Roof Replacement or Repair: Which Decision is Best for Your Roof?

Your roof is arguably the most important part of your home. While you don’t get a nice view of the night sky when you go to bed at night, you are protected from the rain, snow, hail and anything else that typically falls from the sky. It keeps the elements out and lets you control the temperature of your house. Unfortunately, roofs can wear down like everything else and might need maintenance.

The question, however, is whether you need to get your roof repaired or replaced. A quick repair may not be too costly depending on the service you need, but a roof replacement will always put you back some, so it’s a big decision to consider. Sometimes a roof replacement is unavoidable, but what’s best for your situation? Learn about whether a roof replacement or repair is best for your roof.

Age

One of the major factors in any decision about your roof’s future should be its age. If your roof is at least 20 years old, it’s probably a good idea to get it replaced. While modern shingles are built to last a lot longer than 20 years, that technology and design wasn’t around 20 years ago. The bright side is if you get a 20 year old roof replaced today, you won’t have to worry about it again for decades.

If you don’t really know how old your neighborhood is, keep an eye on what the neighbors are doing. If you see a lot of them getting their roofs replaced, it might be a good idea to get yours replaced as well. This isn’t about keeping up appearances, but rather a realization that all your houses were probably built around the same time. One or two neighbors getting a new roof isn’t much of a telling sign, but when it becomes a neighborhood wide trend, it might be time for you to get on board.

Shingles

Shingles wear down like everything else. Your shingles are the first line of defense between your home and the elements, so they take quite the beating over the years. Every now and then you’ll see one start to curl or maybe even crack. If that’s the case, you could probably settle for some repairs. Replacing a few shingles is generally a better idea than replacing your entire roof.

If more than half of your shingles are starting to crack or curl, however, the issue is bigger and may warrant an entire roof replacement. There are certain conditions that may cause some shingles to wear faster than others such as proximity to overhanging trees, but once broken shingles becomes a trend, it’s time to start over with a brand new roof.

Dark Spots

You’ve probably seen those unsightly dark spots on roofs before. They’re mainly caused by algae that travels through the air. While that sounds bad, it doesn’t mean your entire roof is infected. In most cases, you can make the repairs yourself with an easy mixture of water and bleach. That should take care of most dark spots.

In other cases, you can find moss growing on your roof. This is common if your roof or part of it at least doesn’t get much sunlight but experiences plenty of humidity. You can scrape it off, but it might damage the shingle’s surface and it could come back. To truly solve a moss problem that develops, you may have to replace your roof, but consult your professional roofing contractor first.

If you don’t currently have a roofing contractor, give Orange Roofing a call. We can fix all of these problems and more whether you need a quick repair or an entire roof replacement. If you’re still not sure what’s best for you, contact Orange Roofing for a free inspection. You won’t have to wonder whether a roof replacement or repair is right for your situation. We look forward to hearing from you!