The Basics of Roofing Replacement

Of all major home repairs, installing new roofing is arguably as important as it gets. Though a new roof isn't all that glamorous, you'll understand its importance in a big way should an old roof fail, allowing water to destroy the inside of your home, from the attic insulation, down through the painstakingly remodeled kitchen, right on through to the basement family room with big-screen TV. Fewer home problems can be more disastrous than a failed roof.

Roof replacement is not something to take likely, nor is it a repair that should be delayed.When you sense that your roof is nearing the end of its useful life, brush up on these basics before soliciting bids from roofing contractors.

Your choice of roofing materials often depends on your locality, as much as on your own personal taste. In some regions, for example, metal roofing is a common selection due to its fire resistance, while in other regions, the predominant home styles might call for a Spanish-influenced tile tool.Roof pitch (angle)also affectsthe kind of roofing materials you can use. For example,wood shake shinglescan be used for steeper pitched roofs but are not suitable for flatter, low-pitched roofs.

The most common choices for residential roofing include:

It was once common to lay a new shingle roof over the preexisting layer at least once, or sometimes even twice. This is no longer allowed in some jurisdictions, where complete tear-off of the previous roofing is now required. Even where layering is allowed, applying a new layer of shingles over the old should be carefully considered on the basis of its pros and cons:

Several factors go into the cost of a roof, beginning with your choice ofroofing materials (ranging from cheap three-tab asphalt shingles up to architectural shingles or even slate). The roofing contractor you choose, the pitch (steepness or your roof), and the square footage of your roof are other factors that affect the cost.A rock-bottom, three-tab composite roof for a small home may cost as little as $7,000. Nationally, a typical roof using architectural asphalt shingles costs between $3.50 and $5.50 per square foota cost that includes all demolition, permit fees, waste disposal, and cleanup.

Typical average costs of different roofing options:

A well-coordinated roofing team is an amazing thing to watchand this is why we pay them to do our roofs. While in most parts of the U.S. the optimal roofing season is from late spring to early fall, skilled crews are able to extend the work season, sometimes even roofing when snow flurries are threatening. There is no reason, in other words, not to hire a skilled crew to roof your home during off-season periods. You may even enjoy lower prices at these times since the labor demand is low. The trick behind getting your roof job shoehorned into the offseasonis having a large team of professional roofers who can knock out the work in hours, instead of days, thus taking advantage of dry periods.

You'll be able to make advised decisions when hiring a roofing crew if you understand the process, as well as the jargon used in the roofing trade.

A moderately-sized, professionally installed roofing job might take only 3 or 4 days. The overall process followed by the roofing crew goes like this:

The roofing business uses some special terminology when estimating materials for a roofing job.

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The Basics of Roofing Replacement