Restoration: Commercial Roof Replacement KC

Commercial Roof Restoration vs Replacement

A roof restoration job consists of applying new roofing material over the existing surface. This is less expensive and easier than a roof replacement which requires that the old roofing be stripped off and hauled away. Old tile and slate roofs cannot be covered over. Because they are heavy and impossible to nail through, they must be torn off and replaced. Roll roofing placed over any other surface is unsightly. If the commercial property or house can take another layer of roofing, make sure there is a sound foundation for nailing and an even surface for the new shingles. For more information on Roofing Advisors roof restoration services, please visit our main website. To find out if you need a commercial roof restoration service or a full replacement in the first place, please read below.

1. Count Existing Roof Layers

As a roofing contractor, your first step in determining whether or not you can restore or re-roof is to check the rake of the roof to determine how many roofing layers exist. The rake is the sloped edge of the roof. Remember that drip edge sometimes is applied before restoration and may hide evidence of previous layers. Once the number of layers is determined, check local roofing codes for the maximum number of roofing layers allowed. The answer varies depending on the type of roofing materials and the pitch of the roof. For wood shingles, codes typically allow the original roof plus one re-roof or restoration. For asphalt shingles, codes typically allow the original plus two restored layers on top. Ask your local building inspector for specifics.

2. Check for Solid Sheathing

All rotten boards under the old roofing must be replaced. Go into the attic and examine all suspicious spots including voices and separating plywood. Check for rot by poking with a screwdriver. If the rot is limited to a few places, you need only remove the old roofing and replace the boards in those spots. If necessary, build up the roofing above the replacement sheathing with extra layers of shingles to make a flush surface for the new roof.

3. Check the Surface Conditions of the Roof

Do not expect the new roofing to smooth over dips and waves found in the old roofing. If the surface of the old roofing is not uniformly flat, it must be removed, built up, or repaired. Shake roofs, shingle roofs that have curled excessively, and old-style interlocking shingles must be torn off.

Caution: If you try to restore a roof when a replacement is needed, the results may include costly structural damage to your home and possible fines for violating local codes.

Replacement Techniques

Removing an old roof is a matter of hard physical work, and although no special skills are required, a bit of planning and preparation makes the job less difficult. Many times, you can just repair certain spots without replacing the whole roof. For more information on that, read the Roofing Advisors asphalt & wood shingle repair post. Tearing-off (replacing) a roof creates a massive amount of debris, so plan ahead by calling several dumpster rental companies to get the best price. If you tell them the square footage of the roof and the number of roofing layers that are to be torn off, they can estimate the size and number of containers needed.

Choose the location for the dumpster carefully, minimizing damage to landscaping and limiting carrying distance as much as possible.

Warn the neighbors ahead of time and get their permission if you need to place the dumpster on their property. Place drop-cloths wherever debris is likely to fall; nails and broken shingles wreak havoc with the lawn mower. If you are lucky, the shingles may come off in large groups. Usually shingles come off two or three at a time.

Start at the Top

Begin at the ridge, and work your way down. This is especially important for wood shingles so debris does not fall through the open sheathing. Tear off wood shingles or shakes by sliding a crowbar or prybar underneath and pulling sharply upward. This loosens several rows at a time.

Save Old Flashing

Remove flashing carefully so it can be used as a template for new flashing. If old shingles and nails are removed with care, the flashing can be reused. In the case of chimney flashing where the upper part may be embedded in mortar, you may be able to carefully bend the flashing out of the way rather than go through the trouble to remove it.

Inspect the Deck

Once you have removed the old roofing, inspect all of the sheathing and replace broken or rotten pieces with a material of the same thickness. On older homes or commercial buildings, the sheathing may be 7/8 inch to 1 inch thick. Plywood sheathing is not available in thicknesses greater than ¾ inch. Use extra layers of felt or rooting materials to make up the difference.