Question: Robert, thank you for everything you do to educate homeowners with repairs to their homes. In a recent article you mentioned that your 33-year-old roof finally needs repairs/replacement. I live in the Valencia area, and my house has a cement shingle roof. The roof is about 25 years old without any leaks. My question is what the average lifespan of this type of roof is. Also, would you suggest that I have the roof inspected this summer even though I do not have any leaks?
Thanks for your expertise.
— Steve C.
Answer: Steve, thank you for being a loyal reader of the Signal. It all depends on the type of roof that was installed. The one I was alluding to is a concrete roof, with the underlayment. The underlayment is what fails in these types of roofs. After 33 years of the heat extremes we get in the Santa Clarita Valley, it was overdue for new paper.
There are two layers that are installed in this type of roof. The first is a standard roofing paper and the second is a modified cap sheet paper. The modified cap sheet is a thicker paper that is extremely durable.
The tiles are reused, but during the removal process some of the tiles are brittle, get broken and need to be replaced at that time. It’s always a good idea to have the penetrations checked for good mastic around the pipes. This should be done every few years. If it’s bad paper, you will not know this until you find a leak or two.
If you have the funds, I’d do it in the next year or two to prevent any leaks. Be sure all the metal details are replaced at that time. Pull permits to ensure the sub roof is replaced if needed and inspected for proper installation. Best of luck.
Robert Lamoureux has more than 40 years of experience as a general contractor, with separate licenses in electrical and plumbing contracting. He owns IMS Construction Inc. in Valencia. His opinions are his own, not necessarily those of The Signal. Opinions expressed in this column are not meant to replace the recommendations of a qualified contractor after that contractor has made a thorough visual inspection. Email questions to Robert at [email protected].
