When it comes to your home, making wise decisions is one of the few things you can do to lessen home improvement costs in the future. This applies especially to bigger and more complex projects like re-roofing.
The first decision you’d have to make about roofing is whether you’d choose to just have the leaks and damaged areas patched, or if you would go for a partial or complete reroofing. Before you decide, you have to weigh in the advantages and disadvantages or consequences of each option.
Replacing Shingles
Replacing shingles that are damaged due to strong winds or a fallen limb is an easy and inexpensive option. You can just have the torn shingles removed and new ones can be slipped in their place. Just remember though that if your roofing is quite old and you don’t have spare shingles, your patch job may not actually match your roof. If that means that you can extend the life of your existing roof for ten more years, then that patch might be a very small price to pay. But if you’re planning to sell the house in the next few years or so, make sure that you ask your contractor to find you shingles that look as close as possible to what you have now. After all, noticeable patches can turn potential buyers off.
Partial Re-Roofing
If the damage is bigger but it’s confined to just one side of your roofing, a partial re-roofing might be an option. It will cost you a lot less than replacing the entire roof. Doing a repair for a big section of roofing also makes blending with the old shingles easier.
Partial re-roofing, however, could create problems, too. For instance, if your asphalt roofing has two or more layers already, those layers have to be removed for the partial re-roofing to be done. That means that in addition to possibly higher labor costs, you may also get lopsided ridges if the old roof ends up a few inches higher than the replacement one. And even with a course of shingles that are covered with a ridge cap, there may still be a noticeable hump.
So, Is a New Roof Cheaper in the Long Run?
It might indeed be wiser to do an entire re-roofing, even if only some parts of your roof is showing signs of wear. It will definitely be more cost-effective compared to having to do one part now only to request for another roofing job a couple of years later.
Deciding when to do a re-roofing actually depends on various factors like the state of the shingles (how old and worn they are), the kind of climate that you have in your area, as well as your home’s susceptibility to damages in the future.
It is true that getting new roofing can be a bit expensive, but if you think of how it can provide you with safety and protection in the next few decades, it’s indeed an investment that you should consider. George Kent Home Improvement can provide you with high-quality roofing materials and the most reliable services from highly trained roofers. Call us now!
