Wisconsin Home Inspector - 4-Square Home Inspections, LLC

I'm looking to replace my shingles in the very near future and was looking at shingles in the menards sale paper. They rate the shingles by year and also wind warranty. What wind warranty should I purchase? Is there any brand that's better than the rest or are they all about the same?

Thanks,
Andrew

Hi Andrew,
Are you planning to go over the top of the existing shingles or doing a full tear off? In Wisconsin, you are only allowed two layers of shingles (including cedar shingles.) Make sure you obtain all permits before starting any work.

There are a couple of things to consider based on your house. If you have plywood or OSB roof decking you are in pretty good shape. If you do a tear-off, make sure there are no rotten areas and if there are they need to be patched in. You will also need to have the proper ventilation and this would also be the time to make sure your bathroom and kitchen vents are venting through the exterior of the home.

As far as shingles go, you are correct. There are many options to choose from. For this discussion, I will assume you will be doing a full tear-off. Dimensional shingles are the most popular option. They are thicker and hold up better in windy conditions. Lighter colors reflect heat better and tend to last longer. The orientation of your home and type of roof (hip or gable construction) can also affect the type of shingles you may consider purchasing. If the roof has the majority of the surface perpendicular to the west, you may want to consider a heavier shingle since this surface will be subject to the most wind.

Lastly, if depends on how long you are planning on living in your home. It wouldn't be cost effective to purchase 50 year shingles if you are planning on moving in 5 years.

I am planning on doing a full tear off because there is two layers on the house. As far as how long we are planning to stay here I plan on only 10 to 15 years. So I thought I would buy 25 year.

Andrew

That would be a good choice.

Yeah it would really be a good choice, you must follow like this only.

Torrance Certified Home Inspector

Hello ...this is my first visit to this forum and i am glad to join this forum.