Buying A House With A 20-Year-Old Roof

A roof is a home’s most important facet. Without a roof – or, without a good roof – everything in that home is susceptible to rain, snow, intense wind, strong heat, UV rays, and so much more. But, with a roof – a good, new one, in particular – your home is completely protected, ensuring that you and your loved ones are safe and that everything you own is completely protected.

Because of this, when searching for a new home, it is so important that you pay close attention to the age and wear of the roof of each house that you look at.

Buying a house with a 20-year-old roof means that, in the near future, you may be facing roof repairs or a roof replacement.

Inspect The Roof Before Purchasing The House

Just about every house that you find for sale will have some wear and tear. But, there are some houses that have older roofs – twenty years old, for instance – and these roofs have seen a lot more wear and tear than the roofs on other houses. Making sure that the roof of your new home is in decent shape, while also determining whether repairs are necessary for the near future, is extremely important. To accomplish both tasks in as little time as possible, having the roof inspected before you purchase the house is the best choice.

Your Budget Should Account for Roof Repairs

Even if you feel confident in the house that you’ve chosen to buy, if the roof is very old, then an inspection is a necessity. By purchasing the house, without having the roof inspected, it’s likely that a series of unforeseen issues may arise, most of which will be due to the roof’s age. But, if you have the roof inspected before you purchase the house, you can determine the condition of that roof, whether repairs are necessary and, if so, what those repairs are and when they should take place.

By doing an inspection before purchase, you can add into account the cost of roof repairs when you make an offer on the house.

A professional roof inspection consists of inspecting the roof’s exterior and, then, the roof’s interior. The roof exterior inspection consists of going onto the roof and examining the condition of the roof shingles, flashing, and chimney. The roof interior inspection consists of going into the attic and checking the insulation and ventilation, while also checking for leaks and mold. Right after the inspection is complete, you will learn the condition of the roof, any issues that are present, and what needs to be done to fix those particular issues.

What Should You Look For In An Old Roof And When Should You Walk Away?

As you look for your new home, there are a few attributes of each house’s roof that you must look for and take note of. Each one of these attributes will greatly affect the quality and condition of the roof, and those will, in turn, affect your experience living in your new home. By paying attention to these attributes, you will be able to know when to purchase a house and when you should walk away.

Every roof will be a little different. But, regardless of those general differences, there are a few attributes to look for in every roof that you check. These attributes will affect the quality and condition of the roof, as well as your experience in that house, tremendously.

Worn or Missing Shingles

No matter what the house looks like, if you notice that there are missing shingles along the roof, large spaces where moss is growing over the shingles, sagging, or stains along with the ceiling and interior walls, you should walk away.

Each one of those problems can be dealt with. But, more often than not, the cost of repairing those problems is significant and, in the end, not worth the money, when buying a house with a 20-year-old roof.

Depending on the significance of those problems, you may end up having to replace the roof in its entirety, before you’re even able to enjoy the comfort of the home.

Your Homeowners Insurance Policy

Even though home insurance will cover – depending on the policy – roof repairs and replacements, there are a lot of home insurance policies that won’t cover roofs over twenty years old. Most of these policies work in one of two ways; they either won’t write a new policy for a roof that is over twenty years old or, for you to keep your old policy, they require the twenty-year-old roof to be replaced.

The attributes mentioned earlier are what to look for so that you know when to walk away. But, there are a few attributes to look for that indicate the roof you are looking at, even though it is old, remains strong and sturdy. These attributes include things like all of the shingles being present, the roof being perfectly even, clean and sturdy gutters; among various other things.

If you notice these attributes, then that’s a great sign, as it means the roof has been well-taken care of and should last for a while. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean repairs won’t be necessary, either now or in the relatively near future.

The Lifespan Of A Typical Residential Roof

A typical residential roof is meant to last for a specific period of time. But, this specific period of time varies from roof-to-roof, depending on the materials that the residential roof is made of. Being aware of the lifespan that certain roofs offer makes it easy to determine when your new house’s roof – or any roof, for that matter – will need to be replaced.

Every residential roof is meant to last for a certain amount of time. The exact amount of time that a particular residential roof is meant to last for depends entirely on the materials it is made of. Because of this, there are some roofs that can easily last for thirty years, and some that will fall apart long before that.

When buying a house with a 20-year-old roof, take into consideration what materials make up the roof of your potential new home.

Asphalt Shingle Roofs

Most residential roofs make use of asphalt shingles. The reasons for this are quite simple: asphalt shingles are very affordable, and they often come with good warranties. More often than not, an asphalt shingle residential roof is meant to last for fifteen-to-thirty years. But architectural shingles, which are, essentially, enhanced asphalt shingles, can last for twenty-five-to-thirty years.

Other Material Roofs

Some of the more long-lasting materials are tile, slate, and copper. Roofs that make use of those materials can easily last for up to fifty years. Many other metal materials can last for fifty years, or a lot longer, depending on their overall quality.

If it’s asphalt shingles, you should expect a complete roof replacement. If it’s slate, metal, or other materials, you may have some extra time before a replacement is needed, but repairs may still be necessary.

B&M Roof Inspections

Regardless of the material that your residential roof is made of, though, B&M Roofing is here to help. By contacting us today, you can organize an inspection. Even before buying a house with a 20-year-old roof.

During this inspection, we will consider any flaws that your new home’s roof possesses, then we will tell you the repairs that are necessary, and perform those repairs. That way, no matter what it’s made of or how old it is, your roof will be in tip-top shape.