How to decide whether your home needs roof repairs or roof replacement
Owning a house comes with its set of problems along with the happiness. If you have bought an old house or a new one, without proper upgrading and maintenance, you’re bound to run into trouble sooner or later. Roofing problems arising out of structural issues can lead you to consider either roof repairs or replacement.
There can be a number of problems that you can be faced with including leakage, missing shingles or cracks and dents. In some cases, there may even be damage to a substantial part of your house’s roof.
The choice between going for roof repair and roof replacement is a tricky one depending on the nature of damage that you have. But, how do you decide what it is that you should opt for? Here is an easy guide to help you make the correct decision.
Get a professional to inspect the damage
It is always a good idea to get professional inspection done on the damage. A roofing expert will be able to give you a proper estimate of the extent of the issues. They will also be able to recommend you solutions for the diagnosed damage.
In only the rarest cases will the roofing professional offer only one choice. Usually there is always a temporary and a permanent solution option available. Each of these will have different costs and effectiveness. You can also choose not to take either measure depending on the current condition of your roof.
However, not taking any solution is not advised as this can lead to serious damage eventually and compromise the safety of your home and loved ones.
Ask questions for each option suggested
Once the professional roofer has advised you of your roof repairs and roof replacement options, you need to make an informed decision. To make the right choice ask yourself and the roofer one simple question, “Will the problem be totally fixed with repairs, or is replacement the only option?”.
If you and the professional roofer both answer that repairs can solve the problems, then you can safely opt for the recommended repairs. In case you and the roofer both answer that replacement is the best option, then its you must opt for the same.
Take into consideration the final recommendation of the professional roofer as some conditions are best treated with a replacement.
Consider the costs for both options
It is important to weight the roof repair estimates with the expected life of the repairs. It is easy to want to opt for the lesser expensive option at the time being. However, you need to consider the longevity of the repair job and whether it justifies the cost that you will incur.
Sometimes a roof replacement cost may not be very much higher than what you will be required to pay for an extensive repair project. In fact, you also need to consider how often you will be required to repair the roof in case the repairs don’t offer a permanent solution. You need to weigh all these factors before you decide on which way to go.