Repair or Reroof? What came first the Chicken or the Egg?

This is the age old question in the roofing industry similar to the Chicken and the Egg question. Building owners constantly wrestle with the question of whether to repair or reroof? Unfortunately, this is often a question that only partially has to do with the condition of the roof. Most importantly it has more to do with the building owners tolerance for risk. Let’s look at some familiar adages or euphemisms and how they help answer the age old question of reroof or repair.

One Size Does Not Fit All!

Repairing the roof allows the building owner to both spend less money and to expense the related roofing work. Reroofing provides a safe alternate but requires a greater capital expenditure and the new roof is capitalized over an extended period of time. Items a building owner should consider when making the decision between repairing or reroofing their building are; building use, leak tolerance, length of projected ownership of the building, cost of capital and of course the overall roof condition.

Hitting the Nail on the Head!

The best time to install a new roof is prior to the insulation, deck or other building components from becoming compromised and therefore costing more during the reroofing process. However, you don’t want to reroof before the roof has reached the end of its useful life and therefore spending the capital before it is necessary.

Don’t Throw the Baby Away with the Bathwater!

Upon the installation of the current roof, roof insulation may have been installed. Simply because the roof membrane has failed does not mean that this valuable roof insulation and its insulating characteristics should be discarded. A roof over application can incorporate the use of the existing insulation into the new roof system thereby potentially saving building owner’s money and increasing the roof’s thermal resistance and efficiency.

Making a Bad Situation Worse!

As a building owner it is important to address issues as they arise. Leaks that are not properly handled can result in an exponential increase in roof repairs. More specifically, once water infiltrates the roof assembly, it may adversely affect not only the roof insulation but also the deck and fasteners. Oxidation of the roof deck has the potential to double or triple the cost of the original reroofing estimate. Be sure that you are aware of the type of roof deck on your building and the potential damage that moisture may cause.

Don’t Go It Alone!

To get a better understanding of your building, the condition of your roof and its life expectancy, solicit the advice of a roofing professional like CentiMark. CentiMark’s Asset Alert program can help you with all of those items. By having all the information you will be able to make the most informed repair or reroofing decision for your building and your roof.