“the old decking was soft in spots and the second layer just hid it”
That’s the nightmare scenario, right? I keep hearing folks say “just slap another layer on, save some cash,” but after seeing my neighbor’s roof get all wavy like a funhouse mirror, I’m not so sure. Is there ever a situation where adding a layer actually makes sense, or is it just asking for trouble long-term? I mean, tearing it all off is a pain (and not cheap), but rot hiding under there sounds even worse.
“just slap another layer on, save some cash,”
I’ve managed a few buildings where folks tried that shortcut. Sometimes it works if the old roof’s in decent shape—no soft spots, no leaks, just worn shingles. But honestly, how often is that really the case? Once you’ve got “soft in spots,” you’re just hiding problems and making them worse (and more expensive) down the line. I’d rather deal with the pain now than a saggy roof later... but yeah, it’s never cheap.
You nailed it—covering up trouble spots just sets you up for a bigger headache later. I’ve seen folks slap a new layer over old shingles after hail, thinking they’re saving money, but then a year or two down the road, the decking’s rotted and they’re tearing everything off anyway. It’s tempting to cut corners, especially with how expensive full tear-offs are, but if there’s any softness or water damage underneath... that shortcut turns into a money pit real fast. Sometimes the “pain now” really is the smarter call.
That’s a good point about the hidden damage—once moisture gets into the decking, it’s almost impossible to know how bad it is without pulling everything up. I’ve seen cases where folks thought they were just dealing with a few hail dents, but when we finally did a full tear-off, half the plywood was black and crumbling. Out of curiosity, has anyone here had luck with partial tear-offs, like just replacing a section instead of the whole thing? Or does that usually end up being a false economy too?
Partial tear-offs always sound like a good idea until you actually get into it. I tried it once on a duplex—thought I’d save some cash just swapping out the “bad” section. Ended up chasing rot way further than expected, and matching the old shingles was a pain. In my experience, it’s usually not worth the gamble unless you’re 100% sure the rest is solid... which, let’s be real, is rare.