The roof repair and installation are often considered the most essential of all significant house improvements.

Even though a new roof isn't fascinating, you'll realize how important it is if your old roof fails. Water gets into your house and destroys everything, from the insulation in the attic to the painstakingly remodeled kitchen to the family room with a big-screen TV in the basement. Few home problems are worse than a roof that leaks.

The Basic Roofing Materials

Locality and personal preference affect your choice of roofing materials. Metal roofing is popular in specific locations because of its fire resistance, whereas Spanish-influenced tile is preferred in others. Roof pitch (angle) impacts roofing materials. Wood shake shingles are excellent for higher pitched roofs but not low-pitched ones.

Residential roofing possibilities include:

• Asphalt shingles: Flat and inexpensive, but less beautiful than alternative possibilities. Roofing shingles are the most prevalent.
• Wood shingles: These expensive shingles are pretty. They're durable yet dangerous in fire-prone areas.
• Metal roofing: Steel or aluminum roofs are popular since they're durable and fireproof. These pricey roofs need professional contractors for installation, but their long life may be cost-effective. Metal roofing systems include raised-seam panels and shingles-like items.
• Slate roofing: This high-end roofing material is pricey and hefty. Slate roofs are slick and hard to repair.
• Composite slate: Popular synthetic tiles use 95% recyclable elements, including rubber. They resemble slate and stone tiles but are lighter and more durable.
• Clay tiles: The Spanish-style red tile roof is still widespread in Southern California and Florida, but it's being replaced with metal and composite materials that approximate the appearance. Other roofing materials match ceramic tile's fire retardancy with less weight. The half-barrel shingle is a 16-inch cylinder sliced in half lengthwise.

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Remove or Add a Second Layer?

Once upon a time, it was common to put new shingles on top of the old ones at least once, sometimes even twice. This is no longer allowed in some places, and the old roof must now be obliterated. Even in areas where layering is allowed, adding a new layer of shingles on top of the old ones should be carefully thought out based on the pros and cons:

• Weight: Adding more asphalt shingles might make the roof framework overly heavy. This is a structural issue in older homes. A triple layer of asphalt shingles is comparable to a single layer of thick slate shingles.
• Telegraphing: Repeating surface imperfections is another concern with shingling over existing shingles. If you're considering a new roof, you may have bubbles, bumps, and waves. New shingles over old faults might create an ugly roof. Before re-roofing, fix as many faults as possible with the previous roof. A hammer, roofing nails, and shingles may fix irregularities, gaps, and protruding nails.
• Work and waste reduction: Layering cuts effort and waste. Removing the old layer and adding a new one adds labor. If roofing specialists handle the work, they can remove most roofs in the morning, but if you're doing it yourself, you may want to roof over the old one.
• Manufacturer's warranties: Some manufacturers demand that roofs under warranty be entirely removed to comply with warranty standards. Check the roof's warranty for requirements.

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