Free Roofing tips for members

[Aaron Santas]

Hello all! I am a new member to the site. I joined to learn more about investing for my retirement, but I own a couple of large roofing companies in Washington state. 

I am not an expert in investing, but I know a fair amount in roofing matters.

I don't know if it will help anyone, but if you are looking at a property and have roofing questions I will be happy to help.

It is the least I can do considering the lessons I am learning and problems I hope to avoid as a result of the information I am getting from all of you.

Feel free to message me with any questions and I will do all I can to help.

[Aaron Santas]

John,

The amount of layers allowed varies by municipality so check with yours to be sure as to what is allowed.

In our area you can have 2 layers. The determination from the municipalities is usually based on weight, and not what is best for keeping water out of the home.

Before reading any further I do want to share that I am a landlord, and fully understand that spending extra money on a rental property is not desirable, but I will be candid with the issues of installing multiple layers of roofing based on the thousands of jobs I have participated in.

The differences in performance can be dramatic depending on what kind of material you are referring to.

Asphalt shingles:

Applying a layer over the top of another layer of asphalt shingles can save you 10-15% on the overall cost of the job if you are going over 1 layer of asphalt. But this can cost you in the long term. 

First off, if you do not remove what is there now it is impossible to determine if there is any rot in the sheeting. If there is then the fasteners used to install the roof may not hold in those areas.

Secondly, because you are now installing over an irregular surface (Which the manufacturers frown upon) you not only may have no warranty on the roof, but the shingles on top can form over the lumps underneath and crack in those areas which can lead to leaks, blow off etc.

There is also a longevity issue that this causes. 

Asphalt shingles have a granulated (rock) surface. Most people think that this is only for aesthetics. The main reason for the granules is actually to reflect heat and UV from the asphalt in the roof which gives it the water resistance, and flexibility to endure many years of weathering. The shingles do not have these granules on their back side. 

When you put one layer over the top of another layer, the heat that permeates through the top layer is reflected onto the back side of the top layer and cooks it. This dramatically reduces the longevity of the top layer. It can also compromise the seal prematurely and lead to blow off and leaks. This excess heat retention can also affect the integrity of the substrate such as plywood.

Lastly, if there is a leak from somewhere in the system, it can be very difficult to isolate and repair this because the water can enter in one area, and ride the layer below to a totally different area before appearing in the home. 

Depending on how long you hold the property, the initial 10-15% savings could cost way more in the long run.

Flat roofing:

Flat roofs are more forgiving in regards to additional layers in regards to longevity, but you have the same issues with leak detection, and covering up rot.

Hope this helps!

Aaron