Do You Need to Replace Your Roof Instead of Repairing It?

Many homeowners typically have their roof fixed only when it has sustained damage in the wake of a storm. But should you keep doing that? After all, there will come a time when roof replacement will make more sense, financially and practically, than repairing the roof over and over.

In today’s post by Home Exteriors Pro, Inc., we discuss examples of these instances where you need to replace your roof pronto.

Age

The most obvious question is how old is your roof? If it’s over 20 years old, it makes no sense to keep doing roof repair because it’s past its prime. Unless your roof is made of other materials, like metal (which lasts for 50 years), tile (30-40 years), or slate (up to 100 or more), the regular old asphalt shingle roof lasts only two decades at most.

Condition

Next is the overall state of your roof. Its condition—essentially the damage it has sustained after a serious weather event or otherwise—can tell roofers whether to replace or repair your roof.

You can tell from a cursory visual inspection, however, if your roof can be salvaged. Minor leaks can be patched up; a gushing waterfall couldn’t. Similarly, missing shingles, likely blown off by gale-force winds, can be replaced. What couldn’t be replaced is if entire sections of your roof, including all its flashings, were destroyed and all your gutters have fallen. It’s best to replace your roof in this case.

Budget

Finally, the reason we’re writing this is because of the budget—after all, if you have a bank account as deep as the Marianas, why wouldn’t you replace your roof every time it suffers damage, and hence get a new, stronger product every time? But then the budget is a constraint. Repairs only cost a few hundred bucks, but replacement can be a sizable financial outlay.

Consider, however, that replacement not only takes a toll on your finances but on your time as well. Replacing a roof takes much more time than repairs, so if you have time before the next storm hits, a replacement can be a good way to shore up your defenses.

Home Pro Exteriors, Inc. is your one-stop-shop for home improvement—we are a roof and deck builder licensed in the great state of New York. To get started, call us at (845) 343-1777 or fill out our contact form. We serve Warwick, NY and nearby areas.

Jim Klein