Should you re-roof or replace your roof? Re-roofing (placing new shingles on top of existing ones) is generally cheaper than opting to buy a brand-new roof and provides an excellent opportunity to minimize repair costs without devaluing your house, either. There are many reasons for re-roofing. Some of them are wear and tear, unexpected damage and even making some aesthetic or energy-saving changes, like installing residential solar panels on your home’s roof. Are you considering re-roofing your house? Here are the five most essential areas of improvement to consider.

1. Roof Ventilation

Re-roofing offers you a chance to make changes that contribute to the overall ventilation of your house. This is essential, especially if the existing ventilation is insufficient or wrongly fitted. Sufficient roof ventilation cuts on cooling and heating expenses prolong shingles’ life and prevent roof decay and formation of ice dams during winter.

A poorly installed roof vent may allow water to get under the roof covering, which can damage the entire roofing system. Here are the signs that necessitate the re-roofing of your house.

• The hotness of the ceiling: If your ceiling is always hot on sunny days, it implies that your attic is functioning as a solar oven, increasing your cooling expenses, and overheating the shingles.
• Presence of heavy rims of ice during cold seasons: If your roof space traps a lot of ice during cold seasons, re-roof it immediately. This is because the attic traps warm air escaping from the house, causing snow to melt and freeze on the roof.

2. The Color of Your Shingles

The color of your roof affects the temperature in your home and the corresponding air conditioning expenses. Cool roofs are brighter in color than old-style black asphalt or dark timber shingles. They conserve energy by reflecting sun rays hence reducing the quantity of heat conveyed into your home.

In colder places that have plenty of snow, darker roofs are more beneficial. They absorb hot air in the home and melts off the snow, which avoids the formation of ice dams, other than keeping your home warm.

3. Easy-to Maintain Gutters

Re-roofing can give you the chance to replace misaligned, damaged, or worn out gutters. Although the gutter system is commonly installed on existing roofs, fitting it in the course of re-roofing eases the process and allows them to be excellently incorporated into the roof system.

You may need to consider installing the gutter system with built-in curved hoods. Such kinds of gutters permit water to drop down, and they aren’t clogged up with leaves easily.

4. Chimney Cap

If your home does not have one, then consider installing a chimney cap during re-roofing. Although they aren’t the main focus for homeowners with fireplaces and smokestacks, they are certainly an essential consideration during roof fixing. Chimney caps are advantageous and can stop annoying glitches from taking place in your chimney.

Other than stopping and preventing debris build-up, a tight chimney cap prevents rainwater from coming down your chimney, which might damage its steel liners. It also keeps out animals and blocks downdrafts that might blow smoke back into your house.

5. Eave Flashing

Eave flashing provides protection to materials they cover and gives your house a finished look. It also prevents damage triggered by ice dams.. Roof flashing requires a thin material, commonly galvanized steel, whose function is to ensure water doesn’t reach sensitive areas of the roof like chimneys and skylights.

Although re-roofing may seem like a daunting task, it can allow you to make brilliant changes to your home that might even increase its market value. However, you need to pay more attention to specific areas to reap the maximum benefits from your renovation works. Roofing experts like roofing contractors in Portland, OR any other trusted brands will help you customize your roof according to your taste. Make your home a better place to be by re-roofing.