The Most Important Major Home Repair: The Roof Replacement

So, it looks like your Calgary home needs a roof replacement, which is arguably the most crucial major repair for your home. Although getting a new roof isn’t as alluring as other home projects, it is the one that has the most negative impact if it fails. Unfortunately, when your roof fails, everything  that’s underneath it is fair game and can be damaged. This includes insulation, drywall, your TV, and even your precious Calgary Flames jersey collection.

A roof falling is not something you want to happen, so having a proper roof replacement for your residential home is vital. A condition to getting your new roof installed properly is having a roofing contractor that can provide proven experience. Another condition is making sure you know a bit about materials, install options, what time of year you should replace your shingles, and cost.

What Materials Make Up a Roof Replacement?

There are many options for materials from wood shakes, asphalt shingles, metal roofing, slate roofing, clays and ceramics, or even ginger bread. You can use pretty much anything for materials when it comes to a roof, but the last one we recommend you only use during Christmas for structures already under a roof.

In all seriousness, the main roofing material we recommend and will be talking about is the classic asphalt shingle. Why?

• It’s Affordable*
• Varying Pricing options
• Wide array of colours
• Long-life expectancy
• Ease of installing
• Recyclability*
• snd more…

When you are looking at materials, you need to remember that the outside layer of your roof is just one part of the roofing system (Learn about roof layers by clicking here). So if you are about to rip it all up and replace it, you should get the whole roofing system looked at; It saves you money and ensures your roof replacement lasts a long time.

Now, when it comes to the type of asphalt shingles, there is a wide variety and costs. In Calgary, we know that we can get some serious weather, so investing in class 4 shingles or even Euroshield shingles might be worth the cost to protect your home from extreme weather and hail.

Other materials (when needed) for a roof replacement in Calgary are:

• Underpayment
• Flashing Materials: copper, aluminum, stainless-steel etc…)
• Roof decking
• Drip Edge
• Ice and water shield’
• Ridge capping
• Roof vents
• Pipe boots

Now that we know the materials involved, what about the amount of labour needed? One major component is how you go about a roof replacement.

Roof Replacement Install Options

When it comes to replacing your roof, the biggest cost in labour will be the stripping off the old shingles. Another option that gets recommended too often is simply not removing the old shingles and layering a new roof on top. For the most part, this is something we do not recommend. We have written about layering shingles before, so I won’t go into too many details but in summary:

• Just delaying the inevitable
• Thickness of roof and stress
• Warranty and insurance
• Can’t inspect old roof deck
• Devalue of your home

What Time of Year Should You Replace Shingles

Summer is always the season that people think about roof replacements. It’s also the busiest time of the year to get available professional roofers. To be honest, you can get your roof replace anytime of the year, with each season having their advantages and disadvantages. With a professional roofer, this is all mitigated; however, some roofing materials due require certain environmental conditions to install.

So, what season should you get your roof replace?

Here is a simple bullet point summary:

• Summer
  • Good weather
  • Busy Season
  • Might be too hot for safe work

• Fall
  • Cool Stable weather (Keep in mind, Calgary, and stable weather conditions don’t always go hand in hand)
  • Availability of Roofers

• Winter
  • Availability of Roofers
  • Extreme cold and weather
  • Material issues in cold weather

• Spring
  • Good time to inspect winter damage
  • Getting work done before busy season and before harsh summer storms
  • More availability

This is list is basic and there are many other factors to consider. The best time is always before your roof shows serious damage. Having your roof inspect regularly helps prevent roof replacements at inopportune times for yourself and can help you plan for future replacements. We recommend getting your roof done in the season leading to and after summer if you want to avoid waiting during the summer rush. Be aware of pop up contractors during the summer months, as they capitalize on the busy season to get work and often cut corners.

How Much Should Roof Replacement Cost in Calgary, Alberta?

Well, unfortunately I’m back to saying it depends on some factors. You could not a need a roof replacement at all, and we sometimes find a simple solution for the problem you are having by just doing a simple roof repair for a couple of hundred dollars. When a roof replacement is required the average cost can vary wildly between ~$4000 to ~$30,000 plus as it really depends on many factors.

Roofing factors that impact cost:

• Material selection
• Amount of damage to the roof
• Size of the roof
• Pitch or slope of the roof
• Labour or time
• Roofs accessibility
• Complexity of roof design
• Dumping Fees
• Miscellaneous factors

The biggest factor is making sure you choose professional roofing experts to get the job done right. They have the insurance tools, and knowledge to get the job done correctly, as getting the cheapest roofing option often leads to more issues and cost down the road.

We offer free quotes, so contact us today! Whalley’s Four Seasons Roofing (W4SR) prides itself in providing good quality work. Don’t take our word  for it though and read our reviews