Maybe you have just recently moved into a new home, or you are getting ready to move within a few months. Then, before your big move, one thought popped into your head-since the new house is kind of old, when would I have to spend all of that money to repair or get a new roof? How will I even know if I need to invest in a new roof? Such answers can be found here!
If you are moving into an older home, you may want to play it safe and have a roofing contractor come out for a free quote. The roofing company should be able to tell you whether or not you need a new roof right now, or if you can wait a few years to replace it.
On the other hand, if you are moving into a newer home, you might be wondering how long the roof will last before you must invest in a new one. This is a great question to ask yourself and your roofing contractor so you can plan for this major, but critical home investment. Once again, you can call professional roofing contractors to inspect your roof and gutters to give you their opinion.
In the meantime, you can learn a little bit more about how long the average roof lasts. To start with, you can learn about the few factors that have significant, strong effects on the lifetime of your roof. These include:
- The color of your roof (light color versus dark color)-Some colors of roofing materials attract more sun than others, which, in turn, can cause your roof to age quicker.
- Ventilation options-If proper ventilation was not planned for when installing your roof, this can lead to a shorter lifespan for your roof.
- How your current roof was installed-This depends on the expertise and craftsmanship of the previous roofing contractors who originally installed the roof.
- The pitch or the angle of your roof-Every roof is different, so a thorough inspection is needed to assess this.
- The types of roofing materials that were used-This will highly depend on the area in which you live. For instance, homes located in the desert are typically made with different roofing materials than a home located where it snows a lot.
Far and beyond the previous factors, you should know that the climate you live in also has a significant impact on your roof’s lifespan. For instance, the following weather conditions could reduce the amount of years your average roof can last, including:
- Sun
- Wind
- Heavy rains
- Snow, hail, and ice
- Traffic (pertinent to commercial buildings)
- Movements in the building’s structure
- Temperature fluctuations
Those are just some factors that you can evaluate on your own before your roofing contractor arrives at your house for the thorough inspection. It is a good idea to research and understand these factors so that you can have an intelligent and thoughtful conversation with the roofing specialists about your current roof’s condition.
So taking all of these factors into play, how long could the average roof last? Well, the lifespan of an average roof is between 10-20 years. It is critical to keep in mind that you cannot expect a roof to last its entire lifetime without regular maintenance and repairs. As an example, you wouldn’t expect your car to last for 15 years without ever doing the routine maintenance and oil changes, would you? The same care and maintenance applies to your roof, too!
