If a home is old enough, a roof replacement is eventually going to happen. There’s no way to escape that inevitability. A good roof will do its work for a long time, decades in many cases, but eventually, time, the elements, and age wear it down. And when that happens, not doing something about the problem can turn into a big, costly mess, especially when the winter rains show up. Now, the upside is, if you sell the home, you can recover the roofing cost with an increased sales price, but that doesn’t avoid paying for the roof up front.
Second, given the cost of a new roof, a homeowner has a strong motivation to make sure the job is done right. After all, very few can afford to pay for a roof twice in the same year much less in five years. So, there’s a serious pressure to make sure the first pick to do the job is the right one. Unfortunately, that also creates a lot of risk for things to go wrong too. No surprise, going through the process of a new NJ roof can be probably one of the top five stressful decisions a homeowner makes in their life.
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How to Know When the Big Decision Is Near
There are a couple of key signals that should have a person thinking about an NJ roof replacement sooner rather than later. These include:
- The roof is at least 20 years old. Most clay and cement roofs can last as much as 40 years without issue but 20 is definitely two-thirds of the way for most shingle and wood type roofs.
- There is visible damage on a walk-around inspection. Either get on a ladder and take a look or use binoculars to see the roof closely on top. If you see broken tiles or lots of cracking, the roof is on its last leg.
- Bald spots are a clear sign of last stretch failure on asphalt tiles. These bare areas are a bit like the radial showing on a tire – it’s about to go so replace the tire now!
- Moss and plant life are visible. Birds are really good at migrating seeds to a roof and the wind can do so too. But those seeds don’t have anything to work with until there is a lot of dirt and residue. When that happens, the roots penetrate and take hold of the broken tile.
- There is visible sagging. The roof is literally caving into the attic in slow motion. The structural strength of the roof is gone.
- Water leaks are showing up inside the attic or there are signs of water penetration. Again, these are clear signs the roof barrier is broken and needs to be replaced. Ignoring this problem will only cause more water damage and the creation of mold.
It’s Time to Call for Help
There are plenty of roofers in Paramus, but finding the right one takes some time and homework. Referrals for neighbors, friends, and family can help with suggestions if they’ve had roof replacements as well. In the meantime, compare notes on the types of roof possible versus how long you expect to be in the house afterward. If you think the home will be sold in the next 10 years, then it makes sense to commit to a basic budget roof and recover the cost of selling the house. On the other hand, if you are planning to stay for at least another 20 years, then an investment in a good roof makes sense.
With a short list for a referred New Jersey roofing company and a good idea of the type of roof, it’s time to engage in bids and quotes for your project. Make a point to have competition work in your favor. Then, it’s time to make a decision. By this point, you should be able to narrow the field on reputation, experience, and quality of previous work.