On Dec 9, 1:03 pm, (Una) wrote:
I am considering alternatives re how to repair an old, leaking roof.

The roof has a shallow pitch (4 in 12?) and a single layer of asphalt
shingles in bad condition. They are not curling much but they are
badly weathered and missing many edges. And there are plenty of leaks.
I don't know how long the roof has been leaking; it leaked already
when we bought the house last year. (We factored the cost of a new
roof into the purchase price.)

Part of the roof is over an attic. Under the shingles is tar paper
over sheathing. From inside the attic (crawl space) in many spots
the sheathing is cracked or broken. The roof has an 18" overhang
and neither soffits nor ridge are vented. The attic has gable ends
with vents but at one end the vent is covered with siding.

Another part of the roof is over an addition with a ceiling of
exposed rafters and tongue&groove boards. I don't know what lies
between the asphalt shingles and the ceiling. Probably not much,
because the addition gets very cold in winter and hot in summer.

The house is in very sunny and dry New Mexico at 7000' elevation
(so nights are cold). It has no AC nor a swamp cooler but is cool
in summer thanks to deciduous trees that overhang the west side
of the house (blocking afternoon sun) and good cross ventilation.
The climate is "high desert", so heavy snows, monsoon rains, and
significant hail storms are normal.

A recommended local roofer proposes to strip the old shingles then
install new shingles. I anticipate once the old shingles are off
I will hear that the sheathing needs repairs and the roof needs to
be vented. Should I go with stripping the old shingles? Should I
plan to replace the sheathing?

Una

Ok...here maby an alternative for you to at least consider....no, not
move, LOL.

Look into a METAL roof.

They are more expensive than a traditional asphalt shingle..but
consider these factors:

The tear-off costs are money that largely goes away when the
contractor leaves, because the difference between a nail over and a
tearoff is largely in the LABOR costs and dump fees..material costs
are not significantly higher, (felt, felt nails, maybe ice guard).....

So some of the metal roof costs are off set by the labor difference
becasue you do not need to tearoff an existing roof to install a metal
roof!

Also..a SQUARE of metal roofing weighs approx 80#'s. That is the
weight of one BUNDLE of shingles and one bundles times THREE makes a
square, so 80#s vs 240 -350 per square! SO long-term weight factor is
in metal roofings favor!

Now here is the most intriguing part...metal roofing can be installed
over non-traditional roof decking (open spanning)...so depending on
your existing deck..you may be able to SAVE all the extra carpentry
dollars and labor..so again...that offsets some more of the metals
cost!

A metal roof lasts longer than shingles, has a class 4 hail rating vs
class 2 in traditional 30 yr dimensional shingles, resists wind OVER
120 MPH vs 80 mph for 30 years, there are also tax benefits for metal
roof owners that asphalt shingles cannot get
....AND.....some insurers offer homeowner discounts for installing a
metal roof....

Finally there is this to remember.....it's a METAL roof...VERY
COOL...and very value added to your home!!!!

visit here to learn more.
http://atas.com
http://www.hometips.com/cs-protected...metalroof.html
http://www.metalroofing.com


GOOD LUCK!