"Seeker"
wrote in message
...
I have a twenty-two year old home. I am assuming that the builder
quality shingles used in construction of the house mean I should be
looking at a new roof...soon!

This will be the first roof I have ever replaced. One company,
check-rated in the local consumer guide, came and gave me an estimate
for reshingling over the old roof.

Another company, with a good reputation but not check-rated in the
same guide, said they would not re-roof over an old roof and gave me
what sounded like reasonable reasons for so arguing.

Leaves me up in the air: two seemingly good companies, one saying
reshingle, the other saying don't.

What's the common wisdom on this? Reshingle or tear up the old
shingles and do a new roof?

Many thanks,
bob

This is Turtle.

When you have new carpet laid in your house , do you lay new carpet over the
old or take the old up and put new ? Your Choice.

A lot of professional don't like to over lay old shingles for it will not be
smooth and have high and low places. Also you have the
old felt which helps the shingle last , will become dry and not help the
shingles retain the oil of the shingles.

TURTLE


---
This is Tom. A re-roof job usually won't last as long as a tear-off job. That
said, how much longer are you planning on living there? And the
dimensional-type shingles look even better (more "woody")when they're overlaid,
IMNSHO. What _about_ carpeting? And the roofing felt has nothing to do with the
shingle's longevity, more so to help keep the tradespeople and their tools dry
during early phases of construction, and as a second line of defense against
ice dams. A good roof _will_ last longer if it's allowed to breathe. A properly
insulated and ventilated roof can get away with NO felt underlayment at all (I
think the building code writers may be in bed with some manufacturers!).
Possibly one of the biggest problems in getting a re-roof done is the
propensity for roofers to try to re-use the old flashings. Don't allow the
re-use of a plumbing vent flashing, or step flashing.Certain counterflashings
may be okay. Tom
Someday, it'll all be over....