How Often Do Roofs Need to Be Replaced?

Roof replacement—it’s the ultimate dreaded house project of any homeowner!  One of the biggest investments a house can require, and there’s no good way to pinpoint how much it’ll cost you without getting a hold of a roofing company.

The cost of roofs differ depending on where you live—the national average being about $7,500, according to Home Advisor.  So the question as to how often these home investments need to be replaced is a matter of structural concern.

Types of Roofing Materials

What type of roofing material does your home have? This is the first question you must ask if you want to know when you need to think about replacing your roof.  If you don’t know and aren’t sure, you can call in an expert roof inspector—which you should anyway!

Having your roof inspected will extend its lifetime, and you can put off having it replaced in its entirety for a while longer.  Also, you can check out your roof for warning signs to see if it might be at the end of its lifespan, which we’ll get to next.

What type of material is your roof comprised of?  Composition shingles that make up a roof will last about 12-20 years, while asphalt, one of the most popular roofing materials, will last a little longer, about 15-30 years.  Surprisingly, wood shingles last about 20-25 years, and finally, metal roofs hang around for 50-75 years.

Perhaps you’re unsure of what material your roof is, but there is a way to check to see when the roof was replaced last.  Real estate websites that once listed your home for sale, like Zillow or Realtor, often indicate specifications like the year when the roof was last updated.

Or—if you can, ask the previous homeowner, or check the documents of your house sale to see if the information is listed there.  Of course, a new roof is a major selling point for homeowners, and if it was replaced recently, this will be listed somewhere.

If the roof replacement isn’t mentioned, then there’s a good chance that the roof is old.  People who sell their home with an older roof, or the original roof, want to keep it off the record.

Look for the Warning Signs

There are signs that indicate that your roof needs to be replaced, most of which are fairly obvious.  A regular roof inspection is going to be the key here.  Having a professional take a yearly look at your roof will not only give you peace of mind, but their trained eye can inform you of any underlying issues that could amount to potential damages if not addressed quickly.

It can be the opposite, too.  If you’ve inspected the roof yourself and have noticed water damage, a leak, or missing shingles, your mind might automatically jump to a roof replacement when one is not needed.  Only a professional, trained inspector can let you know when your home or business is in need of its entire roof to be replaced instead of its shingle repaired.

You also might find pieces of shingles in your gutters, a sure-fire indication that your shingles are just about done with their lifespan, as they are breaking apart.  Just a glimpse at your roof might tell you that with the shingles curling and buckling, the whole roof will need to be replaced.

It’s a very bad sign if you stand in the attic and notice daylight peeking through, or worse, a leak.  If your insulation is retaining moisture, you most definitely need to replace your roof, and right away.

If the chimney flashing consists of mainly tar and roof cement, it will need to be upgraded because there’s a good chance that this isn’t doing the job.  You’ll need something watertight because even the slightest opening for moisture can be devastating for your home’s internal structure.

There’s also a call for concern if your roof has been layered over instead of replaced—something that might require you to have an inspector do some investigating.  The layering isn’t going to help you if it too is old and needs to be replaced.

Just by looking at your roof yourself, you can probably tell if it’s at the end of its lifecycle.  Are there missing shingles?  Are there a lot of missing shingles?  Put that information together with however old you might think your roof is, and you’ve got yourself an answer as to whether or not it needs to be replaced.

Pricing: All About the Factors

The question that tends to follow “how often do roofs need to be replaced?” is almost always, “how much does a roof replacement cost?”  Unfortunately, there’s no one answer, as all houses are different and it does depend on where you live.

There are several factors that contribute to the price of a roof: Size of the roof, the pitch, how the roof is installed, products and supplies needed for the job, code requirements, layers, features of the roof that need to be worked around—chimneys, skylights, etc.

Not to mention there’s a cost to tear off and remove your current roof, the labor involved in the entire process, and the sheer cost of the materials used for the job.  Cities will vary in their costs for roof replacements.  Some cities will be cheaper than others, it all depends on the cost of living, access to materials, and the going rate for roofing companies in the area.

Asphalt is a popular choice when it comes down to the material for a roof.  Asphalt is one of the cheaper options, but definitely, a durable material that has been used as a roofing material for decades.

Find Out When Your Roof Needs to be Replaced

As a homeowner who has probably seen their fair share of houses in varying stages of new and old, you probably already know if your roof needs to be replaced or not.  It can be easy to tell, especially if the shingles are a reflection of the roof’s age and you can see from a distance how they don’t lay flat against the surface.

Even so, an inspection will be the sure-fire way to truly determine the condition of your roof.  If your roof needs to be replaced, then at least you’ll know from the experts themselves.

Besides, checking to see if your roof’s condition is healthy is the best thing you can do for your home, as you can prevent tremendous damage that even the slightest hole or presence of moisture can do to the interior structure.  And if you must replace your roof, you can rest assured that you will be upping the value your home—considerably.

When it comes to replacing your roof with quality asphalt shingles, the most trustworthy contractors are in Chicago. At Feldco Roofing, we have superb asphalt shingles that will give you comfort and security from rain, snow, and ice. Take the opportunity to speak to a representative and get a free quote today.