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We had our roof replaced after a hurricane went through our area in 2011. We developed a leak shortly after the hurricane. At the time the roof was 14 years old and considered "builder grade" quality. Our insurance company came out to take a look and told us to replace it rather than repair.
We opted to get 40-year shingles, which have a warranty that can be transferred to future owners of the home. With any luck, I won't have to worry about roof replacement for a few more decades.
Looks like that roof was over and done with a few years ago and you've been living on borrowed time. About in the same shape mine was when I had it done. Shingles have lost a lot of the granules, some of them are curling, I'll bet if you went up there you'd find they were brittle too. There was lots of rotten wood under mine too, not to mention a nice population of carpenter bees living in it.
Yes, the roof looks bad- substantial amount of granules missing. And if you've had leaks and are hearing (and seeing!) that it's wet under the shingles, you're just going to have more damage to the roof sheathing to repair if you wait.
To answer your original question, I had one leak from a cracked shingle. I sealed that up and waited a bit longer (a year, maybe two) as I had no sign of leaks anywhere else. But my shingles looked better than yours when I did replace it.
Depends on how soon you really need to sell... can you afford to wait for another buyer? Are the buyers ready to walk if you don't replace the roof?
You could try telling buyers to get another insurance company. Or offer to give them a few thousand dollars off the price so THEY can re-do the roof. Nobody says a house has to be perfect for a sale to go through. Nobody expects everything on an inspection report has to be fixed; only things that are critical like plumbing leaks or the heat doesn't work, or the roof actually leaks. It's all in the negotiation.
Depends on how soon you really need to sell... can you afford to wait for another buyer? Are the buyers ready to walk if you don't replace the roof?
You could try telling buyers to get another insurance company.
That's what I'm hoping my buyers will be able to do. They want to buy, and I want to sell to them, but it's the insurance issue that's getting in the way. Everything else is, as you said, a matter of negotiation. But they obviously can't buy if they can't get the house insured!
The roof in the photo looks okay. It does not appear to have cracks and pitting in the shingles. It has lost some of the grit though. If it has a leak, it may be due to water backing up somewhere, or leaking around a vent. Would look for any spots where the water may pool, or curl back. Also, it does not take much of an opening to have water running in a round a vent. Could take caulking and ensure all is sealed well around vents. You don't really know what is under the shingles. There should be at least one layer of roofing felt underneath. The unexposed felt underneath generally holds up well over time.
The slope appears to be about a 3/12, which is on the edge for shingles. I believe they recommend rolled roofing if you go any flatter than that. The water is going to move off a flatter slope slower.
Not sure if you have an attic, but if you do, could go in the attic with a flashlight and look at the condition of the underside of the plywood.
Does it have one layer, or 2 layers? People often will add a layer of shingles. Quite often, people tend to replace roofs too soon. If there is no tar paper under the shingles, I would replace it soon.
Hard to tell how many layers it has. Does the lower slope require less thick dimensional shingles?
I am not selling it. I bought it 1 year ago, and planning to keep it until I retire.
It looks like there is some disagreement among the commenters about whether it is too old or not.
I am getting estimates. So far $9000-14000. Now they all offer dimensional/architectural shingles only, which is OK as I dont want 3tab or other types. But those have grades, and the total cost scales at $500-1000 between grades. Whats the advantage for durability between them? My house is not a McManison, so it does not have to look like Beverly Hills, but rather decent suburbia. It has to withstand rain, sun (a lot of it), frost, wind, hail, and time.
If you're concerned about hail, a Class 4 impact resistant shingle is the best choice. They are pricey, but your insurance company may give you a discount on your homeowner's insurance for using them, which will help offset the price difference over time.
The other thing is the water-solar panel.
In my first post you can see how it looks like on the roof.
On this picture is the water in and out (hot, insulated) pipes to in in the attic:
I cannot trace it in the rest of the house where it goes. I probably have to get it disconnected before the roofers start the work. How can I figure out where it is connected?
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