Roof Replacement Done Once, Properly

A second layer over old shingles is legal in many jurisdictions, but it hides the deck. You cannot see rot, you cannot replace flashing properly, and the new shingles follow every dip in the old ones. The extra weight also matters on older framing. A tear-off costs more in labour and disposal, and it is the only way anyone can tell you what condition the sheathing is in.

Repair makes sense when the failure is local: a few blown shingles, one bad pipe boot, a valley that was flashed poorly. Replacement makes sense when the failure is spread across the field. Look for granule loss leaving shingles thin and shiny, curled or cupped edges on the sun-facing slopes, and cracking along the seal strip. If you are patching a different leak each winter, you are paying for a re-roof in instalments.

Nobody can see the whole deck until the old roof is off. Older BC and Alberta homes may have plank, shiplap or OSB sheathing rather than plywood, and each is repaired differently. Soft or delaminated decking is replaced before the new roof goes on, and the work is itemized in writing rather than lumped into a total. Rot usually turns up around chimneys, in valleys and at the eaves.

Timing depends on the roof. A simple gable goes faster than a cut-up roof with dormers, several chimneys or a steep pitch, and deck repair adds time, so ask for a timeline when you get your on-site estimate. Work is planned around the forecast, because open sheathing cannot sit in rain. Clear driveway access helps with loading and disposal. For the specifics of each system we install, see IKO shingle systems and Malarkey shingle systems.

We serve British Columbia, Alberta and Texas. Our core service area is Metro Vancouver, including West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, and Langley.