Should You Replace or Repair Your Roof

Man repairing a shingle roof

Taking good care of your roof means making decisions that lead to long term savings with fewer repairs or replacements.

The first choice to make is whether to patch up leaky areas and make a decision to replace or repair your roof.  If you choose to replace the roof there will be more costs associated with this rather than just a repair.

Is a New Roof the Cheaper Option in the Long Run?

Replacing a couple of shingles that come loose during inclement weather is a fairly easy task.  The damaged shingles must be removed and new ones added to replace them.  The only problem is that the shingles you use to replace the old ones need to match the older shingles.  The best thing is to use some of the spares left over from construction if you have them.  If not you can contact a materials supplier and ask for identical shingles. It may take a bit of work but if this can add a decade or so to the lifespan of your roof, its well worth it.

Making sure the new shingles match the older layers will allow the repair work to be completely covert. Potential home buyers are always on the lookout for these signs of roof disrepair.

If the damage to the roof is restricted to one side of an otherwise impeccable roof, partial re-roofing may be the best choice.  Repairing a section of the roof will also make it easier to hide the repair work over a larger area, which makes the details harder to notice.  These are important factors when deciding to replace or repair your roof.

Contrary to what you may think, partial re-roofing actually costs more than completely replacing the roof per square (100 sq ft.).  There are other issues with partial re-roofing.  First, if your roof has two layers of roofing materials, both will have to be pulled and disposed of to lay down the partial roof.  This will increase the overhead costs. When the job is completed you may notice that the older sections are little bit higher than the newer one, giving a lopsided look around the ridges. A ridge cap and adding extra-shingles may or may not help resolve this uneven look.

Even if only one side of the roof is showing signs of disrepair there are reasons to consider replacing the whole thing in one shot.  For one, the entire team of roof re-placers will already be there onsite working. Then a person must think about the cost of replacing the other half of their roofing system down the road.  Another very important factor when considering to repair or replace your roof.

Tear Off or Roof Over?

If you have chosen to re-roof your home entirely there are more decisions to make. You can choose to lay down a new layer of roofing materials on a cleaned deck.  Or lay another new layer on top of the old one.  If you have done this once, then International Residential Code (R907.3) has declared that you can’t do it again.  Not just the law, this is for your safety when choosing to repair or replace your roof. Not all structures on are the same and an additional layer can be like parking a good sized family vehicle on the roof.   The structure may not be able to bear the weight of the extra materials.

But if you have a single layer, you can feel free to lay out a new layer of materials on the old layer. Still you may choose to just go ahead and tear off the old layer and begin afresh on the cleaned deck below. For one, the first layer holds better to the deck than a second layer will hold to the first layer. If you live in an especially windy or stormy area, getting the new layer attached to the deck will protect your roof better and avoid problems.

Taking this chance to clear and clean the deck will also give you a chance to inspect the decking and sheathing below. A clean deck can also be fitted with Water-and-ice shielding that keeps weather damage to a minimum in colder regions.

In the end, a new roof is an expensive investment, but if you do it right, you won’t have to do it over in the near future. This will ultimately lead to more money in your wallet and better sleep at night.

In the end, a new roof is an expensive investment, but if you do it right, you won’t have to do it over in the near future. Roofing damage can be especially hard to detect and almost immediately leads to more damage. In addition to investing in top quality roofing materials, regular inspection of the interior and exterior conditions of the roof by a trusted roof repair or roof replacement contractor in Champaign, IL, can alert you to small irregularities that can lead to larger expenses. This will allow you to sleep better at night and keep more cash in your wallet.

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Matt Kowalis

Matt Kowalis

Marketing Manager for Central Roofing LLC

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About Central Roofing

Central Roofing is a top quality roofing company in Sullivan, IL that likewise operates in Mattoon and Champaign, and the rest of Illinois. We offer a wide array of roofing services to property owners like you. We have been the leading go-to roofing company of homeowners, business owners, and property managers for almost a decade now here in Illinois.

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