How Long Should a New Roof Last?

Are you curious already how long should your new roof last? We all tend to dream that the roof will never fail and we won’t need to repair or replace it. But in reality, with all these rains and winds, the roof simply can’t be functional forever and the day when it fails always comes. A major home repair always costs us a lot of money, yet you don’t have to be surprised when something in the house fails. It’s better to be prepared instead.

The lifespan of all roofs depends on:

• The materials used;
• The design of the roof;
• The climate you live in;

Note: Extremes of climate, like high winds, hail and hurricanes and a lot of snow, can reduce the longevity of even the high-quality roof.

In general, each type of roof has its own life span:

• Slate, copper/tile roofs can last more than 50 years;
• Wood shingles last about 30 years;
• Fiber cement shingles last about 25 years;
• Asphalt shingle and composition roofs last about 20 years;

Knowing the longevity of your roof will help you not only to be prepared when it will fail, but also to determine the average amount of money per year your new roof costs you. All you need is to take the installation cost of a new roof and divide it by a number of years it will last to find out your annual cost. This is the easiest way to determine whether you get the best value and actually save some money.

What can you do to be sure that your new roof will last for years?

1. Get a quality installation from professional roofers who have similar experience and a lot of references;
2. Try to schedule inspections of your roof in the fall and spring to check for damage that may have been done in the summer or winter temperature. This will help you to spot and fix small problems before they become larger issues.
3. Also, it’s better to check the roof for any signs of damage after weather extremes as a strong wind, hail, heavy rainstorm or snowfall.

The importance of the warranty

When selecting a new roof also pay close attention the warranties offered for the materials. You’ll need them a lot over time, because without an adequate warranty you’ll need to pay more than you actually should if your roof needs to be replaced sooner. That’s why you should always ask about the warranty: just to be sure that this roof won’t cost you a lot of money later.

The length of time of the warranty is usually based on two key factors:

• the material;
• the manufacturer;

It is always better to know about a warranty before something happens. A lot of companies offer warranties from the manufacturers that last from 25-30 years to the lifetime of the house. So do not hesitate to ask the company about the warranty first and do not forget to find out the amount of money per year your new roof will cost you before making a final decision. All these easy steps will help you to get the best value for money and ensure that you made a right choice!