheeting too. When this happens it’s often best to replace your entire roof.
An entire roof replacement is a big project. It involves removing the outer surface material of your roof (shingles, tile, etc…), the underlayment and the roof sheeting material (usually plywood). Once that’s done; new sheeting, underlayment and new shingles or other surface material are then put down so you have a completely new roof except for its structure.
Reasons for Continuing To Do Roof Repairs As Necessary
Here are some of the main reasons why you would choose to do a roof repair instead of putting a new roof on your home:
• Budget Concerns
This is by far the main reason most people do not get their entire roof replaced. It can be an expensive undertaking and not everyone has it in their budget.
• Less inconvenience
A roof replacement is a big involved process that produces a lot of debris, requires you to store supplies in your yard for a few days and you will have several roofing crew members and vehicles onsite too.
• You will not be in that home much longer
You may not want to spend a lot of money on a whole roof replacement if you are thinking about leaving your current home in the next few years.
Reasons That It’s Time to Replace Your Whole Roof
These are some of the best reasons for getting a whole roof replacement done if you are constantly repairing the leaks in your roof:
• Get rid of constant repair headaches
After a while, constantly needing roof repairs and the cost of it nickel and diming your budget can really stress you out.
• Increase your homes resale value and resale appeal
A whole new roof, especially if you upgrade it to a more durable and decorative roofing material such as metal or tile, can really improve your home’s resale value and make it more appealing to potential buyers if you go to sell it too.
• A good time to change your roof style
If you were thinking about changing your roof surface material to a more decorative one now you have the perfect excuse to do it. Metal, tile, synthetic and cement roofing materials are a significant upgrade in both looks and durability as opposed to using shingles.
• If you have too many layers of shingle to cover it again
If you have a shingled roof that has more than 2 or 3 layers of tile on it already it’s never advisable to put down another layer. So a total roof replacement is best in this situation.
• Your roof is very old
If your roof is starting to age (over 15 – 20 years old) it’s getting close to time to do a whole roof replacement anyway.
• Inspections reveal you have more than just surface problems
If a roofing inspection reveals rotting of your underlayment, sheeting or wood roof structure you may have no choice but to replace your entire roof.
You Don’t Have To Make This Decision All On Your Own
As you can see from the long list of items above deciding whether to repair or replace your roof is never an easy decision. It can be a very difficult decision to say the least. That’s why it’s best to seek the help of a professional roofing contractor when trying to decide whether to replace or repair your roof.
Reputable roofing contractors such as Evergreen Renovations & Roofing out of Beaverton, Oregon and the Portland Metro area can help you come to a sound roofing decision. They will do such things as compare costs between the two options, estimate how long they think doing a repair will last and answer any other questions or concerns you may have.
One thing is for sure a leak in your roof is definitely not something you want to ignore. They will only get worse and they have the potential do a lot of hidden damage to the structure of your roof and other parts of your home too over time. So in essence, there is no bad choice here because either replacing or repairing your roof will take care of year leak problem at least temporarily and that’s the most important thing.
