Roofs are tremendous investments, and unfortunately, your home’s roof is one of the parts most susceptible to damage. It shields your home from the elements, takes a beating when debris goes flying around, and generally, normal wear and tear takes a toll on it that you might not expect. 

However, due to the high price of a new roof, you want to try to repair your roof as much as possible and avoid taking out a massive loan or putting a dent in your savings. 

But how do I know if I should repair my roof or replace it? Today, we want to go over the situations where you can do that, but we also want to cover the situations when replacing it really is your only option. 

Let’s get started. 

When You Should Replace Your Roof

We’ll start with the situations when replacement is your only option. These aren’t overly common with relatively new roofs, but as your roof gets older, it becomes a more significant concern. 

First, you must replace your roof once it exceeds its lifespan and shows signs of deterioration. Yes, you can get by with minor repairs for a while, but the sheer number of problems you fix will quickly cost more than a new roof. 

That brings us to our next point. If the repair is going to cost as much or close to as much as a new roof, you might as well go with the new roof. Not only will the problem be fixed, but it’s like turning back the clock on your roof replacement, and you have to spend that type of money, anyway. 

Finally, extreme damage typically requires a replacement. This aligns with our previous point, but instead of the repair costs being the problem, we’re talking about when the damage is so excessive that you’ll replace most of the roof, anyway. 

When You Should Repair Your Roof

Repairs are far more commonly needed than full replacements, and you usually want to take advantage of them before you go doing anything extreme. 

Primarily, repairs are the better option for minor issues such as roof leaks, storm-damaged shingles, and punctures left by large debris falling on the roof. This is especially true if the roof isn’t near the end of its lifespan because you can still get plenty of use out of your roof, and those repairs aren’t too expensive to make. 

Another situation is when the roof is heavily damaged by a storm or anything else, but it’s not near the end of its lifespan, and less than half the roof is heavily damaged. These extensive repairs are still very expensive, but they’re nowhere near as bad as replacing the entire roof. However, if the vast majority of the roof is damaged, it really doesn’t matter how old it is. You should still replace it. 

Get Professional Roof Repairs and Replacements

Finally, in either situation, you should seek the help of professional roofers. Roofs might seem simple, but they are fairly complex, and they certainly aren’t safe to work on if you don’t know what you’re doing. Make sure to call the pros for repairs and replacements.