When my husband and I bought our house, we were well aware that the roof would need to be replaced within the next few years.
We procrastinated over the project for as long as possible.
We weren’t eager to take on such an invasive and expensive job. Eventually the skylight leaked profusely. Every time there was a hard rain, we needed to hurry and set up buckets to catch drips all over the house. The next morning, we’d find stray shingles all over the lawn. Realizing that the moisture damage was gradually going to compromise the structural integrity of the house, we finally called a professional roofing company. The contractor recommended that we spend more on environmentally friendly and energy efficient materials. Since we live in an area where the weather fluctuates anywhere from the low nineties to the negative digits, heating and cooling are especially important. We also experience feet of snow, high winds, torrential downpours and brutal humidity. The weather conditions are hard on the budget, make comfort difficult and create a huge draw on the household budget. We were willing to pay extra for a roof that might help to save us money and improve heating and cooling potential. The roofing project was lengthy and disruptive. We didn’t dare run the air conditioner whle the roof was torn off. The house became extremely overheated and there was a steady influx of dirt, debris and bugs. When the roofers finally packed up their tools and left, we were eager to lower the thermostat and start up the AC. We were surprised when the whole living space was perfectly cool within an hour. The new roof has made a big improvement in the thermal envelope.