subject: The Importance of Tearing off the old Roof [print this page] The Importance of Tearing off the old Roof
Regular Roof Inspections
Most homeowner's never realize a roof has been damaged until an inspection has taken place. Likely, one of those "out of site, out of mind" situations. It is for this reason alone you should schedule an inspection by a professional roofing contractor in Colorado Springs. He will usually spend approximately 20 minutes on your roof in order to look at your roofing tiles for cracking, smudging and nail lifts. The flashing around vent pipes and fireplaces are critical as well.
Regular Roofing Shingle Maintenance Helpsbut just a little
It is advisable for a homeowner to maintain the roof, looking for any areas listed above so as to slow down shingle erosion. You should hammer down protruding nails or re-caulk around the flashing. This helps but once a hail storm comes through your neighborhood, obvious evidence to the trained eye will reveal hail damage to the roof causing the integrity of the roofing membranes to breakdown. Wind damage can happen literally overnight. Calling a roofing company in Colorado Springs will accelerate the process of a roof inspection; if you need to file an insurance claim due to hail damage you will be ahead of all your neighbors.
Reasons to Hire a Local Roofing Contractor
Local roofers are very familiar with local building codes. In certain counties it is permissible to re-roof over one layer of old roofing materials. In other counties it is required to remove all old roofing shingles down to the bare plywood (decking). The reason most local code requires a roofing company to remove old roofing shingles is that old problems transfer to your new shingles. Once the shingle begins to breakdown, the shingle will allow moisture to penetrate the membranes. If moisture has penetrated the shingle then what does the protective barrier (tar paper) look like underneath? Probably not too good either. If that's the case, then what do you think the condition of the plywood is underneath all of it, supporting that entire section of your roof? That's the important question. Your family's security is directly related to the integrity of the plywood.
If your County allows Re-Roofing
You should always get a second opinion on whether or not to discard the existing layer of roofing materials. Call a local roofing company in Colorado Springs for a free inspection and they will check everything out thoroughly and be obligated should anything go wrong. Get the roof inspection findings in writing so you can make an educated decision based on the evaluation. You should know, though, that the new roof will have a much lower life expectancy when placed on existing shingles as opposed to directly on the plywood. In today's housing market this can have a negative impact on a sale's price if you are considering putting your home on the market. If you are going to live in your home for many years potentially, it's always best to think conservative and long term. Ask yourself this question; if I were getting new carpet in my home would I remove the old carpet or leave it in and just re-carpet over the old? You know the answer without thinking more than 2 seconds. That being the case, it's always best to tear off the old roof.
