Looks like I may need a roof

[veremchuka]

Anything I should consider or look out for? Never had to do this before.

Current roof is architectural shingles, new construction 15 years ago in spring 1999. I was told 3 years ago my roof wouldn't last 6 more months by 1 crook and another said 1 year. Another said I have 4-5 years then will need one. So looks like he was the most truthful. In this state they are required to remove everything, you can not put a 2nd layer on the 1st like we used to years ago so it is expensive to strip and put on new shingles. There are no trees near the house if that matters, 1 story raised ranch.

Do companies only warranty their shingles IF an approved installer they approve does the work?

I don't want a metal roof as they are double the cost. 15 years ago it would have been a wise choice, today perhaps not. I may live here only a few more years or 10 or 15 but no more than that as by then the work will be too much. Even today I question the work and so that's why I say maybe just a few more. I want a good quality roof not cheap but the metal is just too much.

Thanks.

 

[Buckeye]

When I had a new roof put on my ex-rental home years ago, the shingle company had approved installers to get the best warranty.

I see the Angie's List advertisements. Anyone have any experience getting a contractor from that website?

 

[Meadbh]

I discovered the hard way that it is a bad idea to skimp on the number of vents. If heat cannot escape, the roof will be warmer during the winter especially if some areas are not well insulated, and there is an increased risk of ice dams. I can't remember where you live but obviously this would not be an issue in a warm climate. It is a good thing to remove all the old shingles. If not, deterioration in the roof surface and underlying beams will go undetected and will be a bigger problem later.

Obviously the usual advice about checking contractor references applies. Check out homes recently reroof end in your neighbourhood and ask your neighbours for feedback on their roofing company.

Good luck!

 

[Hermit]

Architectural shingles are on the higher end cost wise. I would think the should last closer to 20 years.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Look around on the Internet -- there were numerous class-action lawsuits filed over substandard asphalt shingles installed in the 1980s and 1990s. There might be some settlement money available to you if you're willing to jump through the required hoops.

 

[imoldernu]

No advice, but just my own philosophy on repairs and upgrading.

For roofs... until there is damage that can't be controlled by repairs, NO.
Having moved 23 times, and not having to keep up appearances for social reasons... repair of any kind, whether house, car or in our case snowbird and campground homes... my thinking is to keep current expenses to a minimum and if and when it comes time to sell, I'll either give an allowance for the problem, or have the job done when it will enhance the value of the sale. ie... new carpeting, interior painting etc.

Roof replacement for our current home would be about $20 to 25K.(built about the same time as yours) and with architectural shingles.. We're older and don't expect to live long enough to enjoy a new roof, but even if we were younger, would spend one or two thousand dollars to repair leaks if we had them... with the idea that we could take a $15K hit on the house price, if we had to sell... and still be ahead of the game.

The thought extends to cars... If there was small dent, let it be... the $750 repair charge will be more than the $300 off my selling price....
And to other things... the seawall at my camp inthe woods has a replacement cost of about $15K... I'll patch and repair, and in the end, will sell for the place $5k less... and the buyer will be happy getting a good deal.

So, sorry... not an answer to the question. Maybe if I had a crystal ball and could see the future, I'd have a different view. For DW and I, it's like figuring net-present-value on a short horizon.

 

[veremchuka]

Architectural shingles are on the higher end cost wise. I would think the should last closer to 20 years.

Tell me about it! That's why I opted for them vs regular.

Look around on the Internet -- there were numerous class-action lawsuits filed over substandard asphalt shingles installed in the 1980s and 1990s. There might be some settlement money available to you if you're willing to jump through the required hoops.

I did this 3 years ago. I don't recall exactly but it did not help me. Shingles today are crap, that I remember!

I'm at 42 north so winters here are winter but not like the northern tier. Still have a fair amount of snow on the ground and it is cold but yesterday and today more normal, upper 40's low 50's.

I discovered a leak in a bathroom this morning and the insulation in the attic is damp. It rained yesterday so I assume it's from that. I'm sure the boot around the vent pipe is shot as I can see light coming through but I also suspect I'm now at that point.

 

[Amethyst]

Search on "Roof, roofers, roofing" and you'll find a roofing thread I started in 2011. We really needed to replace our 21-year-old roof, as we were getting ceiling damage from leaks. The builder used substandard shingles, so we got better ones this time.

There were, as I recall, 2 or 3 big shingle manufacturers serving our region (mid-Atlantic) and each roofer had his preference.

We picked a roofer we liked, whose price was reasonable, but not the lowest bidder. The highest bidder (also the hardest sell) was an outfit called Power Windows and Doors, who wanted $60,000 to give us a roof guaranteed to last 50 years! And generously offered to finance it at 6 per cent, which would keep us paying for it until we died, long before the roof warranty gave out!

We are very happy we got a new roof. It made the house look so much better.

I am not sure what "architectural shingles" may be. All asphalt shingles nowadays are printed with an "architectural" design which makes it look like the shingles have more depth than they actually do, but they're still just flat asphalt shingles. The difference is that these do not have "flaps" which the wind can pick up and rip off.

Amethyst

 

[Meadbh]

I discovered a leak in a bathroom this morning and the insulation in the attic is damp. It rained yesterday so I assume it's from that. I'm sure the boot around the vent pipe is shot as I can see light coming through but I also suspect I'm now at that point.

With all due respect to imoldernu's POV, I do think you need a new roof!

 

[MichaelB]

As I too recently discovered, it makes more sense to replace than repair an old roof.

We've had good luck with Angies List but only when living in high density population areas where they have lots of reviews.

A new roof is more likely to fail due to workmanship rather than premature shingle wear. There should be a separate warranty, supplied by the roofer, covering leaks and defects for reasons other than "Acts of God". The job is more than replacing shingles. The deck and sheathing is also repaired, the price estimate may only include a minimum of the total repair cost. If you have gutters they will also probably need to be replaced.

An experienced roofer with a solid business record is a good idea.

 

[Dimsumkid]

I am not sure what "architectural shingles" may be. All asphalt shingles nowadays are printed with an "architectural" design which makes it look like the shingles have more depth than they actually do, but they're still just flat asphalt shingles. The difference is that these do not have "flaps" which the wind can pick up and rip off.

Amethyst

Architectural shingles has a 3 dimensional look to mimic cedar shingles. They do have flaps (and can still tear off), but they're made uneven as opposed to the classic 3 tab shingles. An architectural shingle comes in 1 1/2 pieces as opposed to a classic 2 tab, the extra 1/2 goes under the tab portion. Installation is different for the arch. shingles (installation is L-R or R-L), but on 3 tab shingles roofers would do them up/down or L-R. The cutting pattern varies based on the row for arch. shingles too.

On a house I sold in 2011, I self installed Owens Corning classic 3 tab 20 yr shingles that were actually 20 yrs old and didn't cause any issues after the house inspection. They even had a sep. roofing company inspect it and not one concern was brought up. Surprisingly, the roof showed like it was 3-5 yrs old.

If you only got 15 yrs out of architectural shingles which usu. have 30-40 yrs warranties, go shopping for shingles now, they have lifetime warranties on them. How much do you trust that? You can still buy classic 3 tab shingles and they carry a 25 yr warranty now.

 

[meierlde]

Is there much hail where you live? Or is it in Hurricane country? If so consider standing seam metal roofs if allowed. They tend to last 50 years and class 4 materials take a 4 inch steel ball falling from 12 foot on them and survive. Also metal roofs take wind better, since they are in fewer pieces (typically one sheet from eve to peak about 4 foot wide. ) They do tend to cost 2x a regular shingle roof, but last 50+ years.

 

[Mulligan]

Is there much hail where you live? Or is it in Hurricane country? If so consider standing seam metal roofs if allowed. They tend to last 50 years and class 4 materials take a 4 inch steel ball falling from 12 foot on them and survive. Also metal roofs take wind better, since they are in fewer pieces (typically one sheet from eve to peak about 4 foot wide. ) They do tend to cost 2x a regular shingle roof, but last 50+ years.

I installed a standing seam roof over the top of my architectural shingles that were less than 11 years old. I do not know the cost comparison to regular shingles, but my metal roof was installed cheaper than replacing with new architectural shingles. It was about $5800 for a 1500 sq. ft home. I am real pleased with it and look to save 15% on my cooling bill this summer.


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[aja8888]

We redid our roof last year in GAF 30 year shingles. GAF is giving a $300 rebate for U.S. veterans also, so I received a check from them. Also, a lot of Angie's List contractors do not have BBB memberships (for a reason) so be careful.

Consider adding a ridge vent if you go with a new roof.

 

[imoldernu]

Curiosity...
Has anyone here ever collected on a roofing guarantee/warranty? From what I can see, problems with leaking roofs that are under warranty are resolved through repair costs... parts and labor.

I Florida, just before we were hit with a downburst that required a new roof, paid for by house insurance, we had looked into the 15 year guarantee that supposedly covered the original roof. The home was built 15 years prior, and was 14 years old at the time of our inquiry. Yes... the roof WAS guaranteed... and we could recover 1/15th of the original cost of the shingles and no labor, because it was modular/factory built... Total recovery would have been about $90.

We reshingled our campground add-a-room ourselves, and used Visqueen sheeting beneath the shingles. Apparently not all roofers used this sealer/ sheeting. I wonder why not does it have to do with moisture, or like that, or is it because of cost?

 

[travelover]

With all due respect to imoldernu's POV, I do think you need a new roof!

I'm with imoldernu on this one. Roofs almost never leak due to shingles wearing out. They do leak due to shingles blowing off, flashing pulling out of place or ice damming. I'd get someone up there and see why it is leaking. Just because a boot on a vent pipe fails is no reason to replace a whole roof.

 

[VaCollector]

We replaced our shingles with beautiful architectural shingles ~ thick with a 50 year warranty (for what that might
be worth) and had all of the boots replaced at that time….developed a leak in the upstairs bathroom that would
come and go and because of that, so did my interest in the repair

I had several repair guys come out (over a 3-4 year period) to check out the problem only to be told that they
"couldn't see a problem"….and so I just let it go

Fast forward to this past fall when I decided to have the exterior of the house painted rather than attempt it myself…and
as us retired folk do, I made small talk with the painters only to discover that one of them was actually previously
a roofer who moved on when the work dried up and went to work for a friend of a friend…

Anywhoo ….got him to stay late one afternoon just to see what he might notice and to see if he could find the leak…and
lo and behold…seems the original roofer had not replaced ALL of the boots…those that I could see from the ground were fine
….those on the top of the 2nd story, not so much…

My painter/roofer only replaced the boot collars stating that they would take care of my problem but he also caulked anything
else he spotted with the black tar caulk (not sure what it's really called) and had him spray in the attic with anti-mold chemical
(just in case) and presto ~ no more leak!

Cheap and effective and now that several months have elapsed I plan on calling him to take care of the ceiling repair/painting!

Bottom line…check you boots and collars 1st….you might get another 5 years out of your roof!

 

[misanman]

If the roof referenced by the OP happens to be a Certainteed brand, they may be eligible for a settlement due to class action suit. Our roof failed prematurely due to defective shingles manufactured in the 90s and we did receive payment that helped some with the cost.

 

[Sue J]

My Dad used to be roofing salesman for a large local roofing company. He always sold Certain Teed roofing so I called the local Certain Teed dealer for an estimate. The price was in the middle of my other estimates and we went for the Certain Teed certified installers. We had 2 layers so they had to be removed.

The installation crew was impressive. Eight guys for 3 days in a hot week in June. They covered the plants, hauled away debris, cleaned up everything and even walked the yard and driveway with a thing that looked like a mower but was a large magnet to catch stray roofing nails.

We also got new gutters with leaf guard covers and downspouts. Our roof was 29 years old (new home gift from Dad in 1983) and although we didn't have any leaks YET, we wanted to take care of this before it became an issue. We also added 4 roof vents. The house is a 1.5 story with finished rooms upstairs so a ridge vent was not appropriate. The vents are on the back of the house between the finished ceiling height and the ridge.

Total cost $7725. The house is 38x28 with an attached garage that is 20x22. The roof is steep. I think it was 18 or 20 squares, a square is 10ft x 10ft.

These pics probably aren't helpful, but I get to show off our pretty new roof!

 

[pb4uski]

FWIW, my mom had her summer home and garage re-roofed last fall. Remove 2 layers of shingles, ice and water the whole roof and good quality architectural shingles was about $8k. IIRC her house is ~40 * 28 and the garage is probably ~24 * 30.

I'm a big believer in ice and watering the whole roof rather than just the edges. It'll cost you a couple hundred more but I believe the roof will last longer and the chances of leaks will be lower.

 

[Buckeye]

I'm a big believer in ice and watering the whole roof rather than just the edges. It'll cost you a couple hundred more but I believe the roof will last longer and the chances of leaks will be lower.

What is 'ice and watering?'

 

[aldo]

What is 'ice and watering?'

Ice and water shield roofing underlayment?

 

[Ronstar]

I had GAF timberline architectural shingles installed by a reputable roofing company 20 years ago when I built my house. And again on my detached garage 5 years later. They're starting to look a little weathered - I plan on getting a new roof installed within the next 5 years. Our roof does have some mildew streaks on it probably since we live next to a lake in a wooded setting getting less sunlight.

I may go with GAF again for the new shingles. I checked the GAF warranty. It looks like their warranty covers non-professional installations in some cases and second owners in some cases.

GAF | Residential Roofing Warranty Information

 

[jerome len]

Let me talk about the possible challenges of NOT adding a new roof.

Years, ago, I bought a used home in a cold climate and the roof looked OK but it had been placed over an old roof without proper venting......It caved in over the dining room and if anyone had been seated there they would have been killed......whole new roof......couldn't sue the other owner.....wasn't worth the cost.....he was a lawyer.

Next I built a new home, 30 year roof warranty.....15 years old......leaks!.......had to replaster, repaint and replace roof......got $1500 back from shingle company.....on a pro-rated basis.....I had noticed we had lost shingles prior to leaks.....didn't fix, added $5000 to cost.

Now I just bought a new older home......roof leaked.....cost previous owner $5000 for repairs.....had home inspected.....inspector recommended new roof.....owner balked....lost a sale before me.......previous owner had to pay 20 grand for a new roof as a condition of my purchase.

So.......if you need a new roof, get it.....before any major problems.....and get a good one......you don't want to fail a future inspection in 10 to 15 years and have to pay for a 2nd new roof when you sell your home.

Maybe you think I'm unusual.....we are good friends with many neighbors in our previous neighborhood.....all the homes now are close to 20 years old......after a wine or two you'll hear horror stories on roof problems......the biggest expense was waiting until a problem occured before replacing the roof......Good luck......I hope you don't wait and have a horror story to tell as well.

 

[pb4uski]

Ice and water shield roofing underlayment?

Yes, ice and water shield. It is a thin rubber membrane that has an adhesive side that sticks to the roof and the rubber membrane seals the roof, including nail holes. A Grace product but there are other companies that make similar underlayment products.