How Often Should You Replace Your Roof?

From winter to spring and summer to fall, your roof provides a solid defence against snow, rain, wind, hail, and heat. While your roof continues to be exposed to hazardous weather conditions, it remains vigilant to protect your home and its inhabitants. Unfortunately, roofs do not last forever. When your roof reaches or surpasses its expected lifespan, it may be time to consider a roof replacement. There will likely be some red flags in the months or even years prior that indicate the need for a new roof.

How long your roof lasts will primarily depend on the type of roof you own and how well you maintained it over the years. Common three-tab asphalt shingles are one of the most affordable roofing options. However, this affordability comes at a price – a reduced lifespan. Most roofs with asphalt shingles will last an estimated 15 to 20 years. You can expect architectural asphalt shingles to last a bit longer at an average of 25 to 30 years. Galvalume or metal roofing materials have an estimated lifespan of 30 to 45 years, and concrete tile generally lasts between 30 and 50 years. Other factors can also impact your roofs’ lifespan, such as the colour, orientation, and slope of your roof. Darker-coloured roofs typically absorb more heat than lighter-coloured roofs. If the person lives in a warm climate with lots of suns, their roof may need to be replaced more often. If your roof has a slope facing south, the sun will have a bigger impact, which causes a reduction in the roof’s lifespan. Also, consider the pitch of the roof. Roofs with a high pitch will generally last longer as rain and snow cannot settle as easily.

Where you live has a major impact on how long your roof lasts due to the differences in weather. If you reside in an area that experiences frequent temperature fluctuations or have harsh climate conditions, your roof will most likely have a shorter lifespan. Even if you live somewhere with near-constant sunny skies and warm temperatures, your roof can still suffer. Heat and UV radiation can shorten the life expectancy of your roof. It is important to take weather into consideration when determining whether you need a roof replacement. Looking for roof restoration Melbourne? Look no further! Top Glaze has you covered. 

How Long Can You Expect Your Roof Last

If you are buying or selling a house, odds are you’re hyper-focused on the layout, the closet space and the yard – all aspects that a homeowner can’t easily change. But another important consideration is necessary home repairs. For instance, roofs are designed to be replaced every 30 years, and appliances rarely last that long. Understanding the life span of appliances and home fixtures can help you decide when to repair and when to replace them.

If you’re a buyer, you may be wondering if you can get a discount on the price if a roof is going to need to be replaced soon. The most expensive components of a home are generally the roof, electrical, plumbing, furnace and air conditioning systems. The stakes are high for homeowners because replacing any one of these systems can mean a bill of four or five figures.

On the other hand, if you’re a seller, you might be worried you won’t be able to get a good price for your property if your roof or refrigerator is aging. Exactly how long your heating, plumbing, roof, air conditioning, water heater, and other home components will last vary, of course, based on the quality of the items, how well they’ve been maintained and where you live.

So if you’re thinking of buying or selling a house and you’re wondering how long you can expect your roof, refrigerator and other appliances to last, keep these factors – and expected feature life spans – in mind.

If you’re a buyer, remember the seller has already considered the condition of the home and its appliances. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t negotiate and ask for a lower price. The quickest way a buyer can assess if the asking price reflects the home’s condition is to ask the buyer’s broker to compare its price with the past sales in the immediate vicinity. So, if a kitchen is old and needs replacing, but the home is the same price as a neighbouring home that is move-in ready, the asking price should absolutely be negotiated down.

Conversely, if you’re a seller, be wary of decreasing the price too much due to aging components. If the refrigerator, oven and deck have seen better days, but the home is otherwise a good home and comparable to what people would find elsewhere in your neighbourhood, you should price your home competitively and seek guidance from a trustworthy real estate agent.

The Average Life of Roofing

The life expectancy of your roof depends on factors that include the roof design and the climate you live in, as well as the quality of installation and long-term care and maintenance. However, you can usually determine the average lifespan of your roof based on the material used to cover it. Check out our range of roof restoration services here.

Asphalt and Fiberglass Shingles

Roof shingles are available in asphalt compositions, which are covered in crushed stone or fibreglass. Asphalt shingles are inexpensive, low-maintenance and easy to install but tend to be less resistant to wind and heavy rain than other materials. The average lifespan of asphalt shingles ranges from 20 to 40 years depending on the manufacturer, although many warranties only guarantee between 15 and 25 years. Fibreglass shingles are more expensive but can last more than 50 years.

Wood Shingles and Shakes

Wood shingles and shakes are typically made from pressure-treated wood or cedar and are more expensive than asphalt shingles. This type of roofing requires periodic maintenance but is available in natural or pre-stained and aged finishes, which give your roof a weathered look. Wood shingles are typical insect and rot resistant and last about 30 years.

Copper and Steel

Metal roofing is typically made of galvanised or stainless steel sheeting, but copper sheets and tiles are also available. The cost of a steel roof depends on the sheet profile, the finish applied, and the size and shape of your roof, but it offers excellent durability with a lifespan of 50 years or more. Copper offers an Old World appeal to your roof as it ages to a pale green patina and can last up to 100 years.

Stone Tiles

Stone tiles are typically made of slate, clay or terra cotta, and concrete. This type of roofing resists fading and can withstand strong winds and heavy rain, but they’re extremely heavy and require professional installation. However, stone tile roofing is long-lasting because of its durability. Clay tile typically lasts 40 to 60 years, while slate and concrete tiles have a lifespan of 50 to 100 years.

Flat Roofs

The lifespan of a flat roof depends on the material covering it. Asphalt coverings use layers of felt combined with molten asphalt and topped with a coating of gravel. This is an inexpensive flat roofing option but typically only lasts about ten years. Rubber roofing, which may be EPDM or elastomeric membrane, is a synthetic rubber roofing membrane that is not covered with gravel. This roofing is more expensive than asphalt coatings but offers excellent UV resistance and durability. It typically has a lifespan of 40 to 50 years, although most manufacturer warranties only guarantee a lifespan of 10 to 15 years. Thermoplastic olefin membrane is another flat roof option made from ethylene propylene rubber and filler materials. It typically lasts between 40 and 50 years and is resistant to tears, punctures and UV rays.

How To Take Care of Your Roof

In order to maintain your roof, there have to be regular inspections. Seasonal or yearly checkups will lengthen the life of your roofing materials, preventing leaks that lead to damage, costly repairs, and horrors! the necessity for a complete roof replacement. We have a wide range of Melbourne roof replacement services at Top Glaze.

We decided to put together a quick list of roof maintenance tips that will alert you to any problems and help extend the life of your roof.

Roofs are designed to weather (literally) all kinds of storms, but there is going to be some wear and tear. So be sure your roof is ready for the next big storm by following these helpful tips on roof protection.

Inspect Your Shingles

Do yearly checks on your roof shingles especially after the wild weather months. But remember: It’s not just wind and wet that can damage your roof. Ultraviolet light from the sun’s rays can also wreak havoc over time. So be sure to examine your shingles as a regular part of your roof inspections to ensure they’re still installed properly and functioning as they should.

Trim Branches

If you have trees with overhanging branches, have them trimmed before the winter sets in. Heavy snow, wind, ice and other natural phenomena can whip branches around or pull them from the tree completely, causing damage to the root and the structures on top of it.

Unclog Gutters

Many of us are familiar with the problems associated with clogged gutters, which can include bubbling wall paint and rotting wood. But clogged gutters can overflow with so many leaves, bugs, and debris that the rain washes up instead of down. Over time, the water can damage the roof and the support beams that hold it aloft. You can imagine the kind of problems that will cause: the expensive kind. Clean your gutters and cleanouts heading into the spring and fall seasons.

Monitor Moss

Although moss adds an element of colour and a magical forest look to your roof, the damage it causes is no fairy tale. Left to grow unhindered, moss will damage roofs of all kinds — including asphalt, wood, and concrete. Here’s what happens: Moss grows between shingles. Over time, it will bulk up and actually lift the shingles away from the roof, meaning water can get inside. Plus, the moss itself holds water. Leaks and wood rot usually follow not far behind. You’ll have to scrub the moss away (or hire someone to do it) to prevent damage. So keep a close eye on moss! We recommend that zinc sulphate granules be sprinkled on the roof systematically and seasonally.

Insulate/Ventilate

A roof that’s properly and comprehensively insulated and ventilated is less likely to be at the mercy of excess moisture, which can lead to rot. Have your attic inspected to verify that you have the right — and the right amount — of insulation. Ventilation is especially important. This is an area of concern that most homeowners are usually unaware of, and PWR makes it a point to remind our customers just how important it is. A lot of times, they’re surprised to learn that an attic can “sweat.” How? Warm air will rise, contact the cold, inside plywood of the roof and create condensation, which inevitably leads to mould growth and rotting plywood. Make sure vents are allowing for the proper amount of air circulation. Properly insulated roofs can also help prevent ice dams. (See below.) Conversely, an improperly ventilated roof will make your home even hotter in the summer. If your attic doesn’t have enough balanced airflow, that hot air has nowhere to go, and it’s going to get hot in there with the sun beating relentlessly down on the roof during the summer. Properly ventilated roofs will also save you money on your electric bill since your AC unit won’t have to work as hard to keep the house cool.

Prevent Ice Dams

Speaking of which, roofs are susceptible to ice dams after heavy snowfall. Warm air in the attic causes the roof itself to warm up, melting the snow. Those tricky rivulets of water then refreeze when they reach colder portions of the roof. Next thing you know, additional meltwater gets trapped and starts to seep through the roof, staining ceilings and peeling paint. To prevent ice dams, go back and recheck your insulation and ventilation to make sure that your attic stays cool enough in the winter to keep ice dams from forming in the first place. As we move into the cooler fall and winter months, it’s really important to work to prevent ice dams.

Caulk the Flashings

Flashings are those strips of metal (usually aluminium, galvanised metal, or lead) that run along roof edges or joints. Flashing is necessary to divert water or to keep water out of tricky areas that shingles can’t cover, such as roof penetrations where the bathroom and kitchen pipes/vents extend through the surface of the roof. We can also use it near walls, skylights, and chimneys, and valleys. They can rust, crack, lift, or separate, depending on their installation. This means that a vital piece of roof protection is no longer functioning properly. Consider sealing the flashing with caulk at the places where it has become unstuck.