12 March 2009

Repair or Replace Your Roof?

After a heavy season of snow or rain, a roof can often start leaking. It may leak every time it rains or only occasionally, but the roof needs an examination.

A new roof can cost a homeowner a lot of money - from just below ten thousand dollars to well above twenty thousand. It depends on the location of the house in the country, the size, the installation difficulty, and the materials used.

So when it comes to a leak, you may get recommendations to repair it or to re-roof the whole house. Which do you go with?

A shingle roof typically will last 20 to 25 years. But only if it was installed properly to begin with.

Repairing a Roof or Replacing It:
  • Age - the age of the roof is the most important factor.
  • Repair Cost - the next factor involves how much repair work will need to be done.
  • Length of Stay - how long you will be staying in the home is important.
If a roof is 15 to 20 years old, and it's leaking, and you know that it's probably not going to last for very much longer - it would be a great idea to replace it. If the roof is only 5 years old and the total expense to repair it won't be too high, then a replacement would be throwing away money.

However, if the total cost to fix a multitude of roofing problems, then it might make sense to re-roof it. If you're talking about spending thirty to fifty percent of the cost to fix it... it would be a good idea to do it all over.

And, if you're not going to stay in the house for very much longer, it might not be a great idea to invest in a totally new roof. You would never get the majority of benefits of the money you put into it - namely the 20 to 25 years of life expectancy of the new roof. It's like giving your old car a brand new perfect paint job and selling it the next day. It's great for the new owner, but not you.

So, if your roof starts to leak, turn to ConstructionDeal.com. We'll match you with local roofing companies who can inspect your roof leaks to determine the problem. Then, it's up to you to make the decision based on those important factors above about whether you'll repair or replace.

There is no cost to submit your request to find roofing contractors. It's a fast, free and easy way to find the pros. And there's no obligation... Ready?