4 Reasons to Restore Rather Than Replace Your Building’s Roof

By Cass Jacoby, RCS Reporter. 

What to consider if you are weighing your options between replacing a roof or restoring it. 

Here are the top four reasons to consider restoring your building’s roof rather than replacing it. 

1 – Cost-effectiveness 

Complete roof replacements are expensive. Between the labor and material cost, removing the old roof and, depending on the roofing system selected, a roof restoration can save up to 60% versus the cost of replacement since the process requires less labor and materials. 

2 - Extends roof life 

Most roofs age out around 20 years but a restoration could add up to 20 or more years to the roof life. Tremco puts forward that with this kind of flexibility, you can defer a complete replacement and make plans for it to happen when it's best for your budget. Further a recoat at the end of the service life of the restoration system can further extend the life of the original roof. 

3 - Better for the environment 

Restoration is greener because it allows you to repair and reuse your existing roof. Tons of roofing waste end up in landfills each year. By keeping your old roof, you significantly reduce the amount of waste you contribute. Plus, roof restoration can make your building more energy efficient. 

4 – Helps prevent catastrophic loss 

Ignoring the fact that a roof is deteriorating doesn’t make the problem go away; it can only get worse. The more time passes, the greater the potential damage and the more it costs to restore it. At some point, the only option will be total replacement. Continued neglect can put a business, employees and tenants at risk. 

So, you want to restore your roof, now what? 

First and foremost, you have to discover if your roof can be restored by starting with a simple visual inspection. 

Look for pools of standing water, blisters, wet insulation, open seams and gaps in flashings and other typical deficiencies that can seriously damage your roof. You can also see damage from inside the building via water stains mold growth and unusual odors. If you find problems like these, your next step should be more thorough diagnostics such as an infrared scan, to determine how severe they are. 

It's a good idea to bring in roofing professionals who can conduct an inspection, as they will measure the moisture beneath the surface, analyze underlying materials, examine the oof conditions, calculate slope and give recommendations for solutions, including a cost benefit analysis of restoration versus replacement. 

Schedule your no-cost roof inspection today. Plus, learn more about our comprehensive roof and building envelope management services. 

Have a question? AskARoofer. 

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