10 Risks of Delaying Roof Replacement
Many times, homeowners delay acting on roof replacement when they know they should due to the financial costs involved.
But the reality is that it can cost much more in the long run when you fail to replace old roofing in a timely fashion. And the longer you wait, the riskier it becomes to continue trusting old, worn-out, or badly damaged roofing.
Here are the top ten potential costs and costly problems that could result from waiting too long to order a re-roofing job done.
1. The Costs of Roof Leaks & Water Damage
Sometimes, a roof leak may pop up in a location where it might not do a lot of damage or not allow that much water into the building; but other times, roof looks will do great damage to your home’s interior. They may even be in hidden locations, and you will only find out about the leak when it has already done its dubious work.
Who really wants to take the chance? Who wants to gamble that a roof leak won’t happen or that it won’t be that bad? When your roofing is old and more leak-prone, it’s “a bad bet” to say the least!
Water damage from intrusive rainfall can ruin drywall, carpeting, floorboards, electronics, and more. It can destroy the roof deck and rafters at points and hurt the effectiveness of insulation that gets soaked. Overall, you could be looking at hundreds of dollars – even thousands possibly, in repair costs. Timely roof replacement could easily prevent such costs.
2. Mold Removal & Remediation Costs
When water and moisture get into your home, mold growth is often the result. Black mold, in particular, is obnoxious and can be a major health hazard.
Mold and mildew not only look bad, but they can also destroy the materials into which the mold spreads its roots. Your HVAC system can then circulate mold spores all over the house and into the indoor air that your whole family breathes.
Mold remediation and removal can be quite costly, depending on the severity and extent of the mold growth. New roofing that does a better job at keeping the water out can help prevent mold problems.
3. Rodent & Vermin Removal
Older roofing is, in general, much more likely to fail to keep out mice, rats, bats, insects, and other unwelcome guests.
Once inside the attic, vermin often spread out across the whole house. They leave behind toxic urine and feces, get into food supplies, chew on furniture, carpeting, and walls, and drive the pets crazy!
The costs of getting rid of a rodent or other vermin infestation and cleaning up your attic. as well as other parts of the house that they have damaged, can be significant. This is yet another way in which roof replacement may help prevent some additional expenses down the road.
4. Paying For A Double-Tear-Off Job
Sometimes homeowners are tempted to just roof over old shingles instead of doing a true roof replacement job. But that is just delaying and increasing costs. Eventually, you have to pay for two layers of shingles to be removed and disposed of.
Plus, the old shingles below cause problems. They make your roof heavier, and roof deck boards may sag under the weight. They telegraph onto the layer above them and prevent it from laying fully flat – this shortens the life of shingles. And two layers of shingles make it more difficult to find and fix any future roof leaks.
5. Storm Damage Becomes More Likely
There’s no doubt about it. When you hear a major Florida storm is on the way to your area, you feel a lot better about it knowing you have new, tougher roofing on your rooftop.
Old roofing is more easily damaged in a storm. And storm damage to roofing can be a major cost. Far better to be prepared before the storm ever pops up on the radar screen weather forecast, because you already ordered professional roof replacement for your home!
6. Denial of Roof Damage Insurance Claims
Another important aspect of timely roof replacement to take into account is the homeowner’s insurance end of the equation.
Once roofing is past its warranty or past a specific age that your insurer specifies, or is not up to a particular standard in regard to its condition, it is possible that roof damage claims will not be accepted. Or, the amount of coverage may be diminished. It is even possible that an insurer will refuse to cover old roofing at all in certain extreme cases.
It makes sense to talk to your home insurance provider and to make sure your roofing is fully covered. You don’t want to be surprised by denied claims later on.
7. Structural Damage & House Fires
When water keeps getting under your old roofing shingles for years and years, it may cause roof rot. This can eventually weaken the very structure of your roof, making roof collapse more likely.
Major reconstruction to fix a collapsed roof or at least to replace extensive areas of sagging, rotted out, roof-deck plywood can cost a lot of money.
Also, less efficient roofing that lets water or moisture in may ultimately put you at greater risk of a house fire. A roof leak could put water in contact with electrical wiring, and a fire could destroy all or part of your home plus endanger your family’s safety.
8. Reduced Energy Efficiency Levels
Today, many are very concerned about home energy efficiency. That makes sense, given the high cost of electricity in many areas of the country. Plus, many are concerned to lower their “carbon footprint” and lessen any negative impacts on the environment.
Newer roofing shingles will almost always increase your home’s energy efficiency level to some degree or another. Some brands and types of shingles are more efficient than others, so be sure to talk it over with an experienced roofer.
You may need to take steps to enhance energy efficiency along with roof replacement instead of just roof replacement alone, however. Adding new roof fans and vents, as well as better attic and whole-house ventilation, is important. Adding a radiant barrier to reflect radiant heat back out of the attic can also help.
New roofing can’t solve all energy efficiency problems by itself, true, but it can do its part. And since most heated air that escaped from a building goes out through the roof, it can contribute to lowering energy bills rather significantly.
9. Decreased Property Value
A roof that is in poor condition and nearing the end of its ability to adequately protect your home can lower your property value. But adding new roofing can make your home look brand new!
When you want to list and sell your home, or to apply for a home equity loan, you don’t want to have a bad roof that decreases your home’s value.
And you also have to consider time on the market. The longer a piece of real estate sits unsold, the more you could pay to a real estate agent and for other costs associated with selling a home.
10. Increased Liability Risks
Finally, the risk of an accident occurring for which you would be liable is greatly increased with old roofing that is in general disrepair.
If roofing is not in good enough condition, the homeowner’s insurer may deem it too risky and refuse to cover it as to liability coverage. Then, if anything happened, you could be forced to pay the full cost of a personal injury or property damage incident out of pocket.
How Can I Prevent These Kinds of Costs?
At this point, you may be wondering how you can prevent or lower the risk of incurring the kinds of costs mentioned in the 10 points just above. There are a number of important steps every Florida homeowner can take, including these:
- Be aware of the condition and age of your current roofing. Gather the relevant information and keep it in a notebook where you gather other information about your house.
- Plan ahead of time for roof replacement. You know it will eventually become a necessity. Far better to start planning and saving for it now if possible.
- Keep the contact number for a reliable, local roofing contractor handy. You want to be able to act quickly in the event of storm damage or another roof repair need.
- Schedule annual roof inspections. This is the best way to keep tabs on your roof and to keep it constantly in good shape. Exercise good roof maintenance.
- Schedule for roof replacement well in advance. Call your roofer to discuss the matter and get helpful advice.
When Do I Need Roof Replacement VS Just A Roof Repair?
Not every roof problem, obviously, is a good reason to go for full roof replacement. Replacing perfectly good shingles would lose you money just like waiting too long to replace inadequate ones would. But how do you know the difference?
Here are five key ways to decide if it’s time to order a full re-roofing job done on your Florida home:
- What is the condition of the shingles? Are they bent, bubbled, broken off, or worn thin? Are all or most of the surface granules missing? Can they be expected to stand up against severe weather?
- Is the whole roof surface badly damaged, say by a hail storm or continual exposure to high heat, or just a portion of the roof? If half or more of the square footage is damaged, it might be best to just replace it all.
- Is the roofing material past its manufacturer’s warranty? Is it past its usual expected life span? If so, you might want to replace it with brand new roofing.
- Are you getting too many roof repair needs each year? If you have had 2 or 3 or more roof repairs per year for several years in a row, that’s a sign it may be time to invest in full roof replacement.
- Are you planning any major home renovations? Or are you planning on listing your home soon? If so, you may want to get new roofing to match the new ambiance or to speed up a sale and get a higher selling price.
To learn more about roof replacement or to schedule a roof replacement or roof repair job with trusted, local professionals, contact the roofing experts at Sheegog Contracting in Central Florida today!
