Roofs last for a long time, with the average asphalt shingle roof commonly lasting up to 20 to 25 years. But there will come a time when you must have your roof replaced. Since your roof is your frontline defense against external factors like rain, wind, snow, and sunlight, you must repair or replace it as needed to avoid having issues within your home. Some homeowners think that nailing over their old roofs will significantly save costs than having them replaced, which is not advised. Why is nailing a new roof over your old one a bad idea? Expert roofing contractors from Roofmasters Roofing are here to tell you!
One of the biggest reasons not to nail over an old roof is that it will void most of the warranties involved with your roof. As roofs are made with warranties that indicate specific terms and conditions, voiding them by violating the terms stated in the warranty will not only deprive you of many benefits provided by it but will also pose more problems than the ones they will potentially solve.
Just like when you put two layers of sheet metal on top of each other, nailing over or “going over” your old roof will significantly increase the overall weight of the layer. Not only that but placing new shingles over your old ones will pose a multitude of problems that will end up costing you a lot more in the long run.
One is that the underlying older shingles have already been subjected to wear and tear, and are quite possibly already badly curled and have become brittle. Putting new shingles on top of them will just add undue stress on the underlying support structure, and their compromised compositions don’t add the protection that you think they will. Most roofs are only designed to take, at most, two layers of shingles. Adding a third layer onto the old ones will just be counterproductive, not to mention risky.
Another problem with nailing over them is that your older shingles will end up absorbing more heat during the day, and will affect the performance and lifespan of the new shingles you nailed over them. Doing this wears out the new shingles faster than if you installed them directly onto your wood sheathing or deck.
Lastly, instead of putting new shingles on your old ones, it is better to have your roof properly inspected, stripped, and replaced. A full roof replacement is better as it addresses all existing problems and mitigates the possibility of having roofing issues in the future. Don’t believe hearsay and myths just because you want to save money. You’ll actually be saving a lot more money in the long run if you replace everything in one go than having multiple repairs done over the year because your old shingles are compromising your new ones.
Need a sheet metal fabrication company for your designs? Roofmasters Roofing and Sheet Metal Company, Inc is a family-owned roofing system company that has continuously delivered high-quality services and products since 1979. We take pride in our workmanship and provide only top-of-the-line products that are used in our residential, commercial, and metal roofing systems. With roofing experts with over 40 years of experience and skill, we assure you that our workers are highly qualified, skilled, and have all undergone rigorous training to provide the best roofing services you’ll ever need!
For any inquiries, contact us through (785) 628-3614 or fill out our contact form to request an estimate. We proudly serve clients and customers in Hays and Colby, KS.