what is better roof repair or replacement?

One place where we must not leave out even an ounce of prevention is our home. The best way to ensure that is by performing regular maintenance checks and necessary repairs. It helps in securing the health of both your home and wallets. Putting off required repairs might feel like it is saving you money, but it will cost you more than your liking in the long run. But some instances of home repair might not always be very costly such as repairing your roof.

It is entirely acceptable to repair your damaged roof, considering it hasn’t gone beyond repair. There are a few important factors that determine if your roof needs a repair or a total replacement. Let us have a quick view of those and discuss the benefits of each.

How to determine what your roof requires?

It would be best if you considered a few vital aspects for determining what your roof needs. These aspects are essential and would only reveal if a repair will be sufficient for your roof or if it would require a replacement altogether.

1. Roof’s age

The first thing that will be a strong deciding factor is the age of your roof. It is crucial to know when your roof was installed. If it has been subject to external damages caused by storms and leaks and shows severe signs of aging, then a replacement might be the better option. Repairing a damaged roof which is about to fall isn’t quite a good investment irrespective of your plans to stay there or not. If the roof is considerably new and the damages are pretty nominal, then a repair might be considered.

2. Extent of roof damage

The deterioration of your roof in appearance or structure has compelled you to consider a replacement or repair. But it is vital for you to assess the extent of this deterioration to make the correct call. You can consult a trustworthy roofing contractor to understand the extent of damage your roof has suffered. Through a proper damage assessment, you will be able to identify the extent of damage your roof has suffered. Then you can decide according to your budget which measure you would want to take regarding it.

In order to make a proper assessment, you will need to understand the signs of roof damage. These will differ as per the material of the roof but can be categorized into two basic categories.

Aesthetic damage

• The roof looks very old and worn down.
• Dark streaks, algae and moss accumulation on and in between the roof materials.

Structural damage

• Cupped and curled edges on asphalt and wood shingles.
• Cracked asphalt or tiles.
• Bald spots or missing granules on asphalt shingles.
• Perforated and dented asphalt, tile or wood shingles.
• Rusted metal shingles or panels.

3. Location

The location of your home would play a significant role in the damage caused to your roof. If you live in a region susceptible to thunder and hail storms, tornadoes, and hurricanes, it’s mandatory to replace roofing materials such as missing shingles. We have to do this immediately after a storm affects the roof to prevent further damage. Falling debris and hail can damage your roof extensively and affect its long term performances as well as appearance.

4. Your allocated budget

Now we must always remember that the most significant considerations for homeowners are their budget. So when it boils down to a roof repair vs. roof replacement, the owner’s budget will be the final determining factor. In most cases, a complete reroofing project will cost significantly more than a roof repair project. However, in some cases, if your roof needs a slew of repairs, then the repairing cost might exceed the cost of a roof repair job. It would be best to take cost estimations from your roofing contractor and weigh your options to make a decision. Ensure that you weigh down all the budget-conscious solutions that do not put your home at risk. Sometimes, successive repairs can aggregate to an amount that would surpass the cost of reroofing. We must be careful we do not fall for such a trap.

When is it best to opt for a roof repair?

Going for a roof repair would ordinarily be the less expensive choice. But we must also ensure that it fits our home repair requirement. In cases where only a small portion of the roof needs repair, such as a couple of shingles in an isolated area of the roof is damaged, a simple repair might do the trick. Damaged or torn pieces of asphalt can be easily replaced with newer ones. Other roofing materials such as metal panels might be more expensive or complex to replace separately.

A challenging one might in such repairs be matching the aesthetics. Trying to match the repaired area of the roof with the remaining roof would be difficult. You can ask your contractor to provide you with parts that match the entire roof’s aesthetics so that it blends in as much as possible.

For significant damages to the roof, a roof repair might suffice if it is confined to only one side of the roof. One might also opt for a partial reroofing and get away with fewer charges. The aesthetic challenge would again come into play in such cases. Also, moderate roof damages can be repaired. The remaining portion isn’t affected much and still stands strong.

How will a Roof replacement benefit us?

A reroofing project will benefit you in more aspects than one. We have listed them below.

1. Enhanced aesthetics – The outward appearance of your home is largely influenced by the aesthetics of your roof. A new roof will increase the exterior attractiveness of your house. Moreover, it provides you with the chance to choose newer designs and colors and change the roof’s overall look.
2. Increased safety – Although a repairing job on your roof might be able to enhance the safety of your home from above, it hardly matches the security a new roof installation provides. This is mainly because of the remaining roof’s dicey situation, which might not be able to hold good for long. A reroofing gets rids of such confusion and secures a strong roof that will hold good for years to come. Not to mention the peace of mind that comes with having a solid new roof above our heads.
3. Energy efficiency increased – Modern-day roofing materials have improved quality and help keep out exterior elements and properly reflect sunlight. This will result in the increased energy efficiency of your home.
4. Cheaper in the long run – A new roof might prove to be the more affordable option than multiple roof repair jobs in the long run.

Conclusion

The roof is one aspect of our home; we cannot simply do without it. It keeps out the exterior elements and keeps us safe from above. When subject to roof damages, we often get confused with repairing and reroofing. It is best to consult a contractor you trust and get an idea of what your roof requires. That would be in the best interest of all.