How Can a New Roof Help Homeowners

Being a homeowner means that you will need to deal with a variety of aspects of your home. However, some homeowners may not know just how much they need to deal with. An important part of properly caring for your property is making sure your roof is in good condition. Your roof is an extremely important aspect of your home and getting a new one may be able to help you more than you realize.

What Does Roof Replacement Mean?

Before we dive into the benefits of a new roof, we need to first talk about what it means to get a roof replacement. Roof replacement is defined as the process of removing the existing roofing, and installing a new roof covering. There may also be a repair to any damaged substrate during the roof replacement process. A roofing substrate is the surface a roofing system is applied on.

Benefits of a Roof Replacement

Replacing your roof can come with a lot of benefits like:

  • Increase the Value of Your Home
  • Maintain Insurance Coverage
  • Make Your Home More Energy Efficient
  • Improve the Curb Appeal
  • Protect Your Home’s Air Quality
  • Roof Safety
  • Protection with a Warranty

Increase the Value of Your Home

One of the biggest benefits of a roof replacement is how much value it adds to your home. This can be especially beneficial if your roof is getting older. A new roof could increase the value of a home by over $17,000!

Maintain Insurance Coverage

A majority of insurance companies provide either no or limited coverage on roofs that are 20 years old (or older). When you install a new roof, you should contact your insurance company. You may be able to maintain your current insurance coverage even if you get a roof replacement.

Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

Homeowners that want to save money on their energy bills can do so by making their homes more energy efficient. Having a more energy-efficient home can come with a variety of benefits. One way to make your home more energy efficient is by getting a roof replacement. When you get a roof replacement, you get better control of how much heat goes in and out of your home. This can improve your energy efficiency and result in savings. Factors of a roof replacement that can impact energy efficiency include:

  • Solar Reflection
  • Roof Ventilation
  • Energy Star Rating
  • Shingle Material and Color

Improve the Curb Appeal

You get to give your home a makeover when you get a new roof. Even if it is the same style of roof, a new one will add a little extra “oomph.” This can also be beneficial if you plan on selling your house soon. A new roof that has more curb appeal could potentially bring on some more interested buyers.

Protect Your Home’s Air Quality

Your home’s roof has many important jobs. Two especially important jobs of your roof include keeping moisture out of the home and assisting with your home’s climate control. As roofs age, they may start to get cracks, which can lead to water damage in the home. Water damage can lead to mold which can severely impact the air quality in the property. Mold can be extremely hazardous and if not dealt with quickly can lead to some long-term negative effects on your health. If you don’t replace your roof and mold gets into your home, that could be thousands of dollars to remove (on top of the price to replace your roof). Getting a roof replacement can help you avoid water damage which can protect your home’s air quality and help you avoid potentially costly repairs.

Roof Safety

For anyone that goes onto the roof, a roof replacement can mean better safety measures. As roofs age, the strength they once had can start to weaken. This is especially true if moisture is able to get under the roof and weaken the substrate below with mold and rot. Even the shingles can become slick if they get moldy! A new roof takes these variables off the table and makes the roof safer for anyone who ever goes up there.

Protection with Warranty

When you replace your roof, you will get a new warranty. These warranties can offer coverage for common issues like unexpected shingle defects. This additional protection can make the process of getting a new roof less stressful to deal with. You will want to make sure you have a clear understanding of the warranty you would receive before replacing your roof!

When Should You Replace Your Roof

When you should replace your roof depends on a variety of factors. That is why you should get help from a roofing professional to assess the life expectancy of your roof and when you may be due for a replacement. An important determining factor of when you should replace your roof is the material. Generally:

  • Asphalt shingles should be replaced after 15 to 30 years.
  • Composition shingles should be replaced after 12 to 20 years.
  • Wood shingles should be replaced after 20 to 25 years.
  • Metal roofs should be replaced after 50 to 75 years.
  • Rubber roofs should be replaced after 30 to 50 years.

There are also signs of damage that you can look out for regardless of the material of your roof. If you see that your roof has:

  • Any loose, cracked, damaged, or missing shingles
  • Sagging
  • Mold
  • Rot
  • Signs of water damage
  • Leaks
  • Holes
  • Dark spots

 

…then you will want to get a local roofing professional to conduct an inspection as soon as possible!

How to Pick Who Will Replace Your Roof

Generally, people start looking for a roofing contractor to handle their roof replacement. Roofing contractors may work independently or they may get help from a roofing company. Some people choose to go with a roofing company right away instead of finding a contractor. There are both pros and cons to each decision.

Benefits of a roofing contractor include the fact that they are usually less expensive and may have more high-quality work. On the other hand, some drawbacks include it can be harder to confirm their licensing and certifications and projects may take longer.

People like roofing companies because it may be easier to confirm their licensing and certifications as well as the fact that they may have more references from past clients. However, roofing companies are usually more expensive and can lack personalized service.

Regardless of which option you choose, you will want to look for the following conditions when looking for your roofing professional:

  • Their relevant experience level
  • Proper licensing and insurance
  • References you can reach out to
  • Easy-to-understand estimates on pricing

You can begin the process of looking for a roofer by looking at the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies (NASCLA). They maintain a list of licensing boards and can easily show you what companies or contractors have their license verification for your state!

Commonly Asked Questions

Roof replacement can be stressful to deal with especially if you suspect that you need to get one soon. There may be some questions you have that hopefully, we can help answer!

How Much Does it Cost to Replace Your Roof?

Every roof replacement is different and the cost depends on a variety of factors. However, the cost to replace a roof is generally between $5,500 to $11,000.

Should You Repair or Replace Your Roof?

To understand whether or not you should repair or replace your roof, you will need to get help from a roofing professional. They can take a look at your home and decide what the best course of action would be.

Overall

Roof replacement can come with a variety of benefits:

  • Increase the Value of Your Home
  • Maintain Insurance Coverage
  • Make Your Home More Energy Efficient
  • Improve the Curb Appeal
  • Protect Your Home’s Air Quality
  • Roof Safety
  • Protection with a Warranty

Not only can a roof replacement come with these benefits, but it can help you avoid any serious damage down the line. An important part of replacing your roof is finding a professional or company to do it. You can start looking for options by reviewing the licensing for local roofing options near your home. The National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies (NASCLA) has a list of licensing boards that can easily show what companies or contractors have their license verification for your state! If you think it’s time to replace your roof, then you should get in touch with a roofing professional.

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