CHOOSING THE RIGHT ROOF COVERING MATERIAL

With at least half a dozen categories of roofing materials, and many more subsets in each category, selecting the right roof covering gets confusing. #1 Cedar is actually the third grade coming below Premium and Select. Asphalt shingles come in fiberglass or organic mats, and then are further broken into 3-tab, interlocking, architectural laminate…

How to evaluate the best choice? Start with the basic calculation, how much do they cost divided by how long will they last. This gives a yearly comparable cost. Then factor in a value for X, the subjective, variable, aesthetic component. Does the roof covering enhance the overall look of the house? Do you like it, and will others find it attractive, thereby increasing re-sale value? Will ongoing maintenance be required to get the most out of the life cycle?

Although there are always exceptions, some generalities can be made here:

Type of roof covering definitely affects a home's resale value. When a professional appraiser evaluates a house, the reference bible used throughout North America is the "Residential Cost Handbook" produced by the leading authority, Marshall & Swift. An average quality 2,000 sq. ft. bungalow is factored in at a base price of $76 per sq. ft. X 2000 = $152,000. Average quality refers to a roof material of composition shingles or built-up small rock. The sq. ft. roof upgrade factors listed in the manual are then added to the base price, producing increases in appraised house value. The following chart found on page 19 of the "Residential Cost Handbook" indicates the increase in house value for a 2000 sq. ft. bungalow.

These values assume a roof in excellent shape. If its materials have reached the later stage of their life cycle (more than 10 or 15 years for asphalt, built-up, or wood, or over 50 years for metal and tile) there will likely be a deduction rather than an increase in re-sale value.

One other factor needs to be studied before final selection of a roof covering: the gray and murky area of warranties. In any field these often seem a kind of marketing ploy, designed more to protect the issuing company than the home-buyer. When untreated pine shakes were being sold everywhere, for instance, large signs in bold red letters proclaimed: "25 YEAR WARRANTY." But a warranty is only as good as the company behind it, and the company making this attractive offer has long since gone bankrupt.

In any event, however, careful reading would have revealed that this was really far from being a true 25-year warranty. It was actually a 5-year money grab. After 5 years the company would contact you and offer to inspect your roof for whatever they chose to charge (just before their bankruptcy it was $12 per 100 sq.ft. or around $400 on the average 3300 sq.ft. roof). If you refused, considering this a little steep for a 5-year-old roof that should have no problems, you automatically voided the "remaining" 20 years of your "warranty."

Warranties for asphalt singles also deserve close scrutiny. They often have so many limitations as to be in effect non-transferable to successive owners. If you bought the house even a year after the shingles were installed you might have little or no warranty left. They are also pro-rated, and so worth very little in the second half of the roof life, when likely to be needed the most. Furthermore, coverage typically extends only to a diminishing portion of the cost of any shingles which are leaking. (Never mind how bad the shingles look, are they actually leaking?).

So this is very much "buyer beware" territory. Insurers and warranty writers have always understood the ultimate financial reality of life cycle costing. It is time for Canadian home-owners to learn to look after their own financial best interests. They need to quit asking "How much?" and start asking "How much per year?"

By: Brent Applegate - Past-President: Canadian Association of Home Inspectors, President: Applegate Ventures Ltd. - Roof Consulting Services, Technical Manager - Unicrete Roof Tiles.