Inspecting and Assessing Your Roof Before Re-roofing

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Is your roof a good candidate for a roof overlay or re-roofing? Finding out the answer to this critical question is a big part of why your roofer must conduct an initial roof inspection before commencing any re-roofing work on your home or business.

At the end of the inspection, your roofer will establish the following among other things that will inform whether to go ahead with re-roofing or consider other options.

Have You Re-Roofed Before?

If you already have two layers of roof shingles in place, adding a third one may not be an option. Why this is the case comes down to the fact that your roof decking can only support so much weight. Add a third layer, and your roof will become too heavy and will damage the roofing substructure. Adding these extra layers is also a gross violation of building regulations, which clearly define the number of shingle layers you can have on your roof.

Is the Roof Decking Strong Enough?

Re-roofing will exert some extra weight on your roof structure. If the roof decking is not in good enough condition or strong enough to handle this extra weight, there is a higher risk of the structure collapsing over time. Your roofer will only give the go-ahead to start on re-roofing if your roof decking is in relatively good shape. If not, the necessary repairs have to be done first, or you may have to consider a full roof replacement.

What's the State of Existing Shingles?

Just as with the substructure beneath, the condition of your existing roof shingles matters a lot when deciding if re-roofing is a good option for you. Depending on the severity of the damage, you can either repair the shingles before laying over a new layer or reconsider your re-roofing plans entirely. Water damage is especially of concern, and your roofer will be keen to assess this during the inspection.

Re-roofing also works if your existing layer of shingles is level and flat. Fortunately, fixing curling and cupping shingles is relatively easy to do, and once that is out of the way, the roofers can add the new layer.

Re-roofing restores the aesthetics and function of your roof. It takes less time and costs less compared to other options such as roof replacement. To be able to enjoy these and other benefits of re-roofing, your roof must first prove to be a good candidate for the process. If you have further questions about roofing, reach out to a contractor in your area.


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