Roofing “Layovers”: What You NEED to Know!

Do you need a new roof? Has your roofing contractor proposed the idea of overlaying the existing roof with new shingles instead of totally replacing the old roof? If the answer is yes, you may want to consider finding a new roofing contractor!

Roofing layovers are becoming more and more common these days due to homeowners’ willingness to save some time and money. However, as you’ll learn in this post, choosing total roof replacement in New Bern, NC over a quicker layover is your best bet. Continue reading to find out more about the dangers of overlaying your existing roof with new shingles.

What is a roofing layover?

A roofing layover is pretty much exactly what it sounds like—instead of tearing off your existing shingles and bringing your roofing down to the decking, a contractor will simply add new shingles on top of the old ones. This process saves your contractor the hassle of removing all of those old shingles, and it also saves you some money, since the contractor won’t have to do as much work. Unfortunately, we see time and time again that overlaying old shingles only leads to more roofing problems down the road.

What are the cons of roofing layovers?

As you can probably tell by now, we’re not fans of roofing layovers! Here are a few of the reasons why we always remove old shingles when it’s time to replace a roof:

• No inspection: If you don’t remove all of your old shingles before roof replacement in New Bern, NC, there’s no way to tell whether or not the decking underneath is damaged, which would require further repair. Your contractor must remove all of the shingles and inspect the deck to ensure it’s safe to add new shingles.
• Weight concerns: It should come as no surprise that shingles are heavy! Shingles add 200 to 350 pounds of weight for every 100 square feet of roof. That’s heavy enough for your decking to handle. Now, imagine adding 200 pounds on top of the existing shingles during a roofing layover. That’s way too much weight for your decking to support, especially if it’s already a bit damaged.
• No secondary protection: One of the only good things about replacing your roof is that your contractor can add another layer of protection on top of your decking that’ll help prevent leaks and ice dams. Obviously, that won’t be possible if all of the old shingles aren’t removed. Make sure your contractor is going to remove all of those old shingles and add a protective layer before you agree to work with him.

Whether you need to replace your roof or you just need some minor roof repairs in New Bern, NC, be sure to give Dallas Cherry Roofing a call to get a quote for our services. We’re the best in the business when it comes to fixing or installing a new roof, and you can rest easy knowing that we’ll always go the extra mile to tear off all of your old shingles!

Categorised in: Roof Repairs, Roof Replacement

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