subject: Who saves, overlaying shingles [print this page] Who saves, overlaying shingles Who saves, overlaying shingles
The topic keeps coming up about overlaying roof shingles. For those who may not know what overlaying is, it is simply applying new shingles over top of existing shingles without stripping the roof.
For the roofer he has a substantial savings on labour for preparation of the roof , no disposal fees, very little mess to deal with, no labour or transportation fees related to the disposal of the old shingles and no risk related to weather.
The homeowner gets a couple hundred dollars off, and sometimes not that, he has no idea of the condition of the sheathing or other structural related problems, and has a roof that will not last as long.Estimates are 20% shorter lifespan. What ever you saved will likely be spent the next time you have your roof reshingled. You can expect to pay more once the roofer realizes he has to dispose of two layers of shingles.
Everyone likes to save money where they can but is it really a good idea if it reduces the quality of the workmanship. What about durability, is that not worth something? Fortunately most homeowners want a quality job and most roofers offer a quality job.
With all of the quality products on the market and the amount of tradesman it should not be a problem getting a good roofing job done and at a reasonable rate. If you are in interested in overlay my suggestion would be a steel roof. I am interested in hearing what other roofer have to say.
