When To Replace A Roof, Or Repair It?

2 years ago

Your roof is damaged in some way – whether it be missing or cracked shingles, water damage, sagging, or anything else – and now you’re wondering if it can be repaired, or if you’ll need to replace your roof. Which is more economical? Which is safer? How are you supposed to know which one is needed?

We’ve got you covered. Read on for information on roof repairs vs roof replacement, and to find out which one is best for your situation.

Repair or Replace Roof

Before deciding on a repair or replacement plan for your roof, ask yourself a couple of questions: How old is your roof, and how long do you plan on living in your current home? If your roof is fifteen years or older, it may be a good idea to get it replaced, especially if it is showing signs of wear and tear. But if you are not planning on staying in your house for much longer, a simple repair might make more sense.

Other aspects to include are:

Time: If the problem is urgent or you’re on a time limit for any reason, an emergency repair may keep out water until a proper repair can be scheduled.
Budget: Repairs are usually cheaper than full replacements, so if you’re on a tight budget, a repair may be the better option. We have good options for financing that may make it possible to get that new roof now rather than later.
Location and extent of damage: If your roof is only damaged in one area, or if the damage is not severe, a full replacement might be unnecessary.

Can a Roof Be Repaired Instead of Replaced?

Yes, it’s entirely possible to repair a roof, or a section of a roof, as opposed to replacing the whole thing – especially if the damage is minimal or limited to only one area of the roof.Repairing instead of replacing is usually much cheaper, so it’s often a better option than going for an entire replacement unless the roof is aged beyond its designed life expectancy. If that is the case repairs may be a waste of money.

When Should You Repair Your Roof?

It can be difficult to know when your roof needs repairs – or even a replacement – especially if the damage is light. Signs that your roof needs to be repaired or replaced are:

Damaged shingles: shingles that are cracked,flapping in the wind, or falling off are a signal that your roof needs repairs.
Shingle granules in the gutters, patio, sidewalks or driveway.: If you’re noticing shingle granules every time it rains it may be another sign that your shingles are old and in need of repair or replacement.
Indoor water leaks or damage: If your roof is letting water leak into your house, it’s not doing its job properly and will need to be repaired. Have you ever walked through your home and looked carefully at the ceilings for any signs of moisture stains?
Sagging: A sagging roof can be indicative of a problem with the structural integrity of your home. If you notice sagging, it’s important to call a roofing company to get it repaired or replaced as soon as possible.

Can You Reroof Over an Existing Roof?

Yes, it is possible to “recover ” – put new shingles on top of old ones – a roof as a less-costly and faster alternative to a full roof replacement. Overlaying can be a good idea in certain circumstances, but there are downsides: when overlaying, it may not be possible to see if there is damage underneath the original layer of shingles, since they do not come off. In addition, you can only recover a roof once, as a third layer is not approved by building code.

How Long Does a Reroof Last?

How long a recover lasts depends on the material it – and the original roof – is made out of. Certain types of shingles and other materials will last longer than others. Generally, as long as it is properly installed, you can expect a reroof to last at least fifteen to twenty years.

A recover may be a good alternative to a full replacement.

Have more questions about replacing, repairing, or recovering your asphalt shingle roof? Call Roofstar Arizona now at (480)-426-1915 for a professional opinion. We’ll tell you the truth about your roof!

From start until finish, Roofstar Arizona was the perfect choice for our house. We were given a very clear and thorough quote for the work our 30+ year old roof needed; we could’ve choose to ‘band-aid’ key areas and spend less, or we could spend the money and fix it right. We had saved and knew we’d have to spend a good amount of money for the work, but Roofstar was professional enough to offer choices. We had a slight miscommunication with regard to instruction with the on-site supervisor, and though we were able to easily clear things up, Roofstars’ owner Jeff drove himself to our home just to make sure our minds were at ease. Excellent touch. The workers were courteous and very thorough with the work. They stuck to the time needed to complete (we had good weather), and our home has a new roof, ready for the next 30 years. It looks great, and we have the confidence knowing the job was done right. Great work, guys. Highly recommend this company.

….03/2020–an update–we’ve had a few rainy days since the roof work–and everything is in fantastic order. These guys did a great job for us, and I know they will for you, too.

Dan Y.

Will refer your team and you…..you all fully understand and work for Total Customer Satisfaction…..hope sign generates a new client or two. Take care.

Jack B.

Fountain Hills, AZ

We just want to thank you (Jeff) and your employees for the excellent and professional job in replacing our tile roof. Your employee’s (Juan Diaz and crew) were diligent, neat, pleasant, worked independently and very competent. It was such a pleasure to do business with a company with such high standards. We would highly recommend your company without reservations.

Duane and Elaine H.

Phoenix, AZ

I have a new roof today thanks to Roofstar. From the estimate with Chris with understanding the process. Able to talk to all top brass with the care and interest in sharing the process through the team that showed up and did The work. Always willing to answer my questions I am thrilled with the results. Thanks Jeff, Jose, Juan, and Chris. I would highly recommend your team. Your onsite workers were fabulous. Make it a great day.

Nancy H.

Roofstar provides great customer service. I was able to text the office manager and our job supervisor when I had questions and their response indicated concern and a desire to be helpful. The work was done in a timely manner and is high quality. I would definitely recommend to others.

Eva D.

Roofstar provided professional inspection and detail quotes on the repairs needed to be done for our properties. We collected a few quotes from different roofing companies for comparison. Roofstar repair cost was very competitive and reasonable. We ultimately chose to go with Roofstar because we felt confident that they would take care of the problems. They came back to correct the minor issue that we had and finished the job to our satisfaction without further questions. We would highly recommend Roofstar to our families and friends.

Andrea S.

If you are looking for honesty and integrity, look no further. I just had Roofstar repair my roof and they did a great job. We had another company re-do our roof 6 years ago and we were not expecting to have issues. I had a few roofing companies come out and give us estimates on fixing what the other company did wrong. All of the other companies said we had to re-do our whole roof, quoting around $12,000. Roofstar was recommended by my brother who is an insurance agent. He said he has used Roofstar for the past 15 years and said Jeff the owner was the nicest and most honest person he has worked with. He recommends all of his clients to Roofstar.

Bill came out and looked at the roof and said we had a unique issue with the roof. He said he didn’t want to miss quote us and wanted to talk to Jeff (the owner) to get his opinion. The quote came in, but I had a question on how something was going to be fixed. Jeff (the owner) came out to my house and spent at least an hour looking at what need to be done. Tell me, what other company’s owner would come out personally and look at a roof??? Especially in the hot Arizona summer??? Not only did Jeff come out, he figured out that we only needed to repair 50% of the roof and saved us over half of what all the other companies were going to charge. Seriously, who does that these days??? Most companies try to over sell so they can make a larger profit, Jeff didn’t do that!

The crew was great, on time and very professional. They did a great job and made sure they cleaned up after they left each day.

It’s sad that we had to have our roof re-done after only 6 years, but now I feel safe knowing the job was done right.

Thanks to Jeff and Bill for the professionalism and the high level of integrity!

I will recommend Roofstar to all of my friends.

Tino G.

Gilbert, AZ

I have had several neighbors ask about your company and have given favorable recommendations to this point. Your team was very professional and I think to this point did a great job! I am in sales as well and just to let you know Mike was very professional in his meeting with me and his presentation and follow up made the difference between other companies.

Steve Y.

Scottsdale, AZ

Extremely pleased with our extensive roof repair work. The crew showed up early and we could hear them working on the roof all day for a number of days. The price was extremely fair for the scope of the job. I had other roofing companies give me a bid prior to Roofstar. But once Roofstar came out, inspected our roof and told us what needed to be done, I knew they were who we’d hire. They have integrity and honestly which is refreshing when hiring contractors.

Gail B.

This is a great company to work with. Worked with them twice over a 10-year period and both great experiences. The last experience involved a very difficult leak in a sun room/solarium and the owner, Jeff, came out and hunted down the leak and made sure that it was resolved. Cannot recommend them high enough. Thank you to Jeff and the Roofstar team.

Michael K.

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