Repairing Your Roof: What is the Best Option?

It can be very frustrating to look up at your roof after a major storm only to find dozens of shingles, or entire patches, missing or broken. What should you do?

Repairing

If you are only dealing with a dozen missing or broken shingles, your best bet is to patch the damaged areas yourself. It’s a relatively easy job, only costing around $150. The hard part will be to find matching shingles, unless you’ve kept some on hand from your home’s construction. If you plan on staying in your home for another 15 years, then by all means patch the roof yourself. However, if you intend on selling your home in the near future, you will have to consider what mismatched shingles will do for the resale value. A couple out of place shingles will really look unappealing and could cost you potential buyers.

Partial Reroofing

If the damage to your roof is more prominent but restricted to a particular area, partial reroofing would be a good option for you. You will save thousands of dollars compared to replacing the entire roof. This option will also help blend the new shingles with the existing shingles, since a single shingle will not pop out nearly as much and the color change will be more gradual. However, if you have several layers of shingles already existing, you will have to pay to have those taken off before replacing that section of your roof can begin. By doing this, you could potentially end up with an unleveled roof because of the missing layers of shingles in the new section. This labor will end up costing you more money in the long run, so you should consider the state of your roof right now before deciding on partial or full reroofing.

Replacing

Although it is the priciest option, replacing your entire roof is the smartest decision if it’s nearing the end of its warranty. Compared to partial reroofing, you could save over $2,000 by doing all the labor at once, instead of reroofing sections at a time as needed. If you have the financial capability to replace your roof, it would pay off in the long run. You will also have to decide whether to install your new roof on top of the existing one or rip out everything and completely start fresh. If you already have two layers of shingles on your roof, you will not be able to build over it again due to law violation. Ripping out your existing roof will cost you more, but the payoff will be greater since the lifetime of your new roof will last longer. My advice – pay to have it done the right way and you will avoid future headaches.

A good roof job should last decades, so make sure you plan on staying at your home for a long time to reap the benefits. If you consider these options before hiring a contractor, you will be more aware of the repairing/reroofing process and can make sure that you’re making the best decision for your situation.