Whether to repair or replace your roof is a classic question that most homeowners have to deal with at some point. Sometimes it’s not so clear which option you should go with. For your home, you should be careful because these decisions can cost quite a bit of money sometimes. According to Choice Home Warranty, the average spending on home improvement per year is somewhere between 1% and 4%. That’s a couple of thousand dollars alone for a house that’s valued in the $200,000 range.
Here are some things to consider regarding repairing or replacing your residential roof.
When Repairs Are Best
Repairs are appropriate when the issue is distinct, can be fixed, isn’t recurring, and won’t cost more than replacement. For example, if the flashing around your chimney has a small gap in it, and roof inspectors find no other problems, then repairing the flashing is appropriate. If the flashing was half torn away by a falling branch in a storm, though, repair might not be enough if it’s too damaged.
When Replacement Is Better
Replacement is better when the cost of replacing is less than the cost of repairing, when the item simply can’t be repaired, or if the problem keeps occurring despite repairs. If you have a very old roof, the cost to repair it may be wasted if it’s truly in bad shape and keeps breaking down in different ways. Then, you’d want to just get a new roof.
As another example, let’s say your area has been ravaged by a big storm. Storm damage may have ripped off a majority of the shingles and damaged the underlayer. Replacing the roof would be better in this scenario, as the parts and labor needed to fix everything would be just as expensive and time-consuming.
If you think you need to replace a shingle roof, call experienced and qualified roofing contractors to get a professional opinion. Don’t be surprised if what you thought was a repair really needs to be a replacement or vice versa. To replace a shingle roof would require a lot of work, but depending on the condition, that may be the most efficient option. If you need to replace a shingle roof, contact ROOFWORKS today!
