- Couldn’t agree more about not trusting scans alone—seen too many “surprise” mushrooms under old shingles.
- Full tear-off’s a pain, but at least you know what you’re dealing with (and you can sneak in some recycled insulation if you’re feeling green).
- Layering’s okay if you’re 100% sure there’s no rot... but how often is that, really?
- Plus, if you ever want to go solar, most installers want a fresh deck anyway. Just something to think about.
I keep going back and forth on this too. My place is about 25 years old, and the inspector said the shingles “looked fine,” but then I found a soft spot near the gutter last fall. That kind of killed my confidence in just layering over. The idea of tearing everything off sounds like a headache (and a hit to the wallet), but I’d rather deal with it now than find out there’s rot or mold hiding underneath later. Plus, I’m in the Midwest, so ice dams are a thing—seems like you want to know what’s under there before winter hits again. Still, I get why people layer if the roof’s in good shape... just feels like a gamble.
Totally get where you’re coming from. I’m in a similar boat—my place is 22 years old, and every time I look at the roof, my wallet starts sweating.
-
“The idea of tearing everything off sounds like a headache (and a hit to the wallet), but I’d rather deal with it now than find out there’s rot or mold hiding underneath later.”
Same here. The upfront cost hurts, but hidden rot is like a ticking time bomb. I had a neighbor who just kept layering, and when he finally had to replace it, the plywood was basically mulch. Not pretty.
- Midwest winters are brutal. Ice dams + old shingles = potential disaster. I patched a soft spot last year and now I’m paranoid there’s more going on under there.
- Layering is tempting for the price, but if there’s even one sketchy spot, it feels like gambling with the whole house.
- Tear-off is expensive and messy, but at least you know what you’re dealing with. Plus, some warranties won’t cover layered roofs (learned that the hard way).
If money was no object, I’d tear it all off and sleep better. But yeah... my bank account disagrees.
I’m right there with you. My house is only 15 years old, but I found a leak last fall and had to make a call. The roofer said I could layer, but when he pulled up a few shingles to check, there was some soft wood underneath. That pretty much made the decision for me. It sucked paying for the full tear-off, but at least I know what’s up there now. Still hurts the bank account, though...
That pretty much made the decision for me. It sucked paying for the full tear-off, but at least I know what’s up there now.
Had a similar situation last year—thought I could just add a layer, but once I started pulling up shingles, the decking was spongy in spots. No way around it. The upfront cost stings, but catching that rot early probably saved me a bigger headache down the line. Sometimes shortcuts just aren’t worth it...
