Change the batteries on your smoke detectors and CO monitors every six months. Change your toothbrush every three months. How often should you need to replace your roof? It depends on the type of roof you have and what you have done to extend its life.
Beyond Your Control
Many factors affecting your roof’s life span are beyond your control. Still, you and your local roofer must consider them when you work together to decide the right time for full roof replacement.
Some of those factors:
- Your roof’s actual age — metal roofs can last 50 years; fiberglass-asphalt shingles probably need replacing between 20 and 25 years.
- The roof’s accelerated age due to neglect, weather, or poor installation — If you bought an existing home, you may have no idea what the previous owners did to help your roof.
- Your roof’s materials — wood shakes, fiberglass-asphalt shingles, metal panels. Each material has a different lifespan to take into account.
- The quality of the materials — most roofing products are available in several price lines, from economical to extravagant, with quality roughly equating the investment.
You Did It
If you replaced your roof recently, you probably would not need to replace it for many years to come. Depending on your needs and future plans, you may have opted for the durability and long life of metal roofing (50-year life spans are common) or the economy of shingles (20 years is a typical life span).
Many factors can hasten the need to replace your roof, though. Your best strategy is to consult with your helpful, local roofer. Your roofer can inspect the roof, including examining the sheathing inside your attic, to give you a sense of its structural integrity and potential life span.
You may get good news; your roofer could suggest revisiting replacement in a decade or more. You may get a worrying report; weather and other issues mean replacement soon to protect the rest of your home.
Peace of Mind
A replacement roof represents a substantial investment, but you buy peace of mind when you know who installed your roof, the quality of materials, and the strong warranties you get with a professional installation.
Replace your roof when your roofer recommends. Do not rush the job, but do not delay roof replacement because of financing concerns.
You work with the best when you work with Yellowhammer Roofing in Birmingham, Alabama. Contact us today to get honest answers to your roofing questions, including the need to replace your roof before you need emergency service.
