Had a similar debate when I replaced my roof five years ago. I live in central Texas, so heat’s a real concern. The roofer pushed for a second layer to save on labor, but I’d seen neighbors struggle with higher attic temps after doing that. Ended up going with a full tear-off—cost more upfront, but the attic stays noticeably cooler now, and my AC isn’t running quite as hard. Plus, when we looked into solar last year, it was way easier to get accurate quotes since there weren’t mystery layers hiding damage or weird bumps. The mess and noise from the tear-off were rough for a couple days, but honestly, I’d do it again.
That’s interesting about the attic temps—did you notice a big difference right away after the tear-off? I’ve always wondered if the extra layer really traps that much more heat, or if it’s just a small change. I’m in Oklahoma, so similar climate, and my neighbor went with two layers to save money. He says his AC runs more now, but he’s not sure if it’s the roof or just an old unit. Did you have to upgrade any insulation at the same time, or was the new roof enough?