Tearing off is a pain, no question, but I ended up doing it after a lot of back and forth. My house is a 1960s ranch in upstate NY, so we get the full range—snow, ice, summer heat. The old shingles were curling at the edges and there were a few spots where the granules were just gone. I was tempted to layer because the cost difference was pretty significant (quotes were about $2k less for a layover), but I kept thinking about what might be hiding underneath.
When the crew finally tore everything off, we found two small sections of rotted decking right above the bathroom vent—wouldn’t have caught that if I’d just gone over the top. They swapped out the bad plywood, put down ice & water shield, and then new shingles. It was messy and loud for a couple days, but honestly, I sleep better knowing there’s nothing sketchy under there. Plus, my insurance company actually gave me a small discount for doing a full tear-off (maybe not everywhere, but worth asking).
I get the appeal of layering, especially if the first layer is still pretty flat and you’re not planning to stay in the house forever. My neighbor did a layover about eight years ago—no leaks yet, but you can see some uneven spots where the old shingles weren’t totally flat. Doesn’t bother him, but it would drive me nuts.
One thing I didn’t expect: the dumpster for all those old shingles took up half my driveway for a week, and the cleanup was more than I bargained for (found stray nails in the grass months later). If you go the tear-off route, maybe ask about how they handle cleanup.
In hindsight, I’m glad I went with the full tear-off, but I can see why people layer—sometimes you just need to buy time. For me, peace of mind won out over saving a couple grand.
I went through almost the exact same debate last year—1965 split-level, Hudson Valley, and those winters are no joke. I’ll admit, I was tempted to just layer new shingles over the old ones because the price difference was hard to ignore. But after poking around in the attic and seeing a couple water stains near the chimney, I got nervous about what might be lurking under there.
Ended up doing a full tear-off, and honestly, it was eye-opening. Found a patch of moldy insulation where an old leak had gone unnoticed, plus some decking that felt like walking on a trampoline. The crew replaced what needed fixing, and I went with a recycled-content shingle for the new roof—figured if I’m already making a mess, might as well try to do it greener.
The dumpster situation was rough (my dog found every stray nail), but I did ask the contractor about recycling the old shingles. Turns out, some places will actually take them for road paving material. Not every roofer offers that, but it’s worth asking if you care about landfill waste.
Peace of mind is huge, but for me, knowing I wasn’t just covering up problems—or sending everything straight to the dump—made the hassle worth it.
That’s such a familiar story—funny how you never really know what’s hiding under those old shingles until you commit to the tear-off. I had a similar “trampoline” moment with my own roof, and it was a little unnerving realizing how much damage can go unnoticed for years. It’s easy to see why folks want to just layer over and call it a day, especially with the cost difference, but like you said, peace of mind is huge.
I love that you went with recycled-content shingles. I did something similar, and while it felt like a drop in the bucket, it was nice knowing I wasn’t just adding to the landfill problem. The shingle recycling thing is hit or miss around here too—my contractor acted like I was speaking another language when I brought it up, but eventually found a place that would take them. It took some extra effort, but honestly, seeing less waste at the end made the whole mess feel a bit more worthwhile.
And yeah, the stray nails... my dog thought they were buried treasure. Still finding them in the yard months later.
Layering over old shingles gets a bad rap sometimes, but I’ve seen it work out fine in certain situations—especially on roofs with just one layer and no signs of rot or sagging. Not saying it’s always the best call, but if the decking’s solid and you’re not dealing with a ton of weight from snow loads, it can buy you some years without breaking the bank. Curious if anyone’s run into warranty issues after a layover? That’s the one thing I see bite people later.
Had a client once who insisted on a layover—single layer, decking looked fine, and they wanted to dodge the mess and cost of a full tear-off. It worked for about eight years, but then a hailstorm rolled through and the insurance adjuster took one look and said nope, no coverage because of the second layer. Manufacturer warranty was also voided. Not saying it’s always a disaster, but man, those fine print details can sneak up on you... especially after a storm. If you’re in a high-risk area, I’d think twice before skipping the tear-off.
