Posted by Roofco February 23, 2019
If your roof has seen better days, it’s probably looking worn and leaky. You’re now pondering on whether to repair, restore, or replace the entire roofing. When your roof starts showing sign of age, roof repair and replacement aren’t the only options. Restoration is a more cost-effective way to add more life to your existing roof.
Roof repair, restoration, and replacement: what’s the difference?
Many homeowners can’t quite tell the difference between roof repair and restoration. The difference is quite simple; roof repair deals with specific roof problems as identified by an experienced roofer. So here, the roofer may fix a leaking roof or replace damaged shingles and that’s about it. Roof restoration, on the other hand, is more intensive and comprehensive. It involves cleaning, repairing and re-coating. You can think of roof restoration as a complete roofing makeover. It prolongs the life of your roof while saving you the expense of a full roof replacement. As a fact, roof restoration costs 50-70% less than replacement, yet it still prolongs the life of your roofing. And, this is not the only benefit: Here are more benefits.
Restoration Provides Tax Benefits
While replacement is considered a capital expense, restoration falls under maintenance budget making the latter have a strong tax advantage. Since roof restoration is a maintenance expense, you can immediately expense your costs. In most instances, you’re likely to pay more when you capitalize the expense and recover the costs through depreciation than you would when you take the current maintenance deduction. Ideally, roofs have an average life of 20 years. The idea behind restoration is to extend your roofs life as long as possible.
Minimal Disruption to Day-to-Day living
A roof replacement requires removing the old roof, gathering the remnants from the site, then finally building the new roof; a process that involves welding, drilling, and nailing. With roof replacement, disruption is inevitable. Conversely, roof restoration is less intrusive, faster and cleaner (no odors and harsh chemicals to deal with). During the initial installation phases, you can conduct business as usual.
Eco-Friendliness
Roof restoration promotes environmental responsibility. The remnants of your existing roof, when you choose to replace the roof, end up in the already overflowing landfills. Roof restoration is an excellent way to recycle and reuse the current building materials. More on eco-friendliness: opt for cool roof coatings that emit lower carbon dioxide and other emissions into the air. Cool roof coatings decrease smog formation and respiratory illnesses. Furthermore, cool roof coatings are highly reflective, increasing solar reflectivity thus reducing interior coating costs.
Prevents Catastrophic Losses
Finally, restoring your roof can prevent a catastrophic loss. As age catches up with your home, the roof deteriorates over time, and the likelihood of roof leaks increase. As time passes, the damage becomes worse and at some point, if you fail to take immediate action, the only option will be a total replacement. Continued neglect on roof repairs can put the whole structure at risk. Instead of handling one repair after the other, the solution to an aging roof is restoration.
Roof repairs, restoration, and replacement all have their time and place. After a thorough inspection, a professional roofer should be able to help you decide the best cause of action concerning your roof.