If your roof is starting to look a little rough around the edges, you might be considering getting those missing slates replaced. You might need your chimney flashings repaired. Gutters starting to droop? How many repairs are too many? At what point should you just replace your whole roof?
With over 25 years of experience in roof restoration in Dublin and roof replacements in Dublin, D.Hennessy Roofing is here to help you figure out what’s the best choice for you.
Knowing when it’s the right time to replace a roof can be incredibly difficult. Making the choice between another repair job or replacing the roof altogether is one that a lot of people put off.
Making a bad call can cost you thousands in emergency roof repair services. In order to minimise your costs as much as possible, we’ve come up with this guide to help you decide what’s best for you.
Leaking roof – should you repair or replace?
The answer to this depends on two things – how often does the roof leak and how big is the leak?
For serious leaks that have caused damage throughout the building, you need to weigh up what the chances of this happening again. If you’ve had more than 3 leaks in the last year, it might worth considering replacing the roof entirely.
Roof leak repair can be a good short term solution, but if you’re finding a lot of new leaks springing up once the bad weather settles in for the winter, it might be best to think about replacing the roof.
Small leaks are easy to fix – but what happens if the next one is a big leak that causes serious damage to your property and belongings?
Missing tiles
We all know it can get pretty windy in Dublin and loose tiles are usually the first casualties in a bad storm.
Replacing damaged/lost tiles is usually a simple, easy and inexpensive job to do. Your roofing contractor will simply remove any leftover debris from the missing tile or slate and replace it.
The only downside to a quick fix like this is mismatched tiles on your roof! If you’re thinking of selling your property in the near future, make sure your roofer uses a replacement tile that is closest to the original style of the roof. Most roofers will do this naturally, but it’s best to double check.
The upside to a quick tile replacement? It can extend your current roof’s lifespan by years – avoiding unnecessary leaks and further weather damage.
If your roof is missing a few slates or tiles, don’t wait to replace them. Tiles are there to protect your roof’s decking from rain and wind. Even a small exposed area can allow water to seep in, where it can cause rot and serious damage to your property.
Is partial re-roofing an option?
You might find a section of your roof is still in great condition, while the other part of it looks like it needs some serious TLC.
Partial re-roofing could be the solution for you. It will cost less than replacing the whole roof, however it will be obvious from the outside that you’ve only replaced half your roof!
The problem with choosing to re-roof part of your building is the potential problems it can lead to. Once your roofers get to work, they might uncover further issues that affect the whole roof.
If you’re looking to replace part of an asphalt roof, they might find you have two or more layers under the top layer – and all of them will need removing before the re-roofing can start.
Although a partial re-roofing will cost less in terms of buying supplies for the work, it can end up taking longer, costing more in labour and disposal fees.
A particular problem asphalt re-roofs run into a lot is the old roof can end up being a couple of inches higher than the new one and the join between the two may be obvious.
Is a new roof cheaper in the long term?
This really does depend on the current state of your roof and how often it brings you issues.
If your roofers are already prepping to be onsite with scaffolding, ladders and the necessary supplies, it can be less expensive to get the whole thing done in one go. Sometimes getting a section fixed can end up more costly if you have to replace all sections separately over a few months. When you do the entire job in one go, it works out a lot cheaper.
Not only does it work out cheaper if you replace your roof all in one go, it also makes sure the roof tiles/shingles all match. This is a big bonus for those looking to sell their property in the next few years. Having a professionally-installed new roof that looks good can add thousands onto your asking price.
For many homeowners, the choice of repairing a roof or replacing a roof comes down to saving a little money now and risking greater expenses down the road or spending more now to do the job right and minimise any future expenses.
A new roof is a big expense but should last you for decades. Do it right and you’ll have one less thing to worry about when storm winds blow. In the long term, you’ll also end up with more money in your pocket.
A trustworthy Dublin roofing company will be happy to help you, whatever your needs may be and here at D.Hennessy Roofing is no different! We have been serving the people of Dublin for over 25 years.
We are fully licensed, insured and certified Dublin roofers. D.Hennessy Roofing is a trusted member of the National Guild of Master Craftsmen. When you choose D.Hennessy Roofing, you can rest assured your roof is in the right hands.
We offer a free quotation for any roofing work you need & a free emergency roofing repair call out service in Dublin. Just call us today on (01) 830 4004 or request a free call back here.