eSJayDee Posted July 20, 2006 Posted July 20, 2006 My house is 18 years old. I've got a couple of skylights (actually 3, but the other is small & elsewhere) one of which it leaks around. Considering their age, it seems prudent to replace them w/ new ones when the leak gets repaired. Since the shingles are so old, people basically want to do the whole 'section' which is about 40% of my total roof area. (From the quotes/esitimates I've rcv'd this definitely is the way to go rather than 'patching'.) Now the question I'm pondering is is it worthwhile to do the entire roof. Only 1 company (the one I'm likely to go w/) quoted to do the entire roof, & their rate on a sq footage basis was basically the same as just the skylight section. Considering that the rest of the roof (most of which is above the attached garage & is partially sheltered from sun by the higher other portion of the roof) is probably good for a few more years, I'm effectively loosing several hundred dollars of interest by paying to have that replaced early. (I'm also essentially losing an amortized portion of the cost of the roof replacing it needlessly). The only real downside I can see is that the roof will be somewhat aesthetically incongruous for a few years. (Including for a few more years after the rest of it is replaced due to fading.) The question is does it make sense to have it all done or only the skylight portion. TIA for your opinions & advice.
aussiew Posted July 20, 2006 Posted July 20, 2006 I'm a pretty good "handiwoman" but can't comment on this one. I'm still trying to figure out why you have to replace roof shingles when you repair the skylight leak.
apuszczalowski Posted July 20, 2006 Posted July 20, 2006 burn the mother down 726231[/snapback] As long as its insured though, make sure your payed up first too How long do you still have on the existing shingles (are they 20-25 year shingles? How long have you had them?) If they are only a few years away from hitting that year, Replace them all now, especially if you have the cash to spend on it now. There is no point having them come out now and only do part of the house and then come out a couple years later to do the rest. You will probably get a better deal right now on replacing the roof then waiting and there is no guarantee they can match the shingles exactly when you do the rest. It also gives you the peace of mind in knowing the entire roof is all done. If the shingles are fairly new, just get them to patch the area around the Skylights and leave the existing shingles.
eSJayDee Posted July 20, 2006 Author Posted July 20, 2006 I'm still trying to figure out why you have to replace roof shingles when you repair the skylight leak. There's a leak AROUND the skylight. To fix this properly, this requires reflashing, etc. To do that requires lifting up/removing the shingles. Since they're so old they're stuck together, and when doing this this this likelihood is that some/many will rip/break/etc. I've confirmed that they are indeed stuck together and unless the roofers are considerably more talented than I am (they probably are), I'd bet they'd still ruin a decent %age of them. Since no one will get up on the roof and do a PROPER repair for less than $1000 and considering the age of the roof & skylights, I figure it's best to replace that entire section ($2100 is the quote I'll likely take, although I had one cheaper) and skylights $700.
IDBillzFan Posted July 20, 2006 Posted July 20, 2006 The larger question here is: how long do you plan to be in this house???
eSJayDee Posted July 20, 2006 Author Posted July 20, 2006 How long do you still have on the existing shingles (are they 20-25 year shingles? How long have you had them?) The house is 18 yrs old. Since I've lived here since '92, I'm relatively certain the shingles are the same age. I don't know what type of shingles (i.e. 20, 30, or 40 yr). FWIW, they still look like they're in decent shape. You will probably get a better deal right now on replacing the roof then waiting and there is no guarantee they can match the shingles exactly when you do the rest. That's the thing. I'm not getting any substantial discount for doing the whole thing. Depending on the labor involved in replacing the skylights, he might actually be charging more on a square footage basis for doing the rest of the roof. WRT to matching the shingles, I've thought of the option of just buying the extra shingles & storing them above the garage (attic like space). Although I don't know to what extent those few extra years of fading will change the color of the shingles on the roof relative to those in storage and how long it will take for the difference to meld. There is no point having them come out now and only do part of the house and then come out a couple years later to do the rest Except that I get to keep that $3000+ in the bank for the next few years earning interest AND you also need to factor in that there's some probability that I'll be considering the same situation many years from now as well. (Or at least someone will which will/should indirectly impact the value of the home.) Best I can figure, there's nothing gained by replacing a roof prematurely. (Of course, it is costly to wait too long to replace it as this would cause some of the plywood or whatever was used to require replacement as well.)
eSJayDee Posted July 20, 2006 Author Posted July 20, 2006 The larger question here is: how long do you plan to be in this house??? I have no frickin clue. I have no plans to move or any reason to do so in the near future, but of course that could change. (Getting married, wanting/needing to move for a job, whatever.) I've lived here for 13+ yrs and although the plan was to live here for 'awhile' when I bought it, I wouldn't/couldn't have imagined I'd be here this long. So, who knows.
stuckincincy Posted July 20, 2006 Posted July 20, 2006 My house is 18 years old. I've got a couple of skylights (actually 3, but the other is small & elsewhere) one of which it leaks around. Considering their age, it seems prudent to replace them w/ new ones when the leak gets repaired. Since the shingles are so old, people basically want to do the whole 'section' which is about 40% of my total roof area. (From the quotes/esitimates I've rcv'd this definitely is the way to go rather than 'patching'.) Now the question I'm pondering is is it worthwhile to do the entire roof. Only 1 company (the one I'm likely to go w/) quoted to do the entire roof, & their rate on a sq footage basis was basically the same as just the skylight section. Considering that the rest of the roof (most of which is above the attached garage & is partially sheltered from sun by the higher other portion of the roof) is probably good for a few more years, I'm effectively loosing several hundred dollars of interest by paying to have that replaced early. (I'm also essentially losing an amortized portion of the cost of the roof replacing it needlessly). The only real downside I can see is that the roof will be somewhat aesthetically incongruous for a few years. (Including for a few more years after the rest of it is replaced due to fading.) Guarantees" aside, a near 20-year lifespan for shingles is pretty common. st local building codes allow for one re-shingling over the old ones (they're heavy, and the 3rd layer can cause roof failure). I'd go for a new shingling overlay, making sure that the overlay material is of decent quality, with a guarentee by the installer against leaks but they might dissapear next year! While they re-shingle, and re-tar, spiffing up flashing around your skylights are part of the job - but get it in writinIf you have to replace the existing shingles, be sure that there is flashing around the roof edges - an aluminum strip with a terminal curl that drops the drips into the gutter, and extends back under the shingles so it will protect the wood roof plywood against any wicking. Be sure to get a ridge vent. Several holes will be drilled in the roof peak, and a six or seven ply thingie of the same material as your shingles will cover them. It is a cheap ventilation of the roof joists and ply panels. An unventilated attic will cause all sorts of problems. The spiral vents also work well, as does an attic fan.. Don't balk at roof maintence and the cost. A leaky roof will kill you and your drywall, studs, etc. Shop around. The roofing biz dsoen't lack for crooks.
eSJayDee Posted July 20, 2006 Author Posted July 20, 2006 Stuck in Cincy - Thanks for the input. Both contractors who quoted would tear off the existing roof & re-shingle. A 3rd, although the cheapest, didn't supply a written quote & didn't specify whether he'd remove the old ones or not. (Not going w/ him as I have reason to doubt his competence.) Bear in mind, w/ replacing the skylights, or even just the flashing, they'd have to tear up a significant portion of the shingles & paper anyway. The one I'm likely going w/ is also replacing the roof (or vents if he does over the garage). FWIW, this roofer is a member of the BBB w/ no complaints. Also, I asked for 3 references including a project in the works. I'm pretty sure the one I've checked was legit (i.e. it wasn't his 'cousin Vinny'). I might swing by that location this weekend just to take a look.
IDBillzFan Posted July 20, 2006 Posted July 20, 2006 I have no frickin clue. I have no plans to move or any reason to do so in the near future, but of course that could change. (Getting married, wanting/needing to move for a job, whatever.) I've lived here for 13+ yrs and although the plan was to live here for 'awhile' when I bought it, I wouldn't/couldn't have imagined I'd be here this long. So, who knows. 726297[/snapback] The reason I ask is because most new roofs carry something like a seven year warranty, and it's a very attractive selling point to a prospective buyer if there is a significant amount of time left on that warranty. On the other hand, you've had the house for a while so you should have significant equity built into it, so when it comes time to sell it, giving up a couple of grand because the roof is old is not that big of a deal. Personally, if you're having part of it done, you may as well have the whole thing done at once. But that's just a personal preference.
stuckincincy Posted July 21, 2006 Posted July 21, 2006 Stuck in Cincy -Thanks for the input. Both contractors who quoted would tear off the existing roof & re-shingle. A 3rd, although the cheapest, didn't supply a written quote & didn't specify whether he'd remove the old ones or not. (Not going w/ him as I have reason to doubt his competence.) Bear in mind, w/ replacing the skylights, or even just the flashing, they'd have to tear up a significant portion of the shingles & paper anyway. The one I'm likely going w/ is also replacing the roof (or vents if he does over the garage). FWIW, this roofer is a member of the BBB w/ no complaints. Also, I asked for 3 Teferences including a project in the works. I'm pretty sure the one I've checked was legit (i.e. it wasn't his 'cousin Vinny'). I might swing by that location this weekend just to take a look. 726337[/snapback] The removal of the old shingles is a good idea. It's an easy task that - shouldn't - add much extra cost to the job, and allows for proper re-flashing where needed. In this area, there is a tendency towards lighter colored shingles, because of the summer heat. But the light, whitish shingles have a drawback. After 4 or 5 years, areas that don't receive full sun all day start to grow a mold, causing black streaks and splotches. If your house has some of the roof shaded by trees and you opt for light shingling, there is an easy fix. The contractor can affix zinc alloy metal strips along the ridge line. The zinc slowly dissolves due to weathering, and it kills the mold. Their dimensions in cross-section are about the same as a stick of chewing gum, so they are not unsightly. They last for many years. The local price here for them with installation is about a hundred bucks. If you are considering gutter replacement, I had one off the so-called "clogless" gutters installed 4 years ago. They work as advertised - my house is in a wooded area, so I don't lack for debris. The drawback is expense - it was an approximate 800 buck premium over a good-quality conventional 4 inch gutter. They depend on laminar flow to wrap around the cap and into the channeling, depositing water running down the roof. However, in a heavy downpour, there is spillage because the drops hitting the gutter cap disrupts the flow.
Dibs Posted July 21, 2006 Posted July 21, 2006 Another factor you might consider is your time & the inconvenience of the second part leaking in a few years time when you might be extra busy & stressed(Christmas time perhaps). I know some people don't care about that sort of thing but for me a few hundred bucks would be well worth the peace of mind that it won't start leaking at an inopportune time in the future. Just a thought.
apuszczalowski Posted July 21, 2006 Posted July 21, 2006 I would say replacing the entire roof would be a personnal preferance too, just to give me piece of mind that the entire roof is done and I don't have to worry about replacing part later on. As for the part about saving money, You never know if the cost will go up in a couple of years or when you decide to replace the other part, and You may end up paying a bit more in the long run cause you will have to have a new crew come out, with dumpster/truck to haul away the old ones and it may take them longer to do the roof because they will have to blend into an existing roof. Its much quicker and easier to do the entire roof at one time, but if the existing ones are in good shape and will last for a while longer, you may be better off just doing part. But I think it all depends on personnal preferance and weither you have the money now.
Gary M Posted July 21, 2006 Posted July 21, 2006 The reason I ask is because most new roofs carry something like a seven year warranty, and it's a very attractive selling point to a prospective buyer if there is a significant amount of time left on that warranty. On the other hand, you've had the house for a while so you should have significant equity built into it, so when it comes time to sell it, giving up a couple of grand because the roof is old is not that big of a deal. Personally, if you're having part of it done, you may as well have the whole thing done at once. But that's just a personal preference. 726342[/snapback] Roofing is messy. Have the whole thing done at one time. Any loss of interest on your money will be covered by the increase in cost in a couple of years.
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