Pros and Cons of Reroofing vs Repair

Does your home need to be reroofed or repaired? Signs that it might time to consider roof maintenance include bald spots, cracked shingles, shingle edges that are curled, shingle tabs that are cupped or if your roof is at least 20 years old. If any of these apply, it may be time to think about investing in roof repair or reroofing. But you might be asking yourself if you can simply repair the existing one, hopefully saving you money instead of shelling out major bucks for an entirely new roof. Here’s some useful information on how to decide which one is better for your roof, home and wallet:

Reroofing

The process of reroofing is simply layering new shingles over the existing ones. This saves you time and money for roofing repairs since the roofing company simply needs to place new ones on top of the old ones instead of tearing it all off to start fresh. The general rule when it comes to roofing is that if you have already two layers of roofing material in place on top of your home, you have to start new and replace everything.

Roof Replacement

A new roof replacement is tearing off everything on your roof so that only the deck is left. Roofers will then place new material down and new shingles, resulting in a brand-new roof. You can opt to completely replace your roof no matter how many layers of shingles your home has. Since roof replacement requires more work and time, it’s often costlier than simply reroofing.

When You Can Go with Reroofing

Your home might be a good candidate for reroofing if it’s nearing the end of its lifespan, but still not in great shape. This type of roof can have minor issues like leaks, and cracks, but it should not have major water damage, missing shingles or have lots of mildew or moss growth on it. If this is the case, you’re going to need a total roof replacement.

When You Shouldn’t Go with Reroofing

Although it might seem like a good and cost-effective way to repair your roof, reroofing isn’t a good idea all the time since you’re not lifting up existing shingles, so you don’t know what the actual roof deck looks like. Although some problems can be spotted before the shingles come off, most of the time the problem lies beneath the deck like rot or sagging. When you simply add a new layer of shingles on top, you’re not fixing any problems that may exist underneath the shingling.

Learn more about Home Pro Roofing and their vast line of custom roofing options installed by professional roofing contractors including: asphalt shingle roofing, metal roofing, roof repair, and new roof installation at www.homeproroofingmi.com.  Our roofing contractors offer services throughout Michigan including: Kalamazoo, Brighton, Lansing, and the surrounding areas.

 

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