Comp shingle for old home

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Aug 14, 2015
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CA, USA
My home was built in 1980, I bought it in 99, and just before I bought it the bank put on a new comp shingle roof. There are a couple of leaks, and I'm thinking that instead of paying a contractor money to repair two spots, that I might be better off paying a roofer to put on new shingle (1600 sq ft).

(1) I haven't called anyone yet for quotes, but even if two smaller repairs are a lot less than an entire roof, if I'm doing this every 5 years after a while it would add up--or is that not the case? Sorry I don't have any specific amounts to throw around here.

(2) If I do decide to re-roof, are there different types of shingle out there, to ask for? I might be living here till I die, I might want to sell this in 5-10 years to be closer to college daughters when they branch out and live somewhere else, so I don't want a cheapo job that will require another re-roofing in 10 years. Probably the shingle on the roof now was as cheap as the bank could possibly get, so I'm pretty sure higher-quality shingle can last even longer than 25 years.

Any thoughts here? Or is this a nonsensical conversation until I get quotes?
 
I had my roof redone in 2022, and the price between regular and composition was about 20% in materials. The labor is the same.
I dont know what it is now, but the extra $$ was worth it to me.
 
check out metal roofs, no tear off saving $$$ + a long life depending on the grade of metal used!!
 
Looks like I qualify:

4. Your roof is at least 20 years old or looks old and worn;​

while many shingles today are produced for durability, many factors can accelerate the aging of shingles. For example, if your roof is not properly ventilated, it can negatively impact your shingles.

shingles have a lifespan. Depending on where you are in Cali they may be done. You could have someone come inspect it and you can educate yourself online.

https://www.owenscorning.com/en-us/roofing/blog/do-i-need-a-new-roof
 
Here is a relatively recent replacement job (July, 2024.) Top of the line GAF shingle, full roof, no sheating replaced, on a 1700 square foot ranch. Five Amish guys for 5.5 hours= $12,967. I'm sure it will be higher than that in Cali, however.
 
Insurance company will probably make you re-roof sooner or later.

For reference, 1400 sq ft, single-story house with a relatively flat roof. Certainteed Presidential was $18k in 2022 without gutters.

The shingle roofs rarely last much longer than 15-20 years out here.
 
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Wait, 5 Amish guys removed and replaced almost 20 square of shingles in 5.5 hours?? :oops:

Yes, and it was amazing to watch.
I was as skeptical as anyone else.
They had the shingles stripped off my family room (25x30 room) in 25 minutes.
The work ethic was remarkable.
 
Metal is going to last longer and might give you a good insurance break to install. I know in FL there are incentives to make your house 'hard' ie fire proof and I would think CA would have similiar programs. Most insurance comapnies are now giving any shingle only a 10yr lifespan.
 
Interesting. I'll have a look at that. When someone posted that earlier, I assumed they were joking; I recalled pictures of corrugated metal roofs on third world countries. But I will inquire about that when seeking quotes, as well as from my insurance company.

Metal is going to last longer and might give you a good insurance break to install. I know in FL there are incentives to make your house 'hard' ie fire proof and I would think CA would have similiar programs. Most insurance comapnies are now giving any shingle only a 10yr lifespan.
 
I would go with a 30 year rated ashault shingle. You likely can get 25 years out of it. I wouldn't get a metal roof if there is a possibility of selling in 10 years. The metal roof will benefit the next owner more than you.
 
Atlas Pinnacle Prestine or Certain teed Landmark shingles,strip off old shingles ,re=deck if needed synthetic underlayment ,rain gaurd,ridge vents,,hire a certified contractor.
 
FWIW the shingle doesn't look anywhere near as bad as in #1, and for #2, I didn't see that many bald spots. Obviously it wasn't like new, but there was a decent amount of granules there.
If that's the case, have the leaks you mention repaired. You might get another five years out of it.

I got 30 years out of my Certainteed XT25 shingles which were finally replaced last May. I had no leaks but a lot of granules were being shed into the gutters.
 
Yeah I think this is turning out to be another version of "buy new car or keep my current one going." Just repairing a few areas is probably going to be cheaper, in terms of cost per year. Five years for another thousand or so in repair costs is a lot less than 15 grand for a 20-30 year roof. I'll have to get some guys up on the roof for a quote, of course, to be sure about that.

If that's the case, have the leaks you mention repaired. You might get another five years out of it.

I got 30 years out of my Certainteed XT25 shingles which were finally replaced last May. I had no leaks but a lot of granules were being shed into the gutters.
 
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