About 15 years ago we had our cedar shake roofing torn off (2-story home and garage) and had a composition roof installed. Shortly thereafter, we had a radiant barrier spray painted inside of our attic on the underside of the plywood boards upon which the composition roofing was nailed.
When it comes time to replace our present composition roof, here are some questions:
1) I am correct in thinking that it’s best to remove the existing composition roofing instead of laying more on top of it? (I am concerned about the extra weight of just piling on more shingles);
2) Should the plywood boards (that the roofing is nailed into) be replaced as well? (my concern is nail holes and other cracks, etc. from tearing out the existing shingles – might that lead to annoying and hard to find roof leaks — we’ve had a couple that have been very hard to trace back to the source)
3) Is there a composition roofing product that protects against hail damage?
I call the show every once in awhile, and you always treat me and all your callers with a high level respect, which is very much appreciated, no matter how silly the questions may be. Thank you very much for your professionalism and good sense of humor.
Frank
Tom’s Answer:
Podcast: Play in new window
Tom: Yes.
Charlie: Should the plywood boards, the roof, the nail then be replaced as well?
Tom: No, that’s permanent.
Charlie: Okay. Is there a composition roofing product that protects against hail damage?
Tom: There are some hail-resistant shingles. Here’s the story behind them. In certain parts of the state like Dallas, if you use them, you get a huge break on your homeowner’s insurance. If you use them in Houston—and they’re very expensive—the break is minimal to nothing, so it doesn’t make sense for you to do that if you look at the bottom line money wise because your insurance covers hail damage. In Houston it does not. In Dallas it does, and that just shows how you get into bureaucracies and how stupid some things can be.