Roofing question-

[Scarpozzi]

The roof on my house is due up for replacement @ around 20-25 years of age. (shingles are getting brittle)

My question is, what do you guys think about shingling over the shingles that are there?


If I do that, it'll save me a lot of work (doing it myself would make the tear-down/haul-off a long process).

 

[Vette73]

If they are still solid and not to loose then you can go over 1 layer. Just make sure someone did not do this before.

But if they are brittle and loose sounding then pull them as you may have damage under it that needs repair.

Don't waste thousands of dollars trying to save a couple hundred.

 

[Scarpozzi]

If they are still solid and not to loose then you can go over 1 layer. Just make sure someone did not do this before.

But if they are brittle and loose sounding then pull them as you may have damage under it that needs repair.

Don't waste thousands of dollars trying to save a couple hundred.

I can see the decking from the attic...it all looks good. The only thing they should have done is put H-clips between the plywood to keep them from bowing some...but it's not bad enough to cause problems. I only found evidence of a couple of small leaks around the chimney...so it's probably fair to let it go for another 20+ years before worrying about it. *and take extra care to reflash & seal *

I'd be saving more than a few hundred. If I do it myself, I'd be saving about $3000-4000...

 

[KMc]

Don't waste thousands of dollars trying to save a couple hundred.

This. In addition, not doing a tear-off means you won't get a chance to inspect the plywood sheeting, vent stack penetrations, etc. for underlying issues.

 

[Vette73]

It should not cost 3-4k to tear off the old roof, and I just redid my roof and shop roof in the last year.

Tear off is the easy part if you got some forks. Push it all to the same area with a tarp and then haul to junk yard. Took maybe a day to do that with 2 other people.

 

[Scotteq]

Check local ordnances - Where I live, 15 years is the standard for re~shingling, and as long as the roof is in good condition the contractor may go up to 3 layers before he must tear down to the wood.

Also: I remind/recommend - and in the Strongest possible way - that you fully and thoroughly re~flash and seal the chimney.

Tear off is the easy part if you got some forks. Push it all to the same area with a tarp and then haul to junk yard. Took maybe a day to do that with 2 other people.

A flat shovel works amazingly well, too: get under the shingles and use it to pry up the nails.

 

[zinfamous]

be careful of overdosing. the last thing you want to do is kill your victim.

 

[Texashiker]

My question is, what do you guys think about shingling over the shingles that are there?

One extra layer "might" be fine - depending on how much weight your roof was designed to hold. I have heard of people doing 2 or 3 layers thick. But it makes for a mess when you finally have to strip everything off. Your just putting off the work till another day.

Check your local building codes. Some areas prohibit shingling over the existing shingles.

I suggest you strip off the old layer, inspect the decking, replace any sections that need it, and lay down a single layer.

 

[Vette73]

Check local ordnances - Where I live, 15 years is the standard for re~shingling, and as long as the roof is in good condition the contractor may go up to 3 layers before he must tear down to the wood.

Also: I remind/recommend - and in the Strongest possible way - that you fully and thoroughly re~flash and seal the chimney.





A flat shovel works amazingly well, too: get under the shingles and use it to pry up the nails.

Shovel did not work to well as our shingles and nails were still good. We were doing a add on and needed to redo the roof to match. Found a good pitch fork would slide under and pop up the shingles better. Flat shovel was better for moving them to the drop spot.

 

[MotF Bane]

Rule One of Roofing: Thou shall only be upon the roof on the hottest day of the year possible.

 

[Ryland]

My roof was redone and I had them strip off the old shingles which ended up being a good thing because the existing decking was not being held on by much.

 

[Analog]

If you're going to be in the house for less than 15 years, don't strip - use standard shingles. Over 15 years, strip and put on the best shingles you can.

 

[gophins72]

Solid Advice:

Check local ordnances - Where I live, 15 years is the standard for re~shingling, and as long as the roof is in good condition the contractor may go up to 3 layers before he must tear down to the wood.

Also: I remind/recommend - and in the Strongest possible way - that you fully and thoroughly re~flash and seal the chimney.

For me, rates were cheaper when the weather was nicer too.

 

[EMPshockwave82]

When I did roofing with my dad we always stripped to bare wood and replaced the plywood underneath that needed to be replaced. Always works and looks better when you start from a nice fresh base.

 

[Conroe]

The best way is to tear it off. Sure you can get away with a overlay some times but it wont look as good or last as long. Using different size shingles will show odd shadows that make for lower wind resistance and can cause standing water on lower pitch roofs that can leak. Bump and run makes the smoothest recover (but requires a short course at the start and the exact same exposure.) The absolute best thing is the get an experienced and honest professional. There are different accepted practices depending on where you live.