Understanding your Roof

9/28/2020 (Permalink)

Where you live coupled with what your roof is made out of can be the difference in how your home holds up over time.

You may think we at SERVPRO of East Boston, Chelsea, Revere only know water, Fire, & mold. Which we do, but our team is professionally trained to seek out and investigate the cause of a water loss in your home. All too often we discover the damage stems from your roof.

We wanted to take a moment to look at different roofing materials and their 100 year cost of replacements.

While up front cost is always a factor it is important to take a look at the look at the long term cost of having to possibly replace your roof several times over the course of the lifetime.

Read the information below on types of roofing options before reaching out to a professional for help completing your project.

Not only does the shape of the roof need to be taken into account but so does the material that it is made out of. We will take a look at the roofing materials available along with the relative costs for them.

There are a full range of materials, life spans and price ranges for roofs.

Asphalt rolled roofing is the same material as asphalt shingles. The big difference is the pitch of the roof angle. Most rolled roofing is used for garages, sheds, shallow pitched porches. This type of roofing is very short lived 5-10 years at the most. It is important to inspect these frequently and patch any holes rips or tears as soon as possible. The cost of this type of roofing per install is about $2.25 per square foot making it one of the most cost effective however due to its need for frequent replacement could be well over $54,000 every 100 years for an average 2000 sq ft. home over time.

Asphalt shingled roofs are very similar to the rolled roof except they are smaller sections and they have individual pieces. These pieces are made of fiberglass, and may even have slate, quartz, ceramic, or even schist, and the bottom is lined with asphalt. This type of roofing can last up to 40 but as long as 50 years with proper maintenance. While they are all made similar there are varying degrees of consistency. It is important to check warranties and use a reputable contractor for the install. It is very important to not power wash this type of roofing to make sure you do not loosen any of them. This type of roofing can cost about $5 a Sqft and over the course of 100 years could need to be replaced 3-4 times making that lifetime average $30-40 thousand dollars.

A built-up roof (BUR) is a layered roof that is created by alternating layers of roofing felt and waterproof materials such as fiberglass, and hot tar (bitumen). Normally used on roofs that are flat or with a very slight pitch, BUR roofing is fire-resistant and inexpensive, but the roofing is messy and smelly to install. Their life span is longer than rolled roofing. Typically it last 20-30 years making sure debris is removed is essential because it will not have gravity to roll off an angle. The cost for this type of roofing is approximately $4 per sq ft. On average it would be $8000 and over 100 years it will be about $32,000 of cost.

Metal seamed roofs are much more fire retardant than the other options. They are just what they seem large metal sheets that overlap and run vertically. They tend to last 30-50 year nut unlike other options need very little maintenance. Due to them being somewhat new to the market longevity on seams and overall length of time is still being made. Some assessments have them lasting well over 75 years. Their cost are relatively in line with some of the other materials making their life span and low maintenance much more appealing. Coming in at approximately $10 -18 per sq ft depending on the type of metal that you use your 100 year cost would be about $44K

Wood shingles are always an option and have a 25-30 year life expectancy. They do require a precise maintenance schedule and can last up to 50 years. It is important to choose right type of wood. They can be more of a fire risk due to woods flammable nature. It is also important to make sure no moss or lichen grows on it to deteriorate the wood. These shingles can be more costly running any where between $6-11 per SqFt and over the 100 years run you about $60-80K.

Wooden shakes on the other hand are much thicker and hold up a lot better running in a life expectancy of 35-40 years. They are still wood and need to be tended to and maintained on a very stringent schedule. They are still just as flammable and in some areas are banned for just that reason. If there are any that get damaged they must be replaced immediately, you must also check and replace any bowed, convex, concaved or split shingles to avoid water infiltration into your home. Due to them being thicker they are more costly running around $13 per SQ Ft over 100 years you could be looking at well over $70K

Clay and cement tiles are very durable and strong. Terracotta is the medium that is typically used but fired clay and concrete can also be used. You must have an extremely strong support structure as they are very heavy. It is important to never walk on them as cracking is their big concern. You much replace cracked ones immediately. The up side is this type of roofing can last well over 100 years or more. Making it one of the few once and done options for a home owner. Depending on what sort of material you use you can expect to pay some where between $15-20 sq ft having a 100 year cost of approx $44K

Slate while still a form of stone is very different from others as it comes directly out of the earth like that. This roof has the same life span as clay and tile well over 100 years sometimes they have lasted upwards of 200 years, if they are properly maintained. Their costs can be anywhere from $10-75 a square foot making it the most expensive options. However if you look at the longevity of this material it does earn its value as some will last 100-200-or even 300 years.

No matter what roofing you choose or have one common theme is they must all be properly maintained. You must also inspect your roof, attic or crawl space within your home. This will allow you to catch any problems. Please make sure if you have gutters they are cleaned and free of debris so that do not get clogged and pull away from the home. It is important to not only address the water damage that can not be done until you find the source of the water damage first.

Roofing materials article

https://www.thespruce.com/best-roofing-materials-for-longevity-1821951