Time has finally arrived when you need to replace your old roofs with the new ones. But did you know? There are a number of best practices and tips that you can take and learn before you start investing thousands of dollars into replacing your roofs?
And in this article, you will find out some of the tricks to efficiently replace your roofs and shingles. So without further ado, let’s dive right in.
1. Know That You Actually Need A Replacement
It may sound a bit counter-intuitive but most of the homeowners actually don’t know either they have to go for a roof replacement or repair. Here are some of the points that can help you decide. But of course, we’re not going to cover them all in this article. The main thing to look here as the actual sign of replacement is whether your roofs are wearing out and that they have reached their expiry date. An average roof has a lifespan of 20-25 years. The point to be noted is that not all the shingles will show the sign of aging at once. If you make the mistake of repairing aging shingles, get ready to do the same thing over and over.
2. Decide Whether To Tear-Off or Overlay
A roof can be replaced by 2 methods, i.e. tear-off and overlay. In the roof tear-off method, you basically rip off the entire shingles and replace them with the new ones, followed by a complete replacement of the underlying system, whereas with the roof overlay, you just lay the new shingles over the existing ones, thus where the name has come from. Both the methods have their pros and cons, one of the main factors to be considered being the cost and expenses. In a nutshell, our recommendation is to always go for the tear-off method as at the end of the day, you will get a better quality of roof shingles, that can last many years and increase the value of your property. True, this method is more expensive, but in the long run, it’s worth it.
3. Make Sure Your Roofs Are Prepared
There are certain things that you need to do in order to prepare your roofs before a replacement. Without following this step, you may end up putting the lives of your family, neighbors, and the surrounding belongings at risk.
Some of the things are:<
- Relocate your vehicles
- Inform your neighbors beforehand
- Prune large tree branches
- Identify several accessible power outlets
- Cover belongings in the attic
Basically, to remove any obstacles that could come in between while the roofers are performing the work and that the people around are informed of the work.
4. Don’t Forget About The Ventilation
So you now have got all the basics ready. Next up in the tip is to not neglect the roof ventilation, which is one of the most important components of the roofing system. Ensuring that the attic ventilation is set up properly helps ensure that your roofs can last as long as it can. So make sure you consult with your contractor regarding what kind of venting is included and the warranty that comes with it.
5. Repair The Underlying Roof Deck
Part of roof replacement is to ensure that the underlying system functions properly, before installing any new shingles over the deck. When hiring a roofing contractor, make sure you ask them to carefully inspect and repair the underlying roof deck and wood. Most roofs suffer at least one damage under the deck and the problems must be solved before beginning any replacement, to make sure that the roof has a strong foundation. Look for a sign of rotten or broken boards, which are the two most common problems found.
6. Details Are Important For Roof Replacement
One important thing to keep in mind is to not let price becomes the deciding factor for you. Any roofing work should be done with a long-term mindset. When you get an estimate for a replacement, make sure to go through the list and see whether the additional details and works are covered. This includes things like ventilation, protective coverings, permits, warranty, flashings, inspections, as well as the removal of disposal. These tiny details are what going to define the quality and how long your new roofs are going to last.
7. Carefully Choose Your Contractor
This brings us to the final point and probably the most important tip in this article, i.e. to carefully vet your roofing contractor. As you probably have noticed by now from the above points, the main thing to focus on when it comes to roof replacement is make sure that the new roof shingles that are being replaced should last as long as their age permit. So a roofing company that you hire is directly proportional to the quality of work and the lifespan of your roof, and therefore, you should always take time to decide which contractor to hire. Remember as we mentioned above, don’t let price becomes the deciding factor.
