How Can You Know If Your Roof Needs to Be Replaced Rather Than Repaired?

Roofing problems can abound in some places, especially if the weather is rough and there are strong winds and hailstorms just about every summer and autumn. The issue is, however, that even though a roof can be fixed, you don’t really know if it will hold. If the roof is too old, it’s possible that even the best patchwork will no longer do the trick, so you’ll have to start considering having the roof replaced entirely.

Now, roof replacement can be expensive, and it presents homeowners with the following issues:

  • It takes a much longer time than a regular repair.
  • Depending on the roofer you hire, the workmanship can be great or awful, and if you’re not satisfied with it you might need to spend more money to get it fixed.
  • The roof you choose will likely last for the nest 15 to 50 years, so you have to make sure that you’ve made an informed and smart decision regarding the materials and products that you’ve chosen.

A roof inspection is probably the best way to determine whether or not your roof has to be replaced without actually starting to tear off shingles and check the internal structure of the roof for mold and rot. Expert Castle Rock roofing technicians have methods of checking for damage that isn’t immediately visible to the naked eye, and they have the experience to tell you if the repairs you perform will still last or not. For that, however, you will have to find an experienced and skilled roofer who knows what they’re  talking about.

Another method to determine if you should replace your roof is to simply look at the initial documents associated with the roof’s installation. Check to see what materials were used and how old the roof is. Then you can research some information about the material and determine if its actual, projected lifespan is higher or lower than its actual age. For instance, if you discover that the roof was built using asphalt shingles, then it’s clear that any age greater than 15-20 years will mean the roof has to be replaced – unless it was upgraded sometime in the near past.

Finally, problems with the decking and underlayment are similar to foundation problems, so the roof can’t survive for long with them. Except that it would be much harder to work directly on them without removing the entire roof. The good news is that in many cases the decking will be damaged severely only in one area of the roof, so if your roof is otherwise in good condition, you won’t need a complete replacement.

In such cases, it’s common that either a partial replacement or just a more expensive repair job be done. However, the roofers could recommend that the entire roof, together with the decking and underlayment, should be removed and a brand new roof installed, if the roof is too old, the decking is too old and damaged, or the homeowner wants to sell the house and is aiming for a better appraisal.