Your Aging Berks County Roof

If you had to guess which type of Berks County roofing is best at withstanding extremes in temperatures so common to Northeastern counties, what would you say? If you guessed asphalt, you would be correct. Four out of five houses have asphalt shingles. While many homeowners choose asphalt for roofing in Berks County because of its affordable price tag, just as many do so because they know asphalt will take the abuse of varying weather conditions for 15 years or more, making asphalt shingles an excellent all around value.

Metal roofs have become quite popular lately. The Metal Roofing Alliance claims metal roofs can last as long as 60 years. Many professional roofing companies feel this estimate is overly optimistic. In contract, the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA) states that asphalt roofs typically last 20-50 years, taking into account product variations that address:

With as many as 2 million homes needing new roofs each year, thousands of those new roofs in Berks County alone, it's interesting to note that asphalt is still a very popular choice, despite the recent popularity of other 'designer' roofing materials.

The term 'asphalt' is a common term that applies to today's modern asphalt shingles, also called asphalt-fiberglass, designed with a fiberglass base embedded in an asphalt coating, which lies under a layer of mineral granules.

Re-roofing your home requires a keen eye towards installation that must be completed after it becomes obvious that your shingles need attention, but before too much deterioration occurs. Waiting too long can mean starting from scratch, a much more time-intensive and expensive proposition. If it's been 20 years since your Berks County roof was installed, it's time to make arrangements for a new roof. Since most building codes don't allow more than two layers of roofing, you may discover re-roofing is not an option, and a new roof may need to be installed. This is good advice, because too many roof layers can cause sagging and other structural problems, particularly when heavy snowfalls add additional weight to an already overloaded Berks County roof. Too many layers of roofing can also lead to leaks that are damaging, not only to your roof, but to the inside of your home.

If you've been performing regular maintenance of your Berks County roof over the years, you probably have a good idea of what is needed. If you have not, you may have more roofing trouble than you know. If you're not able or willing to perform your own cursory inspection, contact Global Home Improvement for a professional Berks County roofing inspection that will provide all the information you need to determine if a re-roofing or new roof installation is necessary. When it comes to your Berks County roof, procrastination can lead to an expensive fix that could have been avoided. Don't wait to get the professional help you need. Contact Global Home Improvement today!