House Lifehacker: What You Ought to Know Before Replacing the Roof

Unlike the structures that are erected to protect, roofs do not last forever, regardless of their quality. There are numerous signs that will help you notice that your roof is nearing its end. You can repair the roof to a certain point, before it becomes futile patching it up any more. That is when a completely new roof structure, including tiles, gutters, and support beams, needs to be put into place. Before you embark on this expensive undertaking, here are a few things that you need to be aware of.

The telltale signs

The biggest saving you can make in roofing is timing the replacement of the roof right. There are several telltale signs that will help you determine the exact state the roof is in. First of all, look for missing shingles or tiles. A violent storm might have ripped them off, but it is really due to wear and tear that their brackets gave way. Secondly, look at the state the shingles are in. If they are curling, sagging or letting go black granules, that means that a replacement is needed. Finally, if you notice that tiles are breaking and cracking easily, as well as chipping away, then they have become too brittle to stay on top of your house.

Algae and moss buildup is not a real issue

One of the biggest you can make as a homeowner is to replace the entire roof just because a fine green layer has formed over it. We can see in cartoon those chalets in the forest that are overgrown with moss, and we instantly presume they are old. In reality, the speed of the growth of moss is directly related only to the availability of sunshine and water. If you reside in a region that has a humid climate, like many parts of eastern Australia, then moss will grow super-fast, fooling you to believe that the roof is older than it really is. The same goes for algae and lichen that can all be washed away with a power hose and some bleach as the abrasive. Once the roof is nice and clean, you can assess the true condition it is in.

Are heritage roofs any different?

Speaking of old roofs, ones that are really old, but still standing strong are heritage roofs. If only residential roofing had standard that 200-year old church had when it was built! Heritage roofing is peculiar in the sense that maintenance and repair rules for commercial roofs no longer apply. That is why most experts get to take care of heritage roofing in Sydney where there are many old structures. The thing is that ordinary folks don’t get a chance to deal with these roofs, so it is always better to get professional help if you own such a structure on your property.

Keeping records

Since roofs don’t come with a bar code or an expiration date label, you need to be able to remember the last time the roof was installed or repaired. Of course, such seemingly trivial info is hard to remember, so you can set it down on paper or store the info on your computer. This way you will be able to determine the age of your roof, and how many years (and hopefully decades) it can keep you dry and safe. On average, you could expect a new roof to last a quarter of a century, if it was mounted properly, to begin with. Good maintenance, that includes the replacement of faulty parts and regular cleaning, can extend the lifetime of the roof to 30 years.

The importance of flashings

Whether you are dealing with an old or a brand new roof, its weakest point has to be the flashings. Because they are installed around openings in the roof, they have a negative tendency to open up themselves. A missing or a broken tile is easy to spot, so it can be replaced but faulty flashings can cause a huge headache.

Namely, pinpointing the exact location of the hole can prove to be difficult, and don’t be surprised to spend hours on the roof looking for the damn thing! Patching the hole up with some caulk is the easy part, after you locate the problem area. This problem has the potential to bring down old roofs (although not literally), as well as new ones that haven’t been caulked properly.

Although it is not socially important as getting a new car, replacing the roof is no small event. You will have saved money for years to be able to afford it so demand quality, both in terms of craftsmanship and material.