Roof tear off question

roofoverme

I need a new roof put on our house. Currently there is one layer of asphalt shingle. They are about 15 years old. Should I tear off before putting down a new layer of asphalt shingles, or leave them on and put the new shingles over the top. We are in north central Illinois, if that makes any difference. Thankful for any suggestions.

packer_rich

Do you have any leaks? If so, you would want to check out the decking beneath the shingles. Do you have ice and water shield onder the shingles now? you can tell by prying up the first row of shingles and looking underneath. I think the ice and water shield is necessary in our area. Also, any valleys? I use ice and water shield there aso. Is your venting adequate? If not you can add venting, either passive or powered, without tearing the whole roof off. Finally, I had the same condition a few years ago, and I removed all the old shingles, but I just like the way the new shingles lay flatter.

Cmudr1

Adding another layer of shingles over it could be ok, however I would always much rather take it all the way down for all the reasons packer_rich mentioned. It really doesnt take but a few hours to half a day for a couple people to completely tear off the roof and it will give you a much better indication of how long your new roof is going to last.
Just adding another layer on top makes you run the risk of not fixing any problems you have now and possibly redoing the roof again in the near future. I also believe that many shingles manufactures wont warranty their products if its layered over old shingles, gotta be taken all the way down to insure no current problems.

Roofmaster417

In my professional opinion I would tear off the exsisting roof.I look at many factors before agreeing to a recover.I am sure that these issues have already been covered but here is my opinion.Things to consider.

1.) The age of the roof.
2.)Does your roof or has your roof ever leaked?
3.)Does the roof contain any soft spongy,sunken areas?
4.)Is there 30yr lam shingles on your roof now?
5.)Is the reason a financial limitation decision?
6.)Is the customer 100% confident with the recover decision?

In my opinion the age of your roof alone would make the decision to tear it off even more simple.But in todays economy some people can afford only so much.

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SeaBreeze Roof

Please keep in mind that by installing a roof over a roof you decrease the lifespan of the shingles. All of the shingle manufacturers have published this fact. Also make sure that the structure only has one layer to start with so that you do not exceed the weight limits of truss members.