Can I Put New Shingles Over Old Ones

Pros And Cons Of Installing New Shingles Over Old Ones

January 25, 2019 by Ryan Benine

An old or a badly damaged roof is usually a candidate for replacement, especially when repairs costs have become extremely expensive. The decision you have to make now is whether you should have your old roof completely torn off or have new shingles installed over it.

All Angles Covered, a trusted provider of residential roofing services, discusses the pros and cons of adding a new layer of shingles over your old roof to help you arrive at a better decision.

The Good

Re-roofing, overlaying or reshingling does present some obvious advantages. For example, sometimes, its the option that makes more sense because its all your roof really needs. Particularly, if the damage to your roof is minimal, laying a new layer of shingles over it offers more weather protection and not just a temporary fix for the damaged parts.

A roof overlay is less costly than a complete tear-off, primarily because it uses up fewer resources, and there is no work needed to remove the old roof. In many cases, you wont have to give up the use of the area where the new layer of shingles is being installed as the work is not as intrusive.

Not removing the old roof is a way to save time as well. The timeframe for a roof replacement depends on several factors, and old roof removal takes up a huge chunk of that time. Youll have a completely brand new-looking roof with better weather protection in no time.

The Bad

Filed Under: RoofingTagged With: home remodeling, roof repair

Poor Performance Due To Inadequate Preparation

Before installing new roof shingles over the old ones, you must ensure that the old layer is intact. The vents, ridge caps, and flashing should remain in place to hold down the old shingles. This prevents you from adequately preparing the roof surface for the new installation. Inadequate preparation can cause the new roof to fail before the end of its usable life.

A complete removal allows you to prepare the structure before installing the new residential roof shingles. You can remove old vents, ridges, and sealants, replace worn insulation, and even install a new underlay. Consequently, the new asphalt roof will last longer and provide optimal performance even in inclement weather.

Why Not Add New Roof Shingles Over Existing Old Shingles

As mentioned above, the pros of re-roofing a home over the decking far outweigh the cons. There are some common myths for roofing over existing shingles:

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Metal Roof Over Shingles Condensation

Metal roofs must be laid flat on a vapor barrier because steel will condensate if theres any air space underneath it. It doesnt matter if the air space is a half-inch or six inches because the condensation factor will remain the same. Put the steel down directly on a vapor barrier. You can either leave the shingles on or put down felt paper during new construction.

How Is Shingles Diagnosed

Your healthcare provider will do a complete physical exam and ask about your medical history, specifically about whether you have ever had chickenpox.

Your healthcare provider will likely know right away that it is shingles based on the unique rash. The rash usually appears one area on one side of the body or face. It appears as red spots, small fluid- or pus-filled vesicles, or scabs.

The healthcare provider may also take skin scrapings for testing.

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Why Choose The Shingle Over Method

If you choose to cover your existing shingles with new ones, there are a couple reasons why this is a positive solution.

• Cost savings: How much you can save really depends on the pitch of your roof. On average, its about 15% of the total cost. To think about it in dollars, youd save about $1/square foot of roof.

• Less hassle: Tearing off the existing shingles takes about up about 30% of the job site time, not including clean up. Skipping the tear off and disposal step allows the roofing crew to get started on installing your new shingles right away.

The main reasons homeowners choose to double roof their house is because it makes the roofing process less expensive and takes less time. You dont have to pay for tear off and disposal, nor does the crew spend time initially taking off your current shingles. Additionally, between removing and installing new shingles, precipitation wont undermine the project since there is a layer of shingles already there.

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Cut And Install Shingles

Rip-cut the shingles for the first course so they butt up against the third course of existing shingles and are even with the front edge of the starter course. Their tab slots should not line up with the tab slots of the starter course, if there are any. Nail the shingles just above the tab slots.

Editor’s Tip: The thicker the new shingle, the better it will hide any imperfections in the roofing underneath. It’s a good idea to use at least 40-year shingles architectural shingles are an even better choice.

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Can You Put A New Roof On Top Of An Old Roof

Most homeowners want to know if it is possible to put a new roof over an old one. The answer is Yes. You can put new shingles over existing shingles that are in good condition.

However, you can only install new shingles over asphalt shingles that meet the re-roof conditions. Also, you cannot mix materials for instance, you cannot install shingles over wood tiles or slate.

The process of installing a new roof over an old one is called re-roofing, while tearing off the old roof to install a new one is called roof replacement. However, there are several conditions and factors a roofer will consider before undertaking a re-roof.

So, you will learn when a re-roof is possible, when you should not re-roof, the benefits of re-roofing, and the disadvantages of re-roofing.

Subtle Issues To Complicate Things

When you need shingles for your roof, its best to get several quotes from different roofers. Theyre going to give you the best idea about what is possible with the budget that you have. Because you can often lay other roof types over an intact asphalt shingle layer without issue, it could be cheaper to go that route and avoid a tear-off entirely. But, this is only something your expert can tell you for sure.

Other things to consider when pondering the re-roofing issue include:

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Why Add New Roof Shingles Over Existing Old Shingles

Homeowners will typically at least ask about a roof-over for their home. The benefit for a roof-over is found in the cost and time.

Roofing over existing shingles can save you money on your new roof however, apart from the other reasons listed below, you are actually only delaying costs rather than truly saving money. When it is time to replace the roof again, you will have to pay extra to have both layers removed. You will pay for the shingles to be removed WHEN you pay is the question.

The other main pros are found as a convenience to the roofing company. The job will take less time because the company will not have to remove the layer of shingles. Because there was no tear-off, roofing companies also will save time with clean up as well. However, because of the advantages of completely re-roofing a home, almost all roofing companies prefer to roof over the decking.

Is It Ok To Put Shingles Over Shingles

Placing old shingles over new ones is only possible with asphalt shingles, also known as composition shingles. You cannot place a new layer over top of slate or wood, and you should definitely never mix materials like laying asphalt shingles over cedar shakes.

And perhaps the most important rule for laying new shingles over top of old ones is that the old roofing has to be in pretty good condition. If you are laying new roofing shingles over an existing roofing system with a ton of leaks or damage, you arent doing yourself any good.

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When And Why To Put A New Roof Over An Existing Roof

When your roof starts to fail, but it is in an overallgood condition, a reroofing might be the best choice for you. What does it meanto have a roof that is failing but is still in a relatively good state? Itmeans that your roof may be at the end of its life, but its underlyingstructures and sheathing are in a generally good condition. Your shingles maybe losing granules and are worn out due to age or weather, but they are notcausing leaks, they are not curling or missing. These are all goodpredispositions for installing a new layer of shingles over the existing one.

Reroofing can also be done when you simply want orneed a change on your roof you may want a different design or color, or youmay be completely renovating your home so you want the roof to match your newstyle. But even if your main goal isnt redesigning your roof, it willnonetheless gain a new aesthetic appeal. Installing a new shingle layer willgive your roof depth and even a three-dimensional appearance, as it is slightlyraised due to the existing layer of shingles beneath it.

Why Install A Layover

If its basically only a new roof that would accommodate a layover, it begs the question, Why install a layover? It doesnt take that much time or labor to remove the first layer of shingles that a layover gets your roofing project done faster or cheaper. In fact, a layover would only take longer because there are literally more factors to take into consideration since you have to think about everything you thought about to install your first layer of shingles plus your first layer of shingles.

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Reasons Not To Put Shingles On Top Of Shingles

However, when it comes to a re-roof, overlaying shingles has become a method of the past. While a repair job can often be more convenient and somewhat more cost-efficient, placing new shingles over old ones is never a good idea.

Whether repairing one section of roof, or a replacing a whole one, its always best to pull up the old shingles before putting down the new ones.

In The State Of Florida

The state of Florida has certain regulations on when a roof needs to be torn off before being replaced versus when it will allow the existing roof to be covered by new roofing materials.

In Florida, a roofer must remove the existing roofing in the following circumstances:

• If the roof is water soaked or badly deteriorated
• If blisters exist in any of the old roofing material.
• If the existing roof is gravel or of similar material
• If the existing roof is slate or a similar material
• If the roofing structure cannot support the weight of an additional layer of roofing material
• If the existing roof has two or more layers of any type of roofing material

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Can You Put New Shingles Over Old Ones

If you know its time for a new shingle roof or even a tile roof on your home, you may have heard that you can just put a new layer of shingles over the existing one. But is this true? In short, the answer is yes, but doing so may not always be a good idea.

In this article well explain:

• When roofing over your existing shingles can be a good idea
• When you should tear off your roof and start from scratch, instead.

Is Re Roofing A Good Idea

When Reroofing Can Be a Good Idea Reroofing can sometimes be a good choice for homeowners who have a roof that is nearing the end of its lifespan, but that is in overall good shape. There may be some minor issues or leaks, but no major water damage, soggy or missing shingles, or large amounts of moss or mildew growth.

How much does a 1400 sq ft roof cost?

Cost to Tear Off & Replace Roof

What is the difference between replacing a roof and re roofing?

Most building codes define the options as follows: Reroofing: The process of recovering or replacing an existing roof covering. Roof Replacement: The process of removing the existing roof covering, repairing any damaged substrate and installing a new roof covering.

How long does a reroof last?

Longer lifespan A new, properly installed shingle roof can last 20 to 30 years, meaning it could potentially outlast an overlay by a decade or more. Increased property value A brand new roof can add more than $10,000 to your homes resale value and also acts as a strong selling point.

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Installing New Shingles Over Old Shingles

• Written by Laura Bloomfield on Nov 23, 2010To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience.Reviewed by

If you are looking to save time, installing new shingles over old shingles is a possible roof replacement solution. You want to be sure that you will be installing the shingles over only one other layer, though. The third layer of shingles will be too heavy to be supported. Re-roofing over old shingles can save you time and money since you will not have to rip off the old roof and pay to have it hauled away.

It’s Not Ideal To Install New Shingles Without Removing The Old Ones But Follow This Pro Advice If You Do

Although placing new roofing over old may be allowed by some codes, roofovers tend to be inferior and wont last as long as a roof installed over stripped sheathing. If you must do a roofover, check with your local building department firstcodes typically require that you strip a roof if there are two or more layers or if existing shingles are curling.

Before beginning, replace or flash over old flashing as follows:

• Use aviation snips to cut away flashing around plumbing vents.
• Use a cold chisel to remove chimney counterflashing.
• Along the eaves, install a new drip-edge over the butt ends of existing shingles.
• Along the rakes, install a new J-channel drip-edge, which wraps around the old rake flashing and starter courses.
• Leave the old valley flashing in place, and install new over it.

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Lay The Uncut Shingles

Position a shingle with the first horizontal line. Secure the shingle with four nails. Two nails should be placed an inch over the tabs, and two more nails should be placed an inch from the top. Continue doing so until the first row of uncut shingles is complete.

Position the first shingle of the second row with the second horizontal line. Nail the second row of shingles using the same process as the first row. Continue laying all the shingles row by row until you reach the ridge of the roof.

This project would have taken up more of your precious time had you removed your old shingles first. Now you can enjoy your new roof, and rest assured that it will hold up until it is time to be replaced. Working on your roof can be dangerous, though. If at any time you begin to feel unsafe or unsure of what you are doing, there is nothing wrong with calling a contractor.

When Can You Install A Layover

Layovers as a repair technique are the equivalent of putting a bandaid on a bandaid. It doesnt look right and it just makes things worse. Even the ideal conditions for a layover arent ideal. Your roof would have to be lacking any of the signifies that repair is necessary, which would mean that youd basically have to have a new roof. But a layover is bad for your new roof!

A second layer of shingles will decrease the integrity of your new roof and lower its lifespan. Thats because shingles arent designed to have a second layer of shingles on top of them! Plus, all that extra moisture and heat being applied to the first layer of shingles will make that first layer age faster.

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When Can You Put A New Roof Over An Old One

As a homeowner, you may not understand the roofing dynamics. Choosing a re-roof over a roof replacement can only be recommended by a certified roofing contractor like Roof Master. Rest assured that you will receive quality roofing services.

Re-roofing is cheap, faster, and convenient compared to roof replacement however, it has its limitation and can only be done under given conditions

• A re-roof is a good option if your roof is at the end of its life, but the underlying elements and the sheathing board are still in good condition.
• If your shingles are losing granules, they are worn out due to age but are not causing leaks.
• If your shingles are not curling or missing
• If you want a different roof colour or design