Just like any major system of your home, we recommend regular inspection. We recommend inspecting your roof at least once per year, or after any major storm. Staying up to date with regular roof inspections can allow you to catch small problems and take care of them before they become large problems. Often times, you can make roof repairs and avoid an entire roof replacement. Only when a roof is damaged by a large storm or when small roof repairs are neglected over time is a total roof replacement needed. It's important to remember that every situation is different and the best thing to do is contact us for a total roof inspection and consultation. We can take all the necessary information into account and provide you with a plan of action.

There are a few things to consider when review or inspection your roof:

Age of Roof Surface: First, the overall age of the roof is a major consideration. Like any material on your home, your roof have a lifespan. If the roof is relatively new, it might make more sense to make repairs, rather than a total replacement. However, if the roof is older and closer to the end of its expected lifespan, it might not be worth making repairs and it might just be better to replace it. 

Scope of Damage: Second, what is the scope of the damage. If the damage is isolated to one single location, or even one single slope of the roof, it might be worth making the simple roof repair. However, if the damage is spread over the entire roof surface, it might require a replacement. When it comes to wind and hail damage, roofers and insurance adjusters use a rule of thumb to determine if the damage is wide spread enough to replacement. The standard rule of thumb is approximately 10 damaged shingles within a 10ft x 10ft section on the roof. They also look for damage in multiple slopes of the roof, not just 1 single slope. Contact us for a quick consultation and we can let you know what we think might need to be repaired and what might need to be replaced.

Extent of Damage: Roofs are made to withstand heavy damage from wind and hail and sometimes the damage can be minor. If the damage is minor enough, even if it's wide spread, sometimes a replacement is not necessary. minor damage can be touched up, or just monitored. The opposite can also be true. There might be very isolated damage, but if it is severe enough, it might need total replacement. Examples of this might be if the decking under the shingles is damaged, or hail hits that pierce the shingles entirely, etc. If you've got a damaged roof and you're not sure what to do, contact us today and we can let you know if it needs a roof repair or if it needs a total roof replacement.

Lastly, it's important to understand the role that insurance plays in the 'replacement vs repair' discussion. At the end of the day it's the insurance company that determines what needs to be done. The insurance company insured your home and everything in it. All the building materials, the personal property, the people, etc. For that reason, the insurance company puts a lot of emphasis on the roof, since it is the thing that most protects everything else form the elements. That is why insurance companies are overly cautious when it comes to repairing and replacing roofs. Even though a roof is only a few years old, sometimes insurance companies will recommend a replacement even if a damage is isolation. And other times, insurance companies will see large scale damage, but they still only recommend repairs. It's difficult to predict and that's why it's important to work with a professional roofer, with years of experience, to help you navigate the insurance process.