What A Complete Roof Replacement Means For You
Perhaps second only to, “We’re from the IRS,” the dreaded words, “You need a complete roof replacement,” have a way of both terrifying and depressing homeowners. What does that mean, exactly? Should you plan on staying home from work for two weeks to oversee the project? Should you arrange the sale of a vital organ or two, to pay for it? What does a complete roof replacement entail? As always, we are here to help you.
What is a Complete Roof Replacement?
When most Edina homeowners look at their roofs, they see only the top layer:
- Shingles
- Composite roofing
- Metal roof panels, shingles or shakes
- Slate
For most people, a roof is just that — the top layer. Yet a roof replacement really starts a few layers down, at the sheathing. Usually plywood or oriented strand board (OSB), sheathing is the sheet wood that bridges your home’s rafters and provides a foundation for at least the two additional layers.
Sheathing is wood, so it can rot, absorb water, develop mold, and weaken. It can also sustain damage from hard hits, like tree limbs or entire trees falling on it. The sheathing on your home’s roof may need to be replaced, but a roofer cannot know that until at least two additional layers are cleared away:
- Underlayment
- Shingles, metal, slate, tile, or composite roofing
Underlayment is the natural or synthetic roll material applied over the sheathing. It helps form a water-resistant barrier to protect the sheathing and your attic. Modern underlayment is often self-adhesive, synthetic, and very nearly puncture-proof. It seals around nails and staples, so no moisture can seep into your attic. Underlayment will always be replaced with your roof replacement.
The top layer may be just about any roofing material. Most common from Edina, MN to El Paso, TX is the ubiquitous shingle. Shingles need to be replaced if they are cupped, cracked, crazed, missing, or heavily dented. They can also require replacement due to age, lack of granules, or keystoning (drying out to such an extent the gaps increase noticeably).
Metal roofing may require replacement if it has rusted, oil canned, or the mechanical fasteners have failed. Slate or composite materials must be replaced whenever blunt force shatters the material.
Your roofer will inspect your existing roof closely to determine if repair or replacement is better.
Roof Replacement Details
Other aspects of your roof may require attention. These include:
- Ridge vents or gable vents
- Roof piercings and boots (the rubber pieces around plumbing sanitary stacks, wiring, or kitchen and bath vents)
- The roof deck (wood structure, such as rafters, ridge board, jack or hip rafters, valley rafters, collar ties, struts, or purlins)
- Gutters
A good roofer overlooks nothing in evaluating your roof. For example, your new roof could fail to keep out water if fresh rubber boots are not used, but some homeowners balk at replacing them.
In general, a local, dedicated roofer is not seeking to simply take your money and depart. A full roof replacement is an ideal time to create a good, long-term customer relationship. Listen carefully to your roofer’s sales representative and discuss each aspect of the roof replacement. Ask all the questions you want. Get three competitive bids, and turn to the trusted, reliable, hometown roofer, LB Solutions.
How Long Does Roof Replacement Take?
The length of time needed for truly professional roofers to perform a complete roof replacement often surprises homeowners. They tend to think a hands-on job that spreads completely across the crowning jewel of their home must take weeks.
Depending on the steepness of your roof (roofers call it pitch), the complexity of the roof (how many ridges, valleys, dormer windows, chimneys, and roof piercings), and the severity of your replacement needs, the job will probably take between two and five days.
In that short time, a roofing crew will perform a lot of important steps. Let’s take a look at a typical roof replacement job:
- Based on the sales representative’s estimate, the site manager will direct the crew to remove the top layer of the old roofing material, inspect and change out underlayment, and replace sheathing.
- If more substantial work is required, such as structural changes to the roof deck, that will be done while the whole roof is exposed. Then, with new sheathing down, fresh underlayment is rolled out, followed by your choice of new roofing material.
In almost no time, you have a full roof replacement! By contacting us at LB Solutions, you can rest easy, knowing your roof replacement project will go smoothly from start to finish, from gutters to ridge vents.