On Friday, February 14, 2020 at 9:23:15 AM UTC-5, micky wrote:
I need a new roof, or a repair of the old one.

The shingles are still very good. One plywood sheet is sagging an inch
at the top. The recommended repair is just the ridge rail,

What's a ridge rail? You mean ridge vent?


the fan, one
sheet of plywood, and the shingles above it. Why not just repair it and
then replace the whole roof in 5 or 10 years.

What was identified as the cause of this problem?




(The roof is 13 years old
now) (Shingles used to patch it likely won't perfectly match what's
there now, and though I don't spend much time looking at roofs, I don't
recall anyone else here with unmatched shingles, and I don't rmember it
being a violation of any HOA rule.)

Probably depends on the color, but they will look better in a couple
years as they weather and blend in.




Is there any problem mixing 1/2" plywood with 3/8"?
Will it look
funny from the ground? I think it has 3/8" now, going back to 1979.
(It's not the problematic fire-resistant.)

I think you're wrong and I doubt 3/8 was permitted. Is the roofer
suggesting to mix? If so, time for a new roofer. What happens if
shingles wind up getting nailed near a transition? And what's the
point to using a different thickness for one section?





Is there a point to putting shingles over the ridge vent? Does it make
a plastic ridge vent last appreciably longer?

The ones I'm familiar with require cap shingles, they are not intended to
be left totally exposed. And it makes it look better, close to a regular
roof with cap shingles.





One roofer is suggesting architectural shingles.

That's the smart one.


Are they made out of a different material or are they just thicker?

Both, probably and they have a different more complicated and nicer
look to them, as well as last longer.


Their shape, alternate wide and narrow, will clash with my next-door
attached townhouse (and every house in the n'hood.) Would any of you
care about that?

That's a problem, you're going to look like a hippie weirdo and the
neighbors will probably kick your ass too.



He says it's guaranteed for 50 years, transferrable to next owner. Is
that as good as it sounds, or will the next roofer say the warranty is
void** because the plywood is soft after 70 years

If the roof is done right, vented right, shingles replaced before they
fail, the plywood should not go soft. And the next roofer isn't going to
say anything about this roofer's warranty, he has nothing to do with it.
If it's a warranty from the manufacturer, they will have to deal with it.


(most of it is 40
years old now and 30 years from now, long before the 50 year warranty is
over, it will be 70 years old.) **OR, the warranty is good but it
doesn't matter because we have to rip off the warranted shingles to
replace the plywood and we can't reuse the shingles.

What specific shingles is in the proposal? What does the manufacturer
say about the lifespan? Architectural last longer, but 50 sounds too
long to me. Is that guarantee from the roofer or the manufacturer
and what exactly does it say? I'd bet that if someone went with a
problem at 30 years, good chance they would find some way not to pay
it. Also, does it cover the shingles and labor or just shingles?






Is there a problem using a roof fan that is larger than necessary?

Yes. If there is insufficient intake openings, it creates excessive
negative pressure in the attic, which will suck cold air from inside
the house into the attic through any available cracks, electric outlets,
etc.




Any experience with the GAF fan that has WiFi/Bluetooth remote control?
Is it of any use?

Yes, to GAF and the installer. When the electronic BS fail in the hot
attic, they get to sell and install a new one.



I have full width soffitt vents in the front and back
of a townhouse.
(Let's not do one more round of telling me I don't need a roof fan.
Every time I mention the fan, people claim I don't need it but my
experience is different, my mind is made up, and by now it's just
annoying.)

Just to be clear, the reason people said no fan is because you have a
ridge vent. With your cooling problem, how much insulation is in
the attic? More insulation into an 80s house would probably have a
reasonable payback time.