One of the first things that homeowners may be tempted to do is climb a ladder to access their roof, upon receiving comments with regard to the appearance of older, cracked, or curling shingles. Consumer Reports recommends not risking injury and to use binoculars instead. The advent of affordable flying drones, complete with video cameras, makes safe, thorough inspections available without ever needing to leave the safety of the ground.
If there are no leaks, homeowners might get away with leaving older shingles for a bit longer. However, asking more than one roofing company to come and inspect the shingles and underlying structure is always a good choice. Leaky roofs, or unexplained water in a basement or other area of a home, must be investigated immediately.
Tight Roof Of Little Value If Downspouts Leak
Most roofing companies will recommend that homeowners change gutters and downspouts at the same time roofing material is replaced. A tight and waterproof roofing system means little if gutters or downspouts aren’t working correctly, allowing water to damage foundations, walls, or rafters.
The majority of gutters installed by professionals are seamless, produced from stock coils of aluminum or steel that are fed into a machine that contractors carry with them in vans and trucks. Eliminating the presence of seams, the machine can spit out long runs of material and ensure leak-free gutters. Indianapolis, IN and Mobile, AL roofing and gutter contractors, and most throughout North America, will recommend seamless gutter systems over all others.
Square Of Shingles Covers 100 Square Feet
An average-sized home of about 2,300 square feet is reported to require about 30 packaged squares of shingles. Each square covers 100 square feet. Additionally, depending on the complexity of your roof and the presence of underlying issues, homeowners are advised to expect $3,500 to $10,000, or even more, in labor and other construction materials.
Buying an extra square of shingles is also recommended. While most modern shingles will last 15 to 20 years or more, depending on factors like local climate and exposure to the sun’s rays, many roofs may experience a damaged shingle here or there. Later renovations to chimney, windows, and other features of the home might require that some shingles be removed and replaced.
Keep An Extra Square Available
By keeping a supply of matching shingles available, homeowners will never be faced with having other contractors replace them with shingles that do not visibly match. A patchwork of shingles on any home, even if functioning correctly, does not look as good as it possibly can and may be an issue when listing a house for sale.
In some circumstances, homeowners who have only a single layer of shingles installed may be able to save money by having new shingles installed over top. However, most municipal bylaws, as well as the professional standards roofers are held to, specify that a third layer is too much. Three layers of shingles are too heavy for most buildings.