Guide
Repair or replace your roof?
Not every leak means a new roof. This guide helps you judge which you are facing. One thing to know first: the contractors reached through this site focus on roof replacements and new roofs, so if you only need a small fix, a repair-focused roofer may suit you better.
Signs on each side
Usually a repair
- A single leak with an obvious cause, such as a cracked boot around a vent pipe
- Flashing pulled loose at one chimney or wall
- A handful of shingles lost in one storm
- Damage from a fallen limb on a roof in otherwise good shape
Usually a replacement
- Shingles curling, cracking or losing granules all over
- Several leaks, or repairs that keep failing
- Soft decking, sagging lines or rot seen from the attic
- Moss and rot on a cedar roof, or slate failing across the roof
- Ice dams forming every winter despite clean gutters
Why age is only part of it
Two roofs of the same age can be in very different shape. Shade, attic ventilation, the pitch, the quality of the original installation and how many winters of ice dams it has seen all count. A roof on a sunny, well-vented house ages differently from one under oaks with a hot attic.
Look from the ground with binoculars and from the attic with a flashlight. Stains on the underside of the deck, daylight at the ridge, and damp insulation tell you as much as the shingles do.
Ask the contractor
Questions that get you a straight answer
- What is causing the leak, and is it limited to one place?
- How much life does the rest of the roof have?
- What would a repair cost now, and what would a replacement cost?
- If you repair it, what are you not fixing?
- Is anything happening in the attic, such as ventilation or insulation, that will shorten a new roof's life?
Questions
Repair or replace: common questions
Is it worth repairing an old roof?
It depends on the condition more than the age. A sound roof with one damaged spot can be worth repairing. A roof worn out all over usually isn't, because the next leak is never far away.
Can I patch now and replace later?
Often, yes, if the patch is a real repair and not hiding a wider problem. Ask for both a repair price and a replacement price at the same visit so you can compare.
Does a small repair need a permit?
Rules vary by town. Darien, for example, lists new roofing over more than a quarter of the roof area in a year as permit work. Ask the contractor or the building department for your address.
Leaning towards a new roof?
Get the replacement priced
One call puts you through to an independent roofing contractor serving Norwalk, Westport, Darien, New Canaan and Wilton. Ask for an inspection and a written price for the new roof.
Replacing your roof? Talk it through with a local roofing contractor.
Your call is connected with an independent roofing contractor that takes on roof replacements and new roofs in Norwalk and nearby towns.
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