Is your roof due for a replacement? While it may seem expensive at first, installing a new roof breaks down to a minimal, annual expense when you divide it by the multiple decades it will last you. Plus, if you’re diligent about reporting roof repair issues, there’s a chance that homeowner’s insurance will pay for all or a portion of the replacement costs.
There Are Multiple Benefits Of A New Roof
Enhanced energy efficiency
Unless your home runs entirely on renewable energy, you’re very aware that the costs associated with heating and cooling your home increase each year. An Energy Star-certified, new roof, combined with proper attic insulation, ventilation, and sealing will reduce energy spending by as much at 15% or more if your roof is ready for replacement.
Increase your home’s resale value
Are you planning to sell your home in the next decade? Your new roof will help to get the job done. According to the real estate experts at Zillow.com, a new roof has an ROI (return on investment) of as much as 68%. That’s much higher than most interior remodels or other home improvements offer back to you.
While a bathroom or kitchen renovation may appeal to home buyers who want to make a new home their own, most shy away from the news the home needs a new roof in the upcoming future. A well-maintained roof should last for at least 30 years, and possibly more, which is why replacing your roof now continues to pay off for you years down the road.
Peace of mind
Roofs are interesting things. For most homeowners, the roof over their heads is an afterthought until a leak or some type of damage demands attention. That said, we can’t tell you how often we’ve completed a roof replacement, only to hear clients say, “Wow. I didn’t realize how worried I was about whether the roof was going to hold up until you fixed it.”
Don’t let subconscious stress about your rundown roof take its toll. Contact licensed roofing contractors for free estimates, and take action.
Lower insurance premiums
Your homeowner’s insurance premiums are strategically set by the carrier. They (and their computer algorithms) track every detail they can about your home, including the age of your roof. If you have an older roof, you’ll pay higher premiums than if your roof is new because your old roof is exponentially more susceptible to leaks or storm damage, which will cost them down the road.
Once your new roof is installed, contact your homeowner’s insurance carrier and let them know. Odds are, your premium rates will decrease.
Enhanced curb appeal
A dilapidated roof is unattractive and detracts from your home’s overall aesthetic. A new roof enhances curb appeal, and you have plenty of materials and color options to choose from, ensuring it compliments your home’s architectures, paint colors, and landscaping.
New technology
If you own an older home, you may not have experienced what a difference a new, high-quality roof makes in terms of whole-house energy efficiency and comfort. Many of the older, subdivision homes here in Little Elm have been repaired or “replaced” by putting new shingles over the old ones.
Not only is this practice increasingly banned by most building departments, but it has also yielded neighborhoods with what looks like “new” roofs when, in fact, damaged underlayments and punctured membranes below hide a roof that is far overdue for a replacement. These built over roofs compromise the integrity of both the roofing system and the rest of your home’s structural components.
From better waterproofing and moisture prevention to reflective coatings that minimize solar heat gain, advancements in roofing technology are a significant benefit of new roofs.
Safety is definitely one of the benefits of a new roof
Water leaks are the first and most common roof concern for most homeowners. The reality, however, is that roofs that need to be replaced are a major safety hazard. The rogue branch that falls down on a new roof may do little to no damage at all. That same branch, combined with a dilapidated roof, can result in a caved–in roof and serious injuries to those who might be inside.
Updated and enhanced roof and home features
As long as you’re replacing your roof, you might as well install some of the desirable features that will improve your home. This is the time to repair the chimney or vents, add attic ventilation if you don’t have enough, or to install skylights and solar tubes that increase interior daylighting and further minimize energy spending.
Improved indoor air quality and health
Our humid summers and wet winters make homes susceptible to mold and mildew. If you have an outdated roof, there’s a 99.9% chance your attic and interior wall spaces are well above the recommended humidity levels and have patches of mold and mildew.
The spores released from those insidious infestations can cause notable respiratory stress, ranging from severe allergies to more frequent lung infections and asthma attacks. Replacing your roof and remediating existing mold will improve both your interior air quality and your family’s health.
You’ll save money
Your new roof, combined with routine annual maintenance, means hundreds if not thousands saved on continuous repairs over the next several years.
Are you convinced yet? If so, contact us here at Dr. Remodel for a free, on-site estimate. We’ll let you know whether or not it’s time to replace the roof. If not, we’ll perform any necessary repairs to optimize its longevity.