6 ms·

Why do roofs need replacement? Cant they make more durable roofs? Is it the rain? (Never had to deal with such problems so have no idea)

mrweasel 6y ago
Sure, you can get a roof that last for 120 - 150 years, but the cost means that many opted for cheaper solutions. My house was built with an asbestos roof, those last forever, almost. If a tile broke I would get asbestos particles in my yard.
- gambiting 6y ago
  I've lived in houses which were close to 100 years old(British terraced houses from the 1930s) and the idea of having to replace the roof is.....a bit weird. Sure they need repairs, an odd tile replaced here and there, but....replacing the whole thing? I can't think of any reason why you'd need to do that.
  - throwaway316943 6y ago
    Asphalt shingles. They degrade over time and can’t be replaced piecemeal. They’re cheap and easy to lay down. I think the original idea behind them was that the home owners could DIY cheaply every 10-15 years but both houses and people have moved away from that being considered an option. If you have a low pitch roof without a lot of valleys it’s still easy to do though.
  - michaelt 6y ago
    My parents replaced the roof on their 150-year-old slate-roofed house, as did several other people on the street. A house that old will often have developed a few minor leaks in its lifetime. It's been subject to a lot of weathering. Probably it was put in without any felt underneath, as was normal at the time. Maybe the nails have weakened from rust. Many lofts are a bit damp, due to condensation as the roof is of course cold. So often the battens holding the slates will be a bit tired as well. You spend a few years with strategically placed plastic tubs catching drips, then a once-a-decade storm comes along, you lose several slates at once, and it's time for a new roof.
violetgarden 6y ago
Where I live, there is extreme weather like hurricanes or tornadoes. Even if you opt for a more expensive roof, the wind might come along and wreck it. Most people I know have shingles, and they wear down in the elements after 20 years or so. You might start getting leaks or you might not, but once your roof reaches a certain age you can expect to start seeing problems. Kinda like a car.
lb1lf 6y ago
Oh, you can, but it grows expensive fast. Around here (Norway) a lot of houses have shingles on the roof - typical lifespan ~20 years or so. On the upside, it is simple to replace. Next step up being corrugated steel, though mostly it is shaped to look like tile. IIRC you can expect to get 30-40 years out of one. Proper tile - lifespan depends greatly on the quality of the tile, but around here (west coast, lots of crap weather) the limiting factor tends to be the nails used to hold the tiles in place. Anecdotally, my father in law and I redid a slate roof last laid in 1917 last year. The nails had all but rusted away, and only the sheer mass of the slates held them in place. We redid it using marine grade stainless screws, part of me is a little peeved that I won't ever know how long it lasts - but I fully expect it to last way more than 100 years. Was fun to etch a couple of small plaques for my far-off descendants to read, though. We put them under the first couple of slates you'd need to remove when redoing the roof. :-)

mrweasel 6y ago

Sure, you can get a roof that last for 120 - 150 years, but the cost means that many opted for cheaper solutions. My house was built with an asbestos roof, those last forever, almost. If a tile broke I would get asbestos particles in my yard.

gambiting 6y ago
I've lived in houses which were close to 100 years old(British terraced houses from the 1930s) and the idea of having to replace the roof is.....a bit weird. Sure they need repairs, an odd tile replaced here and there, but....replacing the whole thing? I can't think of any reason why you'd need to do that.
- throwaway316943 6y ago
  Asphalt shingles. They degrade over time and can’t be replaced piecemeal. They’re cheap and easy to lay down. I think the original idea behind them was that the home owners could DIY cheaply every 10-15 years but both houses and people have moved away from that being considered an option. If you have a low pitch roof without a lot of valleys it’s still easy to do though.
- michaelt 6y ago
  My parents replaced the roof on their 150-year-old slate-roofed house, as did several other people on the street. A house that old will often have developed a few minor leaks in its lifetime. It's been subject to a lot of weathering. Probably it was put in without any felt underneath, as was normal at the time. Maybe the nails have weakened from rust. Many lofts are a bit damp, due to condensation as the roof is of course cold. So often the battens holding the slates will be a bit tired as well. You spend a few years with strategically placed plastic tubs catching drips, then a once-a-decade storm comes along, you lose several slates at once, and it's time for a new roof.

violetgarden 6y ago

Where I live, there is extreme weather like hurricanes or tornadoes. Even if you opt for a more expensive roof, the wind might come along and wreck it. Most people I know have shingles, and they wear down in the elements after 20 years or so. You might start getting leaks or you might not, but once your roof reaches a certain age you can expect to start seeing problems. Kinda like a car.

lb1lf 6y ago

Oh, you can, but it grows expensive fast. Around here (Norway) a lot of houses have shingles on the roof - typical lifespan ~20 years or so. On the upside, it is simple to replace. Next step up being corrugated steel, though mostly it is shaped to look like tile. IIRC you can expect to get 30-40 years out of one. Proper tile - lifespan depends greatly on the quality of the tile, but around here (west coast, lots of crap weather) the limiting factor tends to be the nails used to hold the tiles in place. Anecdotally, my father in law and I redid a slate roof last laid in 1917 last year. The nails had all but rusted away, and only the sheer mass of the slates held them in place. We redid it using marine grade stainless screws, part of me is a little peeved that I won't ever know how long it lasts - but I fully expect it to last way more than 100 years. Was fun to etch a couple of small plaques for my far-off descendants to read, though. We put them under the first couple of slates you'd need to remove when redoing the roof. :-)