Home/Repair or replace a roof
Roofing · Decide
Repair or replace a roof
Repair localized damage on a roof with life left. Replace when the whole roof has stopped sealing. Age alone is not the test. Whether the shingles still seal is.
Once the sealant strips have generally released, every windstorm takes more of the roof. Patching at that point is spending money on something that is finished. Before that point, a good repair is the cheaper and smarter move.
1Repair or replace at a glance
| What you see | Usually means | Lean toward |
|---|---|---|
| A few missing or damaged shingles in one area | Localized damage on a roof with life left | Repair |
| One leak at a pipe, chimney or valley | A flashing or detail failure, not the whole roof | Repair |
| Curling or cupping across the whole roof | The mat has stopped sealing | Replace |
| Shingles lifting after every windstorm | Sealant strips have generally released | Replace |
| Two layers already on | No room for another; tear-off needed | Replace |
| Soft or sagging decking | The deck is compromised | Replace, with deck repair |
2Why age alone isn’t the test
Two roofs installed the same year can be in completely different shape. Ventilation and sun exposure vary the outcome enormously. A roof over a hot, poorly vented attic, or one facing full sun all day, ages much faster than the rating on the wrapper suggests.
Age is still a useful starting point. Work it out with how old is your roof, then look at condition.
3How to check from the ground
- Look for general curlingUse binoculars from the driveway. Curled edges in one patch is local. Curling across every slope is general.
- Watch what happens after windIf shingles turn up in the yard after every storm, the sealant strips have let go. That is the sign the roof is finished.
- Count the layersLook at the rake edge. Two layers already means the next roof starts with a tear-off.
- Look for sagA dip in the ridge or between rafters points at the decking or framing, not the shingles.
Everything on this list is visible from the ground with binoculars. Falls from roofs cause serious injuries. Nothing you learn up there is worth it.
4Making the call
Repair
- Damage is in one area
- The rest of the shingles still lie flat and sealed
- Only one layer is on the roof
- The decking feels solid
Replace
- Curling is general rather than local
- Shingles release in every windstorm
- There are already two layers
- The decking is compromised
If you are replacing, decide on materials next. See asphalt shingle vs metal roof.
Talk to a local roofer. Ask them to show you, with photos, whether the shingles still seal.
877-360-46575Questions
My roof is twenty years old. Do I need a new one?
Not automatically. Age alone is not the test. If the shingles still lie flat and seal, a repair may be all you need.
Can a roofer just add another layer?
Not if there are already two. See two or three layers of shingle already on the roof, and check local code.
Is patching a worn-out roof ever worth it?
Only as a stopgap. Once the sealant strips have generally released, every windstorm takes more of the roof, and patching is spending money on something that is finished.
Written by Jaylan Jones. I Like To Exterior Services earns a referral fee when a call connects to a contractor. See our business-model disclosure.
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