The structural integrity of any building structure such as a business or home, relies on a solid roof.
A properly installed roof also helps to manage energy costs.
When damage to a roof happens, the costs involved help determine whether the roof gets replaced or repaired.
Costs are determined based on the materials and labor that will be required.
Additional damage could occur over time if proper action is not taken quickly.
A roof can sustain damage in many ways.
All types of weather, wind, rain, snow and ice may cause shingles to loosen, lift or sometimes fall off.
Storms may be the cause of structural damage as may falling trees or fire.
Leaks, decay and algae are other signs of long term trouble.
A rule of thumb to guesstimate whether it is time to replace your roof is when a third of it has been damaged, it might be time to consider replacement.
The first step to estimate the costs of a roof replacement job, or a significant repair, is to measure the roof.
This is a precise calculation since materials are expensive.
Roofs are measured in roofing squares, which is one ten feet by ten feet section.
First, figure out the length and width of your house and calculates the square footage by multiplying the two together.
You are not done, however.
Roofs have another dimension, height.
This is referred to as the pitch.
The slope or pitch of a roof is expressed as a ratio.
For example, three to twelve, meaning the roof rises three feet for every twelve feet in length.
There are low, medium and high pitched roofs.
The higher the pitch, the more difficult it is to repair or replace which will affect the cost.
Now you can calculate the size of your roof in three dimensions.
Multiply the factor for the pitch by the square footage.
This tells you how much materials will be needed.
If you find out the cost of a square foot of whatever type of material you will need, you can multiply those tow together and come up with a rough estimate for materials.
Now, consider how many layers your roof has.
Sometimes earlier repairs simply covered previous roofs with a new layer.
This will impact the costs if the replacement includes stripping off the entire roof.
Also, the more layers the more clean up that may be required.
Roofs are made from different materials from simple shingles, to ceramic tile to metal.
Certain materials are more appropriate for different climates.
This will impact the cost of repair or replacement as well.
The cost is generally expressed as so much per square foot, which should include clean up, and so some more math is in order.
If you are being forced to repair the roof more often than seems normal, it may be time to consider replacing it.
Roofing costs will influence whether you choose to repair or replace your roof.
If you need more advice or information, it may be worthwhile to speak to a professional roofer.