Roofing Myth's You Need to Stop Believing

It goes without saying that the roof is one of the most important parts of your home. It serves a variety of functions, from keeping your home weatherproof and pest-free to preserving heat during winter and maximizing ventilation during the hot season.

With all these functions performed by the roof while exposed to harsh outdoor elements all year round, it should come as no surprise that roof repairs and constant maintenance are required to keep your roof in tiptop shape. These may involve periodic roof leak repair or replacement as the roof coverings reach the end of their life.

Still, many homeowners are misled to believe certain myths about roof repair and maintenance, which often leads them to only seek professional roofing services when it’s too late to save the roof from ruin. In this article, we’ll be debunking some common myths about roofing to help you avoid costly mistakes in the future.

Myth #1: Adding a New Roof on Top of an Old One Saves You Money

In theory, you can ask your roofing installer to lay the new roof on top of the old one so you can completely avoid paying removal charges. In practice, it’s not recommended that you do this.

The difference in the quality of the old and new roofing materials makes it almost impossible to keep the joints watertight, and the differential movement when the roofing material is heated and cooled can cause gaps to appear between the materials.

The additional weight of the extra layer of roofing material may also have a detrimental effect on the roof structure, making it prone to collapse. In a way, your new roof would depend on the integrity of your old one. Since you’re having the original one replaced, it’s safe to assume that you’re no longer confident about its structural integrity — so why risk your brand new roof by tacking it onto an old structure that’s already about to give up?

Note that some building codes don’t even permit the repeated tacking of roofing materials. More often than not, you’ll be required to remove your old roof before installing a new one, anyway.

Myth #2: No Leaking Means the Roof Is in Perfect Shape

Owing to their constant exposure to a wide variety of weather conditions, roofing materials have a finite lifespan before issues start to appear and roof repair is required.

Just because there aren’t any apparent signs of water seepage into the roof space doesn’t mean a roof is healthy. Any small issue needs early attention before they turn into major problems. Don’t forget that a roof system is not only about the roof coverings but also includes gutters, flashings, tiles, and other parts of the roof, which may be susceptible to barely visible damage.

Myth#3: No Maintenance Is Required for New Roofs

Weather and other forces of nature can be quite destructive, whether your roof is old or new. Harsh elements will erode and corrode roofing materials and cause water penetration and other problems, no matter the age and condition of your roof.

Recent advances in materials and application technology have certainly made roofs more efficient, durable, and easier for roofing contractors to install. Still, engineers have yet to come up with a roof that can remain flawless for 20 years without any need for maintenance work.

Many homeowners mistakenly believe that a long-term roof warranty means they don’t have to do any maintenance work on it. On the contrary, a warranty only covers workmanship errors and manufacturer defects and not routine wear-and-tear.

In reality, more than 80% of roofs are replaced prematurely. It has been demonstrated that a roofing system with proactive maintenance can have an average roof life of 21 years compared to just 13 years for roofs with a lackluster maintenance program.

Get in Touch With Experienced Roofing Professionals Today

If you’re not sure how to approach a specific roofing issue, it’s best to let professionals handle it. We at U.B. Code Roofing will be happy to guide you with any repair needs. We can also give you valuable advice on how to properly maintain your roof so you can avoid having to pay for further repairs in the future. 

Let us know how we can help you by calling us at (303) 458-3790 or filling out our online contact form.