West Branch Communications Group

Additional Roofing Information

This section is intended to be of help to residents considering replacing their roofs.  By no means are these guarantees of satisfaction, but they are reports of good experiences with work or services preformed.  It is always best to check recent references to be sure things have not changed with a service provider.

These are intended as helpful information from your neighbors.  They are not the opinions of the West Branch Civic Association.

If other residents have views or opinions on these items please send them to westbranchca@comcast.net and we will be glad to add them to this page.

There are a few items to consider when replacing your roof.  Two of the most important and possibly the largest factor in determining to cost of replacement and the life of the new roof.

  1. The option to roof over the existing roof or to tear off the old shingles, inspect and replace defective plywood sheeting and then install new shingles.

  2. The roofing material to be used for the new roof - Option 1 - least expensive 3 tab 20-25 yr shingles - Option 2 - a bit more expensive 25-30 yr architectural/dimensional shingle - Option 3 - the much more expensive metal or slate roof covering materials - raised seemed metal, slate etc. Without a doubt the metal and slate roofing options are much longer ranging from 50 years to lifetime.  However the cost is much higher.  All 3 options will provide you with a good roof, but you might want to consider the time you plan on living in the home to make your decision on witch option to choose.

Below are some opinions and information that you may find helpful in making your decision which is best for you home.

From Tom Olson - West Branch resident - 6/4/08

I was reading your message regarding roof replacement. I would not recommend anyone to overlay the existing roof on any of these houses if they are constructed the same as mine. Most houses are built with roof trusses (A frame with corresponding crossbrace), but from what I have seen, these houses are not constructed that way. The trusses in my house are 2x16s laid across the top of the 2nd floor walls. The roofs are fabricated with the rafters notched and set on top of the side walls and nailed at the wall and to the peak. The reason the roofs are steep is so that they shed snow rapidly to avoid a weight buildup. Roofs that are built in this fashion are not meant to have a second asphalt shingle roof overlaid on the first layer due to the weight.

As far as many of the houses that were built from 1987 on needing roofs, it was because headwater used 15 year shingles rather than a grade that was rated for 20+ years. My house is now 13 years old and I expect to have to replace it within the next 5 years or so. If I had my way, I would replace it with a steel welded standing seam roof with the inside insulated to eliminate the noise when it rains or hails. Those roofs are rated for at least 50 years or more.

I guess you know that is a violation of the building code in Newark to put a new roof on without having a building permit and the code inspector on site to examine the sheathing before the new roof covering is applied.

From an Internet Site - www.mrdreamroof.com
 

Is it advisable to re-roof over an existing asphalt roof? In theory, you can install new shingles over old ones, and you can find many roof renovations done this way. The old roof is more than enough underlay protection to prevent water infiltration. The old layer of shingles will not harm the new ones in any way. The only real benefit of renovating your roof this way is the cost savings related to tearing off and disposing of the old shingles. However, the shingles will need to be removed eventually, so all you are really doing is postponing these costs until next time the roof needs renovating. Tearing off two layers of shingles will cost twice as much as removing one layer.

In my opinion, removing the old shingles is the way to go. By having a double layer of shingles, you are in fact doubling the dead weight on your roof, which could potentially give you a structural problem. When the old shingles age, they will likely start to curl. When you install the new layer of shingles, they may not lay flat, so you could have an aesthetic problem. Shingle manufacturers will usually require you to hand seal (extra cost) all tabs which are curling to ensure the new shingles lay flat. Shingle warranties will not cover aesthetic issues due to this type installation.

Basically, you need to decide between lower cost versus a better looking roof. One thing is for sure, by removing the old shingles, you dramatically reduce your chances of having problems.

From Steve Purvis - 6/4/08


This is a very controversial issue.  We choose to do a tear off of the old shingles when we re-roofed our house.  However on previous homes we had roofed over existing shingle with no problems.  There are several home in West Branch that have had there new roofs installed over the old roofs and as far as appearance I doubt that you can identify those homes.  They look very good.

There is a considerable savings by installing a new roof over an existing roof by avoiding the labor cost of removal and disposal of the old roofing materials.  I believe you could save as much as 30% of the total cost of a new roof by installing over the existing roof.

The final decision is up to you.  If your old roof lies nice and flat and you do not have concerns about defective sheeting under the roof you may feel comfortable with roofing over the existing roof.  The city code of Newark and most cities in the US permit 2 layers of shingle on a home roof.