Repair or Replace a Roof After a Storm in Hempstead

What decides between a repair and a replacement?

The decking, the underlayment, the extent of the covering damage and the number of places that leak. Those four things decide most of the choice.

The decking is the most important factor. If the boards are sound, a repair can hold, and if they are soft across a broad area, a replacement is usually the better choice. The underlayment is the second factor, since a split or brittle underlayment lets water through to the decking whatever the covering.

The extent of the covering damage is the third. A few lifted or cracked shingles in one area are a repair, while brittle shingles across most slopes are a replacement. The number of places that leak is the fourth, since repeated leaks from different places point to a covering that is nearing the end of its life.

What the age of the roof tells you

Age sets the expected condition of the covering and the decking, but it does not decide the answer alone. A new roof can need repair after a storm, and an old one can be sound.

A roof's age tells the roofer what to expect. An older roof is more likely to have soft decking, brittle underlayment and a covering near the end of its life. But an older roof that has been well kept can be sound, and a newer roof with a badly flashed valley can leak.

The age is therefore one input to the decision. The inspection and the decking check are the main inputs, and the note states the age where it is known, so the homeowner can weigh it.

Why do repeated leaks matter?

Because a covering that leaks in several places after storms is often past its useful life, and each repair is a short-term fix. Several leaks in different places are a sign the roof has reached the end of its life.

A single leak at a single flashing joint is usually a repair. Several leaks in different places, after different storms, point to a covering that has lost its seal across much of the roof. Each repair fixes one place and the rest remains exposed.

The roof record shows the pattern. A homeowner who has had three or four repairs in three years should ask the roofer whether a replacement now costs less than the next set of repairs.

What the inspection report should show

The condition of each slope, the flashing at each opening, the decking as far as it can be checked, the attic and the age where known. The report should state the recommendation and the reasons.

The report should show each slope and its condition, the flashing at the openings, the gutters and the attic. It should note the decking as far as it could be checked safely, and say what could not be checked.

It should also give a recommendation, a repair or a replacement, with the reasons. A report that states its reasons is easier for the homeowner to rely on than one that gives only a verdict.

What about the insurer's view?

The insurer decides what is covered under the policy, which may differ from the roofer's recommendation. The homeowner can ask the insurer to explain the basis for its decision in writing.

A roofer may recommend a replacement while the insurer covers only part of the work, or the reverse. The insurer's decision is made under the policy, and the homeowner pays any difference that the policy does not cover.

The homeowner should ask the insurer to explain its decision in writing, and should keep the roofer's report and photographs for the discussion. The report is the evidence, and the decision is the insurer's.

How to decide with the report in hand

Read the recommendation, check it against the decking and the number of leaks, ask the roofer to explain any part that is unclear and decide with the insurer's position known.

Read the report's recommendation and check it against the findings. Ask the roofer to show the decking that was checked, and to explain why a repair will or will not hold. Compare the cost of the repair with the cost of a replacement over the next few years, not only the cost today.

Once the insurer's position is known, decide. The decision should be written down, with the reasons, so the homeowner can see why it was made later.

• The condition of the decking and the underlayment
• The extent of the covering damage
• The number of places that have leaked
• The insurer's written position on what it covers

What to do in the meantime

Keep the roof covered where it is open, watch the parts in the report after each storm and keep the record up to date. A temporary cover is a sensible step while the decision is made.

While the decision is being made, keep any open area covered with a temporary tarp, and check the tarp after each storm. Watch the parts listed in the report, and photograph any change with the date.

Keep the record up to date. The note from each visit and each storm is part of the evidence for the decision and for any claim.

The decking check in detail

The decking is checked from the attic, by pressing the boards and looking for dark stains, soft spots and gaps, and from the roof, where soft boards can be felt underfoot. The findings decide whether a repair can hold.

From the attic, the roofer presses each suspect board and looks for stains, dark wood and gaps. A board that gives under pressure, or that shows fungal growth, is soft and needs replacing. From the roof, the roofer walks the slope from a safe position and checks for soft spots that give underfoot.

The findings are recorded on a simple diagram, so the homeowner can see where the soft boards are. A repair that is made on decking where the boards are sound can hold, while a repair on soft boards will fail, and the report says which is the case.

Shingle age, wind damage and the choice

An older shingle loses its flexibility, and a brittle shingle breaks when lifted to reseal it. That is the point at which a repair of the wind damage becomes a replacement of the covering.

Shingles that are many years old can become brittle, and the roofer tests the flexibility of a sample before deciding a repair. A shingle that breaks when lifted cannot be resealed, and a few of those can be replaced. When the brittle shingles are across most slopes, the repair becomes a replacement of the covering.

The roofer explains the test and the result, so the homeowner can see why a particular repair is or is not possible.

Looking at the cost over several years

The choice is not only about the cost today. A repair that needs repeating each year costs more over time than a replacement, and the roofer can show the pattern from the record.

A repair is cheaper today, but a roof that needs several repairs over a few years can cost more in total than a replacement. The record of repairs shows the pattern, and the homeowner can compare the total of the repairs with the cost of a replacement. No price is given on this site, and the roofer's quote is the basis for the comparison.

The homeowner should compare the cost of the next few years of repairs with the cost of a replacement, and consider the life of the new covering and the warranty terms that the business offers.

Scheduling the work after the decision

Once the decision is made, the work is booked, the scope is signed and the insurer's position is recorded. Scheduling in the dry months is usually more reliable, though a storm can change the timetable.

After the decision, the roofer books the crew and the scope is signed. The homeowner records the insurer's position in writing, and keeps the scope with the report. If the insurer's position changes, the scope is reviewed before the work begins.

The crew is scheduled around the weather. A homeowner should expect the work to take the time the scope states, plus any delay for weather, and should keep the house protected in the meantime.

When the insurer's view and the roofer's view differ

The roofer recommends the repair or replacement that the roof needs, and the insurer decides the payment under the policy. When the two differ, the homeowner should ask both to explain the reasons in writing.

A roofer may recommend a replacement while the insurer covers only a repair, or the reverse. Both views are based on the evidence, and both should be explained. A written explanation from each is the basis for resolving the difference.

If the difference cannot be resolved, the homeowner can ask the insurer to review the decision, or take the matter to the state regulator's complaint process. A roofer's report can be submitted with that request.