Should I Professionally Clean A 19 Yr Old Roof?

Your habitation does a lot for you: it keeps you warm and dry, it keeps you safe, and it keeps all your things in one place. Bated from the odd repair or two, it's belongings upward and doing its task well.

That's why it comes as such as daze when your insurance company informs you lot that your roof historic period is too old and they are going to driblet your homeowners insurance coverage if y'all don't get a new one.

Huh?

You know you need to start calling roofers when you take a leak or severe hurricane impairment. But the age of a roof and insurance company requirements aren't typically thought of equally reasons for getting your roof replaced.

Which might get out you wondering, "How long does a roof last? Does the insurance company know something I don't?"

Yes, The Insurance Visitor Knows Something You Don't

Information technology should come as no surprise that insurance companies are dedicated number crunchers. They have entire departments dedicated to compiling data on any and every insurable, including roofs.

I can guarantee y'all that your insurance carrier has detailed information on how long roofs are expected to terminal, the most common causes of roof-related claims, and which types of roofs are nearly resistant to impairment.

There are two main factors to consider when examining the age of a roof and insurance requirements: covering type and roof shape.

Having the funds bachelor to pay for claims is entirely dependent on the insurance company collecting the correct corporeality in premiums (non enough coin coming in + as well much money going out = bad business concern). That'southward why insurance fraud is such a big deal.

If your insurance company can predict—every bit much as possible, anyway—which roofs are likely to take a claim, they tin can increment premiums for these "riskier" policies and build upwards a stash for when those claims start rolling in.

So when they send y'all a notice to either supersede your roof or find another carrier, it's because your roof age fell into the "nighttime place" in their data, where it merely becomes besides risky for them to insure.

How Long Does a Roof Last?

So, according to the insurance companies, how long does a roof last?

There are two main factors to consider when examining the age of a roof and insurance requirements: covering type and roof shape.

Covering Type

Most roofs fall under ane of three categories: standard shingles, architectural shingles, or tile.

roof shingle comparison

Standard shingles butt up against each other, giving the roof a flatter, more uniform shape and are expected to last up to fifteen years.Architectural shinglesoverlap each other, giving the roof a more textured, 3-dimensional appearance. These are expected to last up to 20 years.

Tile roofing is made of either concrete or clay and comes in dissimilar shapes and textures. Tile covering is typically stronger than shingle and is considered to have a life expectancy of 30 years.

This doesn't hateful that your architectural roof will start collapsing after twenty years. But these guidelines have get standard in the insurance manufacture so in most cases, your roof age will take to fall within these ranges in social club for you lot to exist issued a policy.

Roof Shape

The 2nd thing your insurance company will look at is the shape and slope of your roof. A roof's shape affects drainage too equally how much air current speed it can endure earlier damage occurs.

Most insurance companies tend to prefer hip roofs (where all 4 sides of the roof gradient downward), but gable roofs (where two sides gradient downward) volition however protect you lot and your family. Flat roofs are rarer in Florida; they are usually harder to insure as they don't permit rain to run off every bit hands as other roof types.

hipped vs. gabled roof comparison

Age of Roof and Insurance

Based on the insurance companies' extensive data, older roofs are more probable to receive serious harm than newer roofs. Every bit edifice codes and engineering science evolve, roof quality goes upwards.

For instance, secondary water resistance, which is a prophylactic-like, watertight barrier that sits between the shingles and wooden decking, became much more common post-2010. Homes with this extra layer of protection have a much better hazard of weathering the adjacent storm unscathed.

The truth is, insurance companies feel much more comfortable with newer roofs and don't want to open themselves up to more than risk than they want to.

This may sound unfair at commencement, but imagine if you were responsible for 250,000 roofs across an area that was well-known for severe storms. If you had data showing that normal wearable-and-tear tends to limit roof historic period, y'all would probably make the same demands.

Another gene leading to more roof replacement demands is insurance fraud. Shady roofing companies that fake (or fifty-fifty create) roof harm accept led to an uptick in claims that many insurers cannot keep upwardly with. As a result, some companies are requiring thatall shingle roofs be replaced later 10 years. If they are non replaced, those companies are either offering less comprehensive coverage or no coverage at all.

It's All About the Bottom Line

In order to stay in business organisation, your insurance company needs to mitigate its losses. And one of the ways it does that is by refusing to cover roofs that it believes are prone to severe damage.

If you've received a notice from your insurance visitor that your roof is also old, you have 2 options: 1) have your roof replaced or ii) find an insurance visitor who will cover it. At that place are a few insurance companies who volition insure xvi-year-sometime standard shingle roofs, but no insurance company will cover your roof forever. At some point, you will simply have to supercede your roof.

Yes, even if in that location's nil currently wrong with information technology.

However, a new roof is a practiced opportunity to get a wind mitigation inspection. In addition to giving you the peace of mind that your dwelling can better withstand the next big storm, you'll also save on your insurance premiums.

If you take received a notice that your roof is too one-time or if you're looking for homeowners insurance, telephone call Harry Levine Insurance. We pride ourselves on building a customized, comprehensive network of policies and so each of our clients feel protected, listened to, and rubber.