Three Tips To Consider When Replacing A Roof

Everyone knows that they need a roof over their heads — literally. Roofs are fundamental parts of any residential structure, whether or not those structures are typical houses. One of the interesting things about roofs is that you can find them on yurts, hotels, typical houses, and in a sense even tents. You just can’t go without some form of a roof. A roof protects us from the elements and contributes heavily to the overall appearance of a home. It’s just non-negotiable. With that being said, renovating a roof is not as exciting a project as remodeling a bathroom or kitchen, or even putting down new floors. Therefore, we tend to put off calling the roofers. And if we’re reluctant to spend money on roof repairs, we’re far more reluctant to spend that money on roof replacements. But these are issued that you should and must care about as a homeowner, whether or not it’s particularly fun. Below, we’ll list a few things you should keep in mind before calling a roofing contractor. Remember: the longer you put off a repair or replacement, the more it’s going to cost, and the more danger you are placing yourself and anyone under that roof in. With that being said, let’s jump in.

1. Maintenance Saves Money

We can’t blame you for dreading the regular maintenance that is required of a roof. Roof repairs are not cheap, and it’s understandable that some might want to skip regular maintenance to save money. But in actuality, this often ends up costing people more money in the long term. There is always a cost that comes with maintaining a roof, as there is always a cost with maintaining any part of a home in general. Usually, a homeowner will spend between 1% and 4% of a home’s value annually on maintenance and repairs. These costs will naturally go up as the home gets older. If a home costs $200,000, that equals about $2,000 annually. But it is far better to spend on little repairs and regular maintenance than to let your roof get to the point where it actually needs to be replaced. A replacement is far from cheap. It’s estimated that for a typical 2200 to 2600 square foot home, homeowners will pay between $1,000 and $4,000 to fully replace the roof. Professional roofers can easily charge between $2,000 and $8,500. Often, this will be charged be the square, with each ten foot by ten foot patch of roof equaling a square. It’s recommended that your roof is inspected once or twice a year — to avoid a replacement, keep up with this.

2. Roofers Prefer Metal Roofs

Many roofers now recommend metal roofs, and with good reason. While many of picture typical shingles on our roofs, metal roofs come with many advantages that can put them on the next level. Usually, a painted metal roof can 95% of its initial reflectiveness and emittance over time — and this is an asset. Metal roofs save homeowners money in that they are energy efficiency, and therefore preferable to homes that let heat escape. They’re also environmentally friendly, usually made up of at least 25% recycled metal and 100% recyclable at the ends of their lifetimes. The fact that metal roofs are able to reflect the sun’s heat will help you have a cooler home. This not only means that you will save money on cooling costs — you’ll also be more comfortable in general.

3. Durability Is The Top Priority

This may seem to be obvious — but for some homeowners, it isn’t. While the look of a home is certainly important, and nobody wants a home that looks unattractive, durability should be the main priority. There are many durable roofs that are very attractive; but they might not be your number one choices in terms of appearance. Still, find the one that looks the best out of those that will protect your home most effectively — those are the real “winners”.