One of the most important investment you can make in your home is to keep your roof in top condition at all time. This means, at some point, you may need to get a new roof. And, to be honest, it is perfectly reasonable.
You see, your roof is usually the first point of contact when it comes to many harsh elements. In fact, the idea of a shelter is to cover you and shield you from these elements. Whether it is rain, snow, or storm, your roof does a good job of taking the hit and keeping them off you and your family, as well as your properties.
Because of its importance and susceptibility to damages from the elements, getting a new roof when necessary would help maintain its structure and the health of the building itself. But, changing the roof isn’t so cheap and there are a number of things you may need to consider when doing this.
Why You May Need A New Roof
Damages to your roof affect how long it lasts. This is why it is best to have a durable roof installed by a highly experienced professional roofer in the first place. There are a number of things that may lead to you needing a new roof for your house or at least a roof repair, of the damage is minimal. Some of these are listed below:
Wind Damages To The Roof Tiles
Stormy days are tough on the building structure, and even more so on your roof. Sometimes, this may lead to unavoidable damages. If you are lucky, the damage may be minimal. However, a more destructive damage to the roofing structure may require a whole re-roofing.
Breach In The Pipe
If there is an unfixed break in the pipe, this could lead to a serious damage to your roof. While this could be as a result of a storm, it could also just be because of aging. As time passes, the sealant used may not hold as it used to. This can create a hidden channel for water to leak through.
Damaged Chimneys And Skylights
Extra installations like chimneys are skylights on the roof are always spots susceptible to wind damage. If there is a damage to the flashing of your chimney or skylight, it is easy for water to seep in through the crack. Also, if it wasn’t properly installed, water may build up around the flashing, weakening it over time.
Ice Dams
Ice dams can wreak havoc on your roof if unchecked. If melting snow refreezes on your roof, it can trap water on different parts of the roof and the gutters, causing a build-up that would weaken your roofing structure.
Signs To Look Out For
Now knowing what may lead to the need for a new roof, we can now identify tell-tale signs of trouble before it happens.
Missing Tiles
If you notice that some tiles are broken or missing after a storm or heavy rainfall, it is time to call in a professional. A stitch in time saves nine. If you attend to this soon, you may just need to replace the missing tiles.
Water Damage
If you notice signs of water damage on your ceilings and on the walls inside your house, there is a high chance that water is seeping through a crack. Now, if caught on time, you may get this fixed relatively cheaply. A major damage may require pricier remedy, though.
Aging
Depending on the material and quality of your roofing sheet, you should have an idea when it is necessary to conduct an integrity test on the roof. As a roof ages, it starts to lose its strength, but all hope is not lost. Regularly inspection may help detect potential leakages in time.
Chimney And Skylight Flashing
To prevent any leakage around your chimney and skylight, the flashing around them have to be in top condition at all times. Make sure to inspect them regularly. If necessary, replace them in time.
Factors Affecting The Cost Of A New Roof
The cost of getting a new roof varies on a number of factors. It isn’t always about just the size of the building. There are things you may not be aware of, that could drive up or bring down the general estimate you have in mind. Here are a few of these factors:
Roof Material
Roof materials vary widely, and each differ in cost and the resources needed to use it. So, of course, the roof material you use matters when getting a new roof. While a concrete roofing may cost just around $450 to $80 per square metre, a terracotta roofing could easily double that. Slate roofing, on the other hand, may cost up to $500 per square metre.
Here is an estimate you may expect:
- $50 to $80m2 for concrete roofing
- $70 to $110m2 for metal roofing
- $80 to $110m2 for terracotta roofing
- $200 to $500m2 for slate roofing
Size Of Roof
Speaking of metre square, the size of the roof matters a lot. If your building is big, you may have to pay more to get a new roof. While a 200 square metre concrete roofing may cost around $10,000, a 300 square metre roofing may cost around $15,000.
For a 200 square metre roof, here is a quick estimate:
$10000 to $16,000 for concrete roofing
$14,000 to $22,000 for metal roofing
$16,000 to $22,000 for terracotta roofing
$40,000 to $100,000 for slate roofing
The price is an indicative figure. Price can go up depending on extra work such as removing old tiles, re battening work, re-sarking, fixing dips, flashing work and so on
Roof pitch
The steepness of the pitch may also play a role in the cost of a new roof. While, a moderate pitch roof may cost relatively cheap, high pitched roofs would cost more.
Single Or Two-Storey Building
Speaking of high, the number of storeys affect the cost of a new roof. Since it takes more time, risk, resources, and skills to work on a higher building, a two-storey building would cost more to work on than a single-storey building. It is simply easier to access the lower buildings.
Access Issues
There are other access issues that may affect the cost of a new roof. If it is hard to get labour and resources to your building, this may affect the cost. Also, depending on your building layout and roofing structure, it might more complicated to work on your roof. A scaffolding may be required to get the job done. Factors like these may affect the cost of re-roofing.
Scope Of Work
Getting a new roof may come with more jobs, depending on your roof design and structure. If there are other installations that need to be worked on, you will have to invest more. Replacing things like gutters and rafters may quickly raise the cost. Faults with the chimney, skylights, and flashings would also affect the price of the new roof.
What About Roof Replacement?
Sometimes, what you want isn’t just a new roof. You may want to replace the present roof with a new roofing material. You may want to change the pitch or the structure. Maybe you want to turn a single-storey building to a two-storey building.
Beside the factors we already mentioned, these other unique considerations would influence how much it takes to get a new roof. For example, for a 200 square metre roof, you may need:
- $6000 to $10,000 to replace a metal roof with Colorbond
- $15,000 to $20,000 to replace an asbestos roof with Colorbond
- $16,000 to $24,000 to replace a tiled roof with Colorbond
Talking to a professional roofer would help you understand what goes into your unique situation.
Choosing The Right Roofing Professional
Finding the right roofing professional cannot be overemphasized. You should have a working checklist to qualify professionals for the task. Here is some suggestions. You have to make sure:
- They are registered
- They are insured
- They are licensed
- They are established
- They offer warranty
- They deliver a straightforward quote
- They have the reference of satisfied customers
Re-roofing your house will save you a lot of stress down the line. You shouldn’t be careless about it. If you follow the recommendations here, you should have your roof up and ready in no time.