No one wants to have to replace the roof on their home. Roofs are expensive, and a new roof doesn’t give you the kind of boost in enjoyment of your home that, say, a new kitchen does. But having a strong roof is important for protecting your home, and in that sense, a roof replacement is one of the most important things you can do for a home.
The lifespan of a roof is usually somewhere around 20-25 years, depending on the kind of roof you have, how well you keep up on maintenance and the climate in which you live. Roofs for houses in colder climates may not last as long as those in warmer climates because of the wear and tear caused by climate extremes. In addition, if your roof is regularly exposed to thunderstorms with high winds and hail, you could be facing roof replacement sooner rather than later.
While replacing your roof or roof repair can be necessary if your roof is starting to fail or if weather has damaged shingles, there are some other benefits to roof replacement. Your roof plays a role in the energy efficiency of your home, with conventional roofing materials absorbing about 85% or more of the sunlight that hits them. Doing a roof replacement that involves more energy-efficient materials can have a big effect on your cooling bills. The most energy-efficient roofing materials can reflect about 65% of sunlight, meaning only about 35% of the sun’s heat is absorbed. That can reduce your cooling costs by about 10 to 15%.
While conventional roofing consists of asphalt or cedar shingles, you can make your home even more energy efficient by switching to metal roofing materials. Installing reflective metal roofing can reduce your cooling costs by as much as 40% because reflective metal absorbs very little heat. The drawback is that metal roofing may not work on your home. You usually have to have a flat roof or a roof with very little pitch to be able to use metal roofing materials. It is a solution that makes a lot more sense on commercial buildings.
Replacing your roof when it has reached the end of its usable life not only protects your home from the elements, it also is likely to improve your energy efficiency and also may reduce your homeowners insurance premiums. Such numerous benefits can make the cost of a new roof easier to stomach.
