How to Make Your New Roof Last Longer

August 20, 2019 Published by Leave your thoughts

When you’re preparing to install a new roof, it’s important that you consider all of the steps you can take to make sure it will last as long as possible. After all, roofing installation in North Carolina is a significant investment, so it only makes sense that you do everything you can to protect it.

With this in mind, here are a few of the strategies you should implement when installing a new roof to make sure it lasts.

Tear off your old roof

There are some areas where local building codes allow you to put new roofing shingles on top of an existing layer, but in general we recommend that you always tear off an old roof when installing a new one. Any shingles that are curled or not sitting perfectly flat will make it difficult for you to install a new layer that is flat and sitting down properly.

Tearing off the old roof does add some time to the project, and can make it more expensive, but if you want to do as much as you can to guarantee the quality and durability of your new roof, then it’s an important step to take.

Prepare the roof deck

Before installing the new roof, be sure you inspect the condition of the roof deck and replace any sections as necessary. Some older homes have decks that were created with spaced boards, which means you might need to fill up the gaps with a material of the proper thickness. You should also check the surface of the deck for any protruding nails or screws or any other sharp items that could be causing the shingles to lift up.

Apply drip strips

Installing metal drip strips along the eaves can help you protect the edges of the sheathing and prevent rain and moisture from blowing under the roofing along the gables and eaves. When you install these drip strips, make sure you overlap them by a couple inches to give yourself the proper protection.

Use the proper underlayment

You have a couple main categories of underlayment to consider when installing a new roof: standard underlayment and self-adhering underlayment. The self-adhering variety is usually a peel and stick version that is applied along particularly vulnerable areas of your roof, such as gable edges, eaves and valleys. This helps protect against leakage and ice dams. Standard underlayment (usually no. 15 felt, although no. 30 felt is often more reliable) is used on larger surface areas of your roof. They come in synthetic or organic varieties, the former of which are waterproof, lighter, resistant to tearing and can be exposed for months without any damage being inflicted on your roof and your home.

Apply flashing correctly

Flashing should be applied to joints between the roof deck and other features to prevent leaks from forming at those attachment points.

For more information about installing a high-quality roof on your home, contact Carolina Improvements today. We’ve been providing roofing installation services in North Carolina for over a decade, and look forward to working with you soon!

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