If you’re like most homeowners, you probably don’t spend a lot of time thinking about your roof. When operating as it should, a roof is just there — an ambient component of your home that can be largely taken for granted. It’s usually only when disaster strikes that people start to consider making radical changes.
But given how important your roof is, it isn’t a bad idea to start planning major changes in advance. And if you think a re-roofing job might be due in the near future, here are four reasons to consider a major redesign.
1. It’s Getting Old
Most roofs are designed to last for between fifteen and twenty-five years, but environmental damage from hail, flooding, ice damming, or improper ventilation can all cause a roof to age prematurely. If your roof hasn’t been replaced in years, it might be a good idea to consider a redesign that will make it more resilient and less likely to sustain damage in the future.
If your roof is getting old, don’t let roof repairs get worse before fixing them; call a professional roofing company that can help you reimagine how your roof system could be improved.
2. You Want to Improve Curb Appeal
A roof can play a surprisingly big role in the overall impression your home leaves. If you want to really change the look of your house, one of the easiest ways to do so is by changing the style of roof you have.
Switching to different roofing materials, like laminate shingles, cedar shakes, or a slate roof can have a dramatic impact on your home’s curb appeal. If your roof already needs to be replaced, investing a little more money to give it a more classic line will not only improve its looks, it could also significantly extend the life of the roof itself — if cared for properly, cedar shakes or shingles can last twice as long as asphalt shingles.
3. You Want to Expand Your Living Space
If you live in a large urban area where space is at a premium, you’ve probably noticed that new houses built in the downtown core (and older houses that are being thoroughly renovated) often incorporate a flat roof as part of the design.
While flat roofs are definitely popular architecture features in the twenty-first century residential architecture, there is also a practical reason for their proliferation: a flat roof can significantly expand the square footage of your house during the summer months. Redesigning your home to turn your pitched roof into a flat one will provide you with a perfect space for relaxing and entertaining.
4. You Want to Make Your Home More Efficient
Because warm air rises, roof systems play an essential role in insulating your living space and protecting against heat loss. If you want to make your house greener and more efficient while reducing your carbon footprint at the same time, redesigning your roof to provide better ventilation and more insulation is one of the most important steps you can take. And if you decide to switch to a flat roof design, you can even cultivate a roof top garden!
Roofing technology has improved dramatically in recent decades, but many houses are still outfitted with roof systems designed a century ago. Redesigning your roof may require a significant initial investment, but the long-term benefits make it more than worthwhile.
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