Between You and the Sky: A Roofing Website

Do you need to replace your home's current roof? You may not be aware that you have some options for how you can do it. You can either rip off that old roof and replace it with one that is brand new, or lay new material on top of the old material. Here is what you need to know if deciding between both options.

Which Is Cheaper? 

If cost is a concern, know that you are always going to have a cheaper installation when performing an overlay roof installation. You won't be paying for the additional labor to rip off the old roofing material, or for the disposal of that material. Since you do not have an exposed roof deck, there will be no way to perform additional labor to make repairs to the underlying material. 

Which Is Faster To Install?

Not only is an overlay roof cheaper to install, but it will also be much faster. You don't have to worry about all of that additional labor for the removal and additional repairs, which can save a lot of time with the roof installation. This may be important to you if you are performing a winter roof installation and dealing with cold weather, or trying to get a roof installed with breaks in between bad weather. 

Which Is Better Performing?

While a tear off roof may be more expensive and take longer to install, you'll notice that the roof is going to perform much better over the years. Since you are able to make repairs to the roof deck, a tear off roof is going to last much longer than an overlay roof. The roofing material will also last longer due to being secured directly to the roof and not being laid on top of other material. You'll find that you can go longer without having to replace your tear off roof.

Which Is Allowed? 

Know that there may be limitations to what you can install according to your city's building code. There is often a limitation to how many different layers of roofing material you can install, with you eventually being required to do a tear off roof. If you have an existing overlay roof, verify if you can add a second layer to your existing roof.

Not sure which roofing option is right for you? Contact a local roofing company like Premier Roofing Co for more information about overlay and tear off roofs.