I get the budget thing, but I gotta say, when I bought my place, there were two layers of shingles already. When it came time to replace, the tear-off was a nightmare—extra labor, more landfill fees, and my wallet definitely felt it. Sometimes saving now just means paying double later... especially if you’re in a spot with wild weather swings. Just something to chew on.
I get where you’re coming from—having to pay extra for a big tear-off down the line stings, no doubt. But honestly, I went the other way with my last place. The roof was only about 12 years old, but a hailstorm trashed it. I layered new shingles right over the old ones (local code allowed it), and it saved me a chunk of change upfront. No dumpster, no extra labor, just materials and a weekend up on the ladder.
Yeah, maybe I’ll have to pay more when it’s time for a full replacement, but I’m not sure I’ll even be here by then. Sometimes it’s about short-term savings, especially if you’re not planning to stay in the house for decades. Plus, in my area (Midwest), the winters are rough but the double layer actually seemed to help with insulation.
Not saying it’s perfect—if your roof deck is sketchy or you’ve got leaks, you gotta strip it down. But for some folks, layering isn’t the worst call. Just depends on your plans and how long you think you’ll stick around.
I totally get wanting to save some cash upfront, especially if you’re not planning to stick around long. But the double-layer thing never sat right with me. Maybe it’s just my luck, but every time I’ve seen a roof with two layers, it’s been a pain down the road—like, leaks sneaking in between the layers or shingles not sealing right because the base isn’t flat anymore. Plus, when it comes time to sell, a lot of buyers around here (Northeast) get spooked by layered roofs. Inspectors flag it, and suddenly you’re haggling over price or getting asked to do a full tear-off anyway.
And about the insulation—maybe there’s a tiny bump, but for me, adding attic insulation did way more for winter comfort than stacking shingles ever did. I get that everyone’s situation is different, though. Just feels like the short-term savings can come back to bite you depending on your plans.
Just feels like the short-term savings can come back to bite you depending on your plans.
Couldn’t agree more—layered roofs are like hiding dirty laundry under the bed. Sure, it looks fine for now, but wait till someone lifts the covers. Ever seen what happens when ice dams form on a double-layer? It’s like Niagara Falls in your attic. Curious if anyone’s actually had a buyer walk away just because of a second layer, or is it mostly just a bargaining chip?
I’ve seen buyers get cold feet over a second layer, but honestly, it’s usually just ammo for negotiating the price down. I’ve only had one deal totally fall apart because of it, and that was after the inspector found some rot underneath—double layers can really hide some ugly stuff. Most of the time, people just want a discount or ask for a credit to tear it off later.
The thing is, a lot of folks don’t realize how much extra weight those extra shingles add, especially on older rafters. I’ve been up in attics where you can see the sag plain as day. But then again, I’ve also seen houses with two layers hold up fine for decades, no leaks, no drama... just depends on the house and the climate, I guess.
Anyone ever actually had insurance push back because of a double-layer? I’ve heard rumors, but never seen it firsthand.
