The answer depends on what lies beneath when it s time for a new roof your options are to re roof over the one you have or tear the old one off and start from scratch.
Roofing layover vs tear off.
Here is a scenario we hear about all the time.
It s good to know that you can only choose this option if your roof has not been overlaid previously.
In our chicago area we almost always do a tear off.
In general it is not a good roofing practice to overlay a traditional asphalt shingle roof versus a complete tear off and replacement with a new roof for the very reason you stated.
What you need to know.
Roof tear off vs.
If you don t take your roof down to the sheathing you will never know if you have proper underlayment or are experiencing sheathing rot or ice or water damage.
Tear off or re roof.
To cover the old roof the missing shingles would be replaced before installing a new layer or the difference in thickness.
Dave law last updated january 24 2020.
It takes a lot more labor to completely remove all the existing roofing material and then replace all the layers removed.
The old roofing also has to be disposed of properly which adds to the cost.
While some municipalities allow by code a second layer we do not recommend it.
Most codes allow two layers of shingles before tear off is required.
This is primarily because it is going to allow you to replace your aging roof instead of covering it up completely.
The tear off method is exactly what it sounds like.
In roofing a tear off removes all layers of shingles and underlayment from a roofing system.
An overlay roof occurs when keep your existing roof as is choosing instead to shingle on top of it.
This contractor told me i don t need to tear off my existing shingles when we re do our roof we get it.
Replacing a roof is not what many people want to spend their hard earned money on.
Higher costs on average a tearoff roofing job costs around 25 percent more than an overlay.
You can t examine the decking to determine if there is any damage that needs repaired.
In just about every scenario you are going to be able to experience better overall results when you opt for a tear off versus a layover.
A layover typically refers to adding a new layer of shingles over the existing shingles.
2nd layer of shingles.