Should you get your roof repaired or fully replaced? If you asked this question to most people, they would answer "Repaired, of course" and their reasoning, in general, would be sound. For most things, it's better to seek less expensive repairs than a complete replacement, but roofs are always a special story. Your roof isn't just a feature of your house, it's an important structural and protective installation that requires constant maintenance by skilled technicians. While most of the time it's better to repair, if your home was built more than 30 years ago, if it has stood vacant for more than a year, suffered extensive storm damage, or the roof simply shows signs of long-term repair problems it may be time to go with a whole new roof instead.
Still not sure? Let us ease your mind with a list of the top ten benefits of a brand new roof. Sometimes it's the best option and there are plenty of perks to help you along on this decision.
1) Newer Technology
First and foremost, roofing technology has come a long way since many residential homes were built around the 60s. Even if you want approximately the same kind of roof, the techniques for manufacturing the tiles or shingles and laying them expertly into the roof design have improved massively. With a new roof, you get all the economic, ecological, and protective benefits of a modern residential roof.
2) Energy Efficiency
As you might have guessed from point one, modern asphalt composite shingles are a lot cooler than they appear to be on the surface. Recent innovations have allowed manufacturers to create shingles that reflect more of the sun's rays rather than absorbing them. A new roof earns back some of your investment with every power bill.
3) Curb Appeal
Almost no one realizes how their roof really affects the outside impression of the home until there's something to compare it to. Your old roof may be subtly sagging, faded, dirty, or showing signs of wear that are hard to notice at a distance but compile into an older-looking house. A new roof, properly shaped and beautifully colored, adds fantastic curb appeal to any home whether you're selling or not.
4) Manufacturer Warranty
How long has it been since your roof was under warranty? Most homeowners have no idea because the warranty was long gone by the time they bought the property. The warranty will cover certain kinds of repairs and possibly even parts and labor for a designated period of time. This means you might not even be paying for roof repairs for a few years after this installation.
5) Safety for Roof Cleaning
Old roofs have all sorts of hidden hazards for people who need to get on your roof. Soft spots, uneven surfaces, and piles of damp leaves where a roof has sagged can all put you, your maintenance services, and your roof cleaners or anyone else who needs to get on your roof may be in danger while spending time on the roof. A new roof, on the other hand, is even, firm, and much safer for careful movement.
6) Property Value
Should you sell the property any time in the next five years, a new roof is something you can not only advertise but seriously up your asking price over. After all, you'd be offering your buyers the opportunity to snag a house with a certifiably safe and low-maintenance roof, possibly still under warranty. Some have found their resale value increased by well over $10K.
7) Cost Effective Maintenance
Even without the new warranty which should cover most of your future repairs, a new roof should need far fewer maintenance visits than an old one. Over time, your old roof developed weaknesses and soft areas that would slowly become more and more difficult to maintain. A new roof, on the other hand, will require much less concern or costly servicing.
8) Installing New Features
It might not have occurred to you yet, but a new roof actually opens up a whole variety of possibilities. You can add skylights, dormer windows, vents, even a new chimney if you wanted to combine your re-roofing with other renovations. Since you're already tearing the old roof out, you can simply integrate new features into the new roof's design.
9) No Built-Up Problems
Every year, a few new things happen to degrade the integrity of a roof. Humid weeks increase moisture in the support beams even if the rain keeps the water out. Leaf piles can stay damp at the bottom and begin to soak through a roof creating dangerous soft spots. Insects try to burrow under and the sun slowly decays everything it touches. Old roofs always have a myriad of problems but a new roof needs several years before it even begins to wear down.
10) A New Look
Finally, a new roof is your opportunity to completely change the look of your home. Simply by choosing a new color (even subtly), your house will look different from the street, give a different impression to visitors, and you might even forget it's yours for the first week or so. Completely reinvent your home, ease your worries, and increase your property value with the simple choice of installing a new roof instead of extensive repairs.
For more roofing tips or a consultation on the perfect new roof for your home contact us today!
