To reroof or to replace

To reroof or to replace
When your roof begins to degrade
If you have an asphalt shingle room, and you’ve checked your roof gutters and
found gritty whitish stuff at the bottom, those are granules from your asphalt
shingles that have slowly eroded off. The pale granules are there to reflect
sunlight, and as a shingle loses them it becomes darker and more likely to curl in
the sun. A few shingles damaged by heat, wind or rain can be replaced, but if the
damage is spread over the whole roof — or a majority of it — it is probably a
better idea to have the entire roof replaced.
Pros and cons of reroofing
Some people choose reroofing — that is, laying down a fresh layer of shingles on
top of the existing roof. This does take less time and save money on labor and
disposal of the old roofing. The trouble with reroofing is that, along with putting
extra weight on the roof, it misses a chance to inspect the decking for signs of
damage or mildew. Roofs laid down over an existing roof don’t last as long as
complete replacements.
You should also know that reroofing will increase the chance of hail damage, not
decrease it — and while North Carolina doesn’t get a hailstorm every year, over
the course of fifteen to twenty years the odds go up considerably. NOAA’s Storm
Events Database lists 72 hailstorms that happened in the state from 1994 through
2012. A rigid deck under the shingles, on the other hand, will strengthen your roof
against hail. (Your insurance company may offer a cash incentive for the
installation of hail-resistant shingles. This is a good thing to find out about.) Ask
your roof installer for advice.
A full replacement
If the roof is to be replaced, first the old shingles are removed, along with their
nails. This ensures that the new roof can be laid on a completely flat surface. A
good roof installer will do all this without leaving any shingles or other debris lying
around. Before nailing in the new shingles, the roofers will lay a water shield over
the deck to keep rain from getting in through the nail holes. The new shingles will

e laid down so to minimize the number of exposed nail heads. All this should
take one to three days.
Charlotte’s top roof installer
Advanced Roofing and Exteriors are the best roof installers in Charlotte and
Concord, NC. They have won the Angie’s List Super Service Award twice. This
family-owned company is also an Owens Corning preferred contractor and a
member of the Home Builders Association of Charlotte. They will plan their
schedule to fit your own, and provide the materials themselves. Whether you
need a new roof or need to repair an old one, call today for a free estimate.