How Old Is Too Old For A Roof
Age is the first question, but it is not the only one, and two roofs the same age can be in very different shape.
Roofing material has a rated life, and in a hot dry climate with strong sun the real number tends to land at the lower end of it. Knowing roughly where a roof sits on that curve changes how you plan.
Rough service life
- Three tab asphalt shingles, around fifteen to twenty years
- Architectural shingles, around twenty to thirty
- Tile, where the tile outlasts the underlayment beneath it, which is the part that actually ages
- Flat and low slope systems, which vary widely by material and by how well they drain
Why tile is its own conversation
A tile roof can look immaculate while the underlayment under it has reached the end. The tiles are a rain shield, not the waterproof layer. An underlayment replacement reuses most of the tile and is a very different job from a tear off.
What accelerates the clock
Poor attic ventilation, which cooks a roof from below. Sun exposure on southern and western slopes. Standing water anywhere. Layers, since a roof installed over an older one runs hotter and lasts less time.
Planning beats reacting
The best time to price a roof is a season before you need one. A roof replaced on your schedule is a project. A roof replaced during a monsoon is an emergency, and emergencies cost more in every way.
Want somebody to take a look?
Sunbelt Roofing Co covers this every week in Phoenix.