Louisiana Roofing Contractor

Learn if You Should Add More Than One Layer of Shingle to Your Roof


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Learn if you should add more than one layer of shingle to your roof with Roof Crafters. Your roof is one of the most important components of your home, keeping you and your family safe from all sorts of weather-related natural disasters. But if every part of your house gets old and decrepit over time, your roof is no exception.  Time, sunlight, weather, and other factors can cause cracks and damages to appear on your roof. These damages can compromise the effectiveness of your roof, in turn causing more permanent and irreparable damages eventually leaving you with no option but to replace it.

Why Homeowners opt for Roof Overlay as an Option for Roof Replacement

Anyone who has ever installed a roof or had one replaced knows that it’s not the least bit easy.  Replacing a roof can be one of the most expensive home improvement projects you’ll ever undertake – one that requires lots of time and effort in making sure that your roof is in a good condition when it’s done.  Having your roof replaced often leads to a mess in your home. It can be hard to stay focused on your work or household duties when you’re surrounded by construction materials and noisy workers. Depending on the size of your roof, this project may also take several days to complete. In addition, the cost of getting rid of the old layer and replacing them with new ones can be as much as half of the total cost of having a new roof altogether. There are times when this is just not an option for homeowners especially if they are working on a tight budget and schedule.

For this reason, there are homeowners who opt not to tear down their old layer of shingles and instead, have a new layer on top of it to help extend the life of an existing roof rather than requiring an entirely new one. This process is called “roof overlay” – a fast and cheaper alternative to getting a full replacement, giving the benefit of saving homeowners money upfront. While it is not recommended by most roofing contractors since overlays don’t last if new roof full replacement, this option still remains appealing to many.

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How Many Layers of Roofing Do I Need?

If you’re considering having your roof overlaid, you may be wondering how many layers to apply.

There are several factors to consider when you’re determining how many layers of roofing you need, including the type and age of your roof, the type of material used in roofing and the size of your home. But as a rule of thumb, there should be only 2 layers of roofing materials on your roof. Homeowners must also keep in mind that most roofing materials are heavy and can easily weigh over a ton. Depending on the type and age of the existing roof, more than one layer can be applied to restore the roof’s original thickness. A contractor should inspect your roof before installing more than one layer as additional layers could cause other problems, such as increased stress on your home’s structure, which could lead to cracking or worse.

If you’re planning on placing slate tile roofing on top of another set of materials, then you need to be sure that your home’s supporting structure can stand the weight of your roof.  Most roofs will have an average area of 1700 square feet and have enough materials so it’s best to calculate the weight for it. You’ll also need to ask yourself these following questions as a checklist:

• Are there any problems with the structure that would affect the safety of your roof?

• Can you afford the roofing materials and labor costs and are you willing to pay for them in advance?

• How much weight can the roof support?

• How much snow does your area get in the winter?

• Are there any potential problems with the existing framing in your home that could cause leaks in the future?

• Will I need to add extra support beams to handle the additional weight of a new layer?

• Are the new set of materials compatible with the older layer?

Once you have checked and inspected the older layer of materials and found no damages, you can proceed with the roof overlay.

Why You Shouldn’t Choose Roof Overlay

Overlay re-roofing is a popular choice for homeowners wanting to repair or replace their roofs. Although it’s an affordable and relatively easy alternative, there are reasons why overlaying or placing roofing materials on top of each other is not recommended and these reasons include:

Voids Warranties

Warranties are an excellent way for customers to protect their investments and avoid the need for repairs by a contractor. Whether it is a new roof, or a repair of an old one, having a warranty can help you save thousands of dollars over the life of your roof.

If you are considering roof overlay, you should know that it may void the full shingle warranty. This is especially true if you over-roof your house by adding too many additional layers of roof shingles. For example, if you over-roof by adding more than three layers, some shingle manufacturers will no longer warrant their product against wind damage or leaks.

Makes Reports Look Bad

If you are planning to sell your house, you will want to make sure that the roof looks as good as possible. If there is a roof on your home that is in dire need of repair, then you will want to make the repairs so that it won’t be a turn-off for potential buyers. Repairs such as overlaying are often not considered when it comes to making improvements. The reason why overlaying is not an option is that you lose all the materials used previously and they are just stacked on top of each other. New shingles create a new look that can be appealing but having too many layers can cause an issue with leaks and water damage over time. This will look bad on a report and will ultimately lead to a deduction in worth for your home.

Need a Roof Replacement? Call the Professionals

As a homeowner, you might be tempted to cut corners and save money in certain aspects of your home. However, roofing is one area that you should never scrimp on. This is because the roof can ultimately be the difference between having a functional home and having a place that is almost impossible to live in.

So, whether you need a new roof or are just looking to repair your current one, it’s best to have professionals do the work for you. Hiring professional roofing contractors ensures that your roof is done right the first time, with no mistakes or problems. This can save you money in the long run because you won’t be needing repairs for leaks or other issues likely to arise due to improperly installed roofing materials.

For more information, call Roof Crafters today in Baton Rouge, Hammond, and Slidell, LA at 985-241-8045.

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