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Expected Building Life Impacts Your Roofing Materials

HOW LONG DO YOU NEED YOUR ROOF TO LAST?

In general, the answer to this question is as long as possible. If you can get a 40 year or 50 year roof, you are happier with that than a 10 year roof. You’ll pay more for the longer life, but it’s worth it because your company will benefit from the use of the building and won’t have to worry about your roof for half a century. This seems like a pretty obvious concept. However, there are some situations in which you wouldn’t want to invest the money in a 50 year roof. Sometimes, it’s not worth the extra cash you’ll have to pay. What are these situations and how do you know that you are in one?

building life
Do you expect your building to last as long as the roof you’re paying for?

The Building Life Isn’t as Long as the Roof Life

Is the building you are occupying or own nearing the end of it’s life? Do you expect your building to be torn down or significantly renovated in the coming years? This is reason to pause and think about your new roof decision. It would be unwise and a poor investment to put a 40 year roof on a building that you know will only last 20-30 more years. What a waste of money! So, don’t do it. Analyze the expected life of your roof and then don’t go (much) over that with your new roofing system.

One note on this: Don’t choose a roof that is cheap and will shorten the life of your building by providing inadequate protection. You still don’t want to install a roof that will cost you money to maintain and will damage your building further, even if your building is already in bad shape.

You Won’t Be in the Building Long Enough to Benefit

Are you planning to move and/or sell your building in the near future? Perhaps you have plans to sell your company to an outside investor and won’t need a building at all in a few years. This is another great reason to consider investing in a shorter life span roof system. The money you spend on your roof won’t always be money that you can get back when you sell it. The new buyer may not be willing to pay more simply because there is a better roof on the building. In that situation, a long-lived roof is a waste of money.

Conclusion

It is usually a good idea to invest up-front in the better product or service, roofs included. However, as seen above, there are situations where it is not worth it. Be mindful of these situations before you make a decision to purchase a new roof, it could save you serious money.

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