Details To Consider When Your Home's Roof Needs Repair Or Replacement
by William Gerard
As a homeowner, keeping your home's roof in good condition is an essential part of protecting your investment and also being able to get homeowners insurance coverage for your property. When you take the time to inspect your roof and look at hiring a professional replacement or a repair, there are some areas you need to look closely at. Here are some details to consider when you are looking to repair or replace your roof to protect your home interior.
Consider Your Roof's Age
As you look at your roof and discover damage or areas that need repairs, you have an option to either make some repairs to specific areas on your roof or replace the entire room. If you complete the needed repairs to your roof in only a few specific areas, you may later discover that other areas of your roof need similar repairs and you should have replaced the entire roof. For example, if the shingles on the southern side of your roof begin to curl up and you replace only that side, the northern side of the roof will begin to degrade soon after; it will just take those shingles a bit longer to show the same signs of aging because they are not constantly exposed to the sun's rays.
To help you determine whether you should repair or replace the roof, calculate your roof's age. If your roof is at the end of its expected life, plan to replace the entire roof.
Look at the Existing Roof
Some of the items you should look at with your roof are the existing condition and if your roof already has more than one layer of shingles. An old roof should be removed so you can inspect the roof's layers beneath the shingles, but it is not necessary. In some roofing replacement projects, you can apply the new roof over the existing shingles as long as there is no more than one layer of shingles already installed.
If a new roof has already been previously installed on an existing layer of shingles, you should remove both layers of shingles and apply a new layer after completing a thorough roof inspection. Your roofing contractor should check the roofing deck for its condition and any water damage or dry rot. They can also inspect the roof's trusses and support beams below the decking. This can become damaged from a moisture leak and can lead to a collapse if moisture has had time to do extensive damage. Any moisture damage should be removed and replaced by your roofing professional before they add a new layer of shingles.
Keep in mind that it is usually allowed to install a new layer of shingles over the old by local zoning laws; it is always best to do the right thing and remove the old layer first. Adding another layer of shingles adds a great deal of weight to your roof and can seal in damage already existing, and it can also accentuate any visible problems on your roof.
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About Me
Do you know how to tell if you have problems with your flashing, loose shingles, or damaged tar pitch? Well, I didn't either until I experienced some of those issues on my own. One day, I realized that my roof was leaking and that I needed to find a solution fast. After contacting a professional roofing company, they were able to solve my troubles and teach me the signs of trouble. I want you to avoid the same types of hassles, which is why my blog is filled to the brim with information about roofing and home ownership. You never know, these tips could really come in handy!