A roof is one of the major investments you can make as a homeowner. Besides improving your home’s aesthetic appeal, a roof adds an element of security and privacy. Moreover, a roof increases your home’s value.
Unfortunately, much like any other part of the house, a roof undergoes significant amounts of changes as they age. Ignoring such changes could lead to further damage, which becomes expensive and arguably, inconveniencing.
Such changes warrant immediate action, which begs the question, should you patch, repair or replace your roof? Here is a guide on whether you should repair or replace your roof as a solution.
Below are the signs you ought to look out for on your roof:
How do you know that repairing your roof is the better idea? Your first instinct should be to consult a professional roofer.
Roof repair is often the first thing that most homeowners consider. Generally, repairs often represent a gentler overlay, financially and in terms of efforts. Below are circumstances where repairing your roof makes more sense than the alternative your roof.
Minor damages do not call for replacements. Such minor damages or issues ordinarily include molds, leaks, or issues with small areas of your roof. Replacing a few shingles also qualify as minor damages. In such cases, replacing your roofs will be excessive.
If you replaced your roof recently, a repair makes more sense than another replacement. Roofs are designed to last decades. As such, some damages from a snowstorm or heavy rains may not suffice for a replacement. Call a professional roofing contractor to help provide the appropriate solution before making a decision.
Replacing your roof can be quite expensive, especially if you have to pay for it out of your own pocket. Therefore, if you don’t have the money at your disposal, going for a repair makes more sense.
It is essential to include an expert when making such a decision. What may seem like a significant problem may actually require some targeted repair work.
Essentially, the only time you should patch your roof is when there are no roofers available due to constant rain. You should never patch your roof as this kind of “repair” is not going to last very long.
If you have a hole in your roof caused by strong winds or other factors, you need to repair it as soon as possible. However, if the any damage caused by storms has a few roof areas and you are not ready to replace your roof, then this is when you can patch some affected roof areas before contacting an insurance adjuster to pay for the replacement of your roof.
Regardless of the cause of your roof damage, you need to complete the repair work before the weather strikes again or contact your insurance company to pay for a new roof right away (if your roof shows signs of storm or wind related damage).
Should you repair or replace your roof? Unfortunately, some roof damages and situations are beyond repair. What do you do when you cannot patch or repair your roof? Roofers recommend the third option, replacing your roof.
Roof replacements start to factor into the discussions when patching or repairing is insufficient. Below are some of the scenarios when you need to replace your roof:
As previously mentioned, the average lifespan of a roof is around 20 years. If your current roof is older than 20 years or its stated lifespan, chances are it is less efficient and may need replacement.
If your roof has faced extensive damages, replacement may seem like the more sensible option. Some common instances of extensive roof damage include rotting beams or extensive molds covering a large expanse of your roof.
Generally, if the roof damage exceeds 30% of the total roof area, consider replacing your roof immediately.
Unfortunately, roofs are prone to damages during extreme weather. Strong winds, heavy snows, and driving rain can all cause significant damage that weakens your roof’s structural integrity. The damage caused by such events may be hard to notice to some.
In addition, the damage can also be hard to estimate from a superficial inspection. Some of the underlying and probably undetected damages include cracked beams.
Therefore, if there has been a recent extreme natural event, contact a professional to conduct a thorough inspection to ascertain any underlying conditions that may require replacement.
Even though repair makes more financial sense, there may be some instances where the cost difference is minimal. Therefore, if the repair costs put you a few hundred bucks within replacement costs, you might want to spring for a replacement.
As such, you can comprehensively deal with the diagnosed issues and enjoy the fresh curb appeal that comes with replacements. Besides, most roofers consider replacement a long-term investment.
If your current roof does not comply with updated building codes or any HOA regulations, that alone could put you in trouble. The option at this point may be to replace your roof.
However, even though this might not be a problem while holding possession of your property, it may affect you when you decide to resell your house in the future.
Lastly, if you are tired of frequently patching and repairing your roof, replacing it may seem like a good idea. You can also decide to get a new roof simply to enjoy the pros of a fresh, stronger, and more visually appealing roof.
Should you patch, repair, or replace your roof? Talk to your local expert roofer before making wild decisions. Chances are, you don’t need a replacement or repair. Expert analysis will help you make an informed decision.
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2 Responses
It was helpful when you said to get it repaired if there are mold issues. My husband and I have noticed mold around the roof in our attic a couple of weeks ago, and we were wondering how to get the issue fixed. We’ll have to look into hiring a roofing repair service that can help us!
Thanks for reminding us that when looking for roof repair services, it is best that we look at our budget. Depending on how extensive the repair works is, I do believe that getting the estimation from an expert will be wise. I will definitely look at hiring an experienced roofer to have my roof repair words evaluated.