Every time I’ve seen a full tear-off, there’s always some kind of surprise hiding under those old shingles—usually not the fun kind. Last one I checked, we found a patch of rotten decking right over the kitchen. If they’d just slapped another layer on, that would’ve kept festering until someone’s ceiling caved in. Overlays are tempting for the price, but you’re basically rolling the dice on what’s underneath. Insurance can be hit or miss—unless there’s storm damage or something sudden, most folks end up footing the bill themselves.
I get why people go for overlays—cheaper, less mess, and you’re not staring at a blue tarp for days. But every time I’ve seen someone skip the tear-off, it’s come back to bite them later. My neighbor did an overlay a few years back to save money, and now he’s got sagging spots and a weird musty smell in the attic. Turns out there was a slow leak under the old shingles that just kept getting worse.
I did a full tear-off last year on my own place (asphalt shingles, Midwest winters), and yeah, it cost more up front. But we found some soft decking near the chimney that would’ve been a nightmare if left alone. Fixing it then was way easier than dealing with mold or structural damage down the line.
Insurance barely covered anything since it wasn’t storm-related. In my experience, unless you’re dealing with obvious storm damage, you’re on your own for most of it. Overlay might look good on paper, but if your roof’s already pushing 20 years or you’ve had leaks before, I’d bite the bullet and do the full removal.
I’m with you on the tear-off, especially in places with rough winters. I did an overlay once on a rental, thinking it’d be fine since there weren’t any leaks—big mistake. Ended up with ice dams and had to redo the whole thing two years later. If your decking’s questionable or you’ve got any history of leaks, skipping the tear-off just isn’t worth it long-term. The upfront savings disappear fast if you have to fix hidden rot or moisture issues down the road.
Yeah, I’ve seen overlays come back to bite people too. It’s tempting when you’re staring at the price difference, but if there’s even a hint of rot or soft decking, it’s like putting a band-aid on a broken leg. I’ve had tenants call about leaks that turned out to be trapped moisture from an old roof left underneath—nightmare to fix after the fact. Sometimes the “cheap” route just isn’t worth the headache later.
