![]() ![]() Understandably, some don’t want to fork out the upfront costs of new roofing installations, but it is beneficial to not roof over the older roof layer in the long run. There is a litany of reasons why it is not a great idea to shingle over top of an existing layer of shingling simply. This leaves your roof susceptible to any damaged areas, which could permeate through the new layer of roofing shingles. When you hire a less-than-reputable roofer to do the job, they might not bother with this portion of the process. This allows them to make localized repairs before the re-roofing process. ![]() A roofer worth their salt will perform a careful inspection, known as a “walking” inspection, to look for spongy and problem areas. Without that tear-off process, roofers cannot see what the decking underneath looks like. If you decide that you absolutely have to re-layer your roof, use laminated or dimensional shingles since they are thicker and offer, have staggered edge profiles that help to hide any high spots or dips that might be in the old roofing. These defects will then telegraph throughout the new layer. While some experienced roofers have tricks for laying new roofing shingles over the old, there is still a chance that they are curled, cupped, or misshapen. This includes the stepped texture that is created by overlapping shingles. Shingles are not meant to bridge over gaps, humps, or dips. And when this becomes a possibility, there is a chance that your home’s structure is unsafe with the chance of a potential collapse. If you overload the roof, there is a chance that it may not be able to hold up. This creates an issue regarding how much your current roofing structure can handle. When you add extra materials over the top, you only add weight to the existing structure. This is factoring in the shingles and potential snow that could also accumulate. Your roof is likely graded for a very specific amount of weight. Here are things to check out if you are seriously considering adding your new roofing shingles over top of the old ones. Though we already touched on a few basic reasons why shingles over shingles aren’t a good idea, there are also a few universal reasons not to reroof. Why You Should Not Add New Roofing Shingles Over Old Ones You will save on costs in the short term, but you will eventually need to pay for the full cost of a new roof at some point. Putting new roofing over the existing structure is a “pay me now or pay me later” scenario. When you have to start over with a new roof, you’ll just have to tear it off and start over. And the fact is that while you might be saving tear-off costs, you really are just delaying the cost. This can sometimes be tricky to do over old roofing. In addition, you might still have to replace or add new flashing. Things like removing ridge caps, vents, and misshapen angles are just the tip of the iceberg. It isn’t as simple as putting the new roof over the top of the old special prep work needs to be done to complete the new installation. ![]() It is important to note that both of these have caveats. Keeping the old shingles allows you to skip the messy labor and disposal costs of a tear-off. The biggest reason to lay down new shingles over existing ones comes down to a simple matter of convenience and cost. ![]() As a matter of fact, having multiple layers of shingles does not mean that your roof is any more waterproof than it may have been before.Īlso, having multiple roofing layers can create problems all its own. It might seem like an obvious benefit to having multiple layers of protection on your roof, but that is not automatically true. Why Add New Roof Shingles Over Top of Old Ones? If you are laying new roofing shingles over an existing roofing system with a ton of leaks or damage, you aren’t doing yourself any good. You cannot place a new layer over top of slate or wood, and you should definitely never mix materials like laying asphalt shingles over cedar shakes.Īnd perhaps the most important rule for laying new shingles over top of old ones is that the old roofing has to be in pretty good condition. Placing old shingles over new ones is only possible with asphalt shingles, also known as composition shingles. Other factors to consider include weight increase, surface defects, and the prevention of full inspections. Yes, you can put shingles over shingles, but you shouldn’t. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |