If you have one of the lovely mid-century homes in Alexandria, you may have a different roofing system than the more recently built homes in northern Virginia. Homes built in the days before plywood have 1X6 or 1X8’s as their roof deck. It’s fairly common for the homes in Alexandria and other older communities in the area built in the 40’s and 50’s to have this type of construction. As an Alexandria roofing contractor, we recently performed a roof replacement on an older home. Instead of plywood that is normal in today’s construction, there were deck boards. This sparked a conversation not only with the homeowner, but also with the younger members of our team. We thought we’d share some of the information with you.
A Complete Re-Roof May Look Different Depending on the Age of Your Home
A home that needs its first roof replacement normally only needs new underlayment, shingles and flashing. However, an older home may need more work. The home in Alexandria with deck boards had some damage beneath the shingles. During our initial roofing inspection, it was clear from inside the home that there were many boards that needed replacing. Some of the boards were cracked and others had various types of rot or deterioration. However, we didn’t replace everything. Instead, we removed the damaged section and replaced those areas with plywood. We believe in doing this because deck boards last longer than plywood.
A Home on Its Second or Third Roof May Need Some Roof Deck Repair
Let’s assume that as an Alexandria roofing contractor, we came to your home built in the 80’s. The home has likely had at least one, maybe two roof replacements. If the roof was replaced before significant damage occurred, the roof deck (which by the time this home was built was plywood), may not need much work to the roof deck prior to the roof replacement. However, we’ve seen roofs on homes getting their first roof replacement where water has left significant damage to the roof deck and we’ve had to replace one or more pieces of plywood. Any reputable Alexandria roofing contractor will do what they can to replace as little of your roof deck as possible but will do what’s best for your safety and the longevity of your new roof.
Peak Roofing Contractors Serves Alexandria
Whether you have a home ready for its first roof replacement or don’t know how many times the roof on your home has been replaced, call Peak Roofing Contractors. We’re a trusted Alexandria roofing contractor who has replaced and repaired countless homes throughout the area over the past three decades. Call us today for your free quote at (703) 753-4585 or fill out our contact form today.
