Getting a new roof on your Michigan home can make a huge difference in how your home looks, how well it protects you from the elements, and more. When it comes to getting a new roof on your home there are some decisions you’ll need to make. One of those decisions for home owners with asphalt shingles installed is the method of getting the new roof installed on their home. The home owner can choose to re-roof the home or decide to go with the tear off and replace method of roofing. Both of these roofing methods will protect you but there are differences in them. I’ll go over some of the major differences in this article.
Should You Choose Tear Offs Rather Than Re-Roofing in Michigan?
Getting a new roof on your home is full of choices. Deciding on the color and style of the roofing material is important. It’s also important to decide on how the roofing system is installed. For home owners with asphalt shingles installed they will likely need to choose between getting the roof removed and using a tear off method or getting the roof re-roofed which I’ll explain in more detail below. There are advantages and disadvantages to each and I’ll go over them in the sections below.
Re-Roofing Your Home’s Roof in Michigan
For homes in Michigan that need a new roof the less expensive option may be to re-roof your home. When you re-roof a home it’s basically adding a new layer of asphalt shingles on top of the existing roof. The old asphalt shingles won’t need to be removed and there is also no need for tar paper placed beneath the shingles. Since this method of roofing is less labor intensive, requires less materials, and also less debris to dispose of when complete it usually means that it’s less expensive. With these advantages a re-roofing project will cost less than a tear off and replace installation.
One of the downsides of re-roofing is that you can only add one additional layer of shingles on your home. If your home’s roof has been re-roofed in the past then you’ll need to do a full tear off and replacement. Another disadvantage of re-roofing is that it adds a tremendous amount of additional weight to the roof. This additional weight can cause damage to structural elements of the home, although most roofs can handle the additional weight load without a problem.
A third and final disadvantage of re-roofing is that it doesn’t allow the roof decking to be exposed for inspection. Although a roof inspector will view and inspect the roof decking from the underside usually through the attic, there may be other areas of damage that are not apparent from that point of view. Exposing the roof decking completely can help to locate problem areas and make repairs much easier and less expensive as well.
Tear Off and Install a New Roof in Michigan
Now that I’ve gone over what a re-roof is and it’s pros and cons I’ll do the same with the tear off and replace method of roofing a home in Michigan. This is the most common type of roofing installation done because it allows the roofing inspector to find all the problems of the roof and repair them before the roofing material is installed. Since the complete roof decking is exposed it also allows the roofer to align the roof properly and fix any dips or rises in the roof.
Tear off and installation is more expensive than re-roofing because it uses more material and is also more labor intensive. Removing the older asphalt shingles from your home will also create more debris to be disposed of. When you’re considering getting a new roof installed and you want to make sure that all the problems of the roof are addressed and repaired then it’s best to go with a full tear off and replacement of the roof. The price for a tear off in Michigan is not much higher than a re-roof but the difference later on can be huge.
Another advantage of getting a tear off and replacement is that you won’t have any additional weight on the roof. Older homes that have structural issues may not be safe with re-roofing. By using tear off and replacement on the roof you can avoid the additional weight on your home’s roof.
