
Roof Layovers
September 27, 2022
The pedigree of the Marathon stable of businesses dates back to 2004 when Marathon Property Solutions was formed. 2010 saw the introduction of Marathon Business Development into the marketplace, followed by Marathon Solar in 2015. And now, in 2022 we bring you Marathon Restorations LLC. Marathon Restorations is comprised of experts in their respective fields of construction, finance, technology, and business consulting. Steve Dietz, Managing Partner, possesses over 20 years of real estate development and construction experience. Overall, the current team has over 50 years of technology, real estate, banking, construction and business consulting experience.
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As I pulled up to a recent roof inspection I immediately spotted a problem. From the ground I noticed that the roof had a wavy appearance. Closer inspection from the eave affirmed that this roof had a roof laid on top of a roof or what is commonly called a layover. Unsurprisingly, the homeowner told me he had active leaks in his upstairs bedrooms. After walking his roof, taking pictures of the many issues, I stepped down my ladder and explained to him why he had his leaks and that the only reasonable method of repair was a full roof replacement.
Never, ever, do a roof layover. You will end up like this homeowner.
Here are just three reasons why doing a roof layover is asking for trouble and will only cost you more in the long run.
Aside from making a roof look wonky and actually diminishing the curb appeal you set out to achieve, most are disappointed to learn that roof layovers create a loss in equity in your home!
You cannot offer a warranty for a roof layover. Manufacturer’s material warranties to not extend to shingles on top of shingles, and without this warranty, a seller can’t offer a transferable warranty to a buyer. Any buyer will find out about the extra layer of roof during a basic home inspection and either ask for a new roof as part of the purchase, or walk away from the sale. You not only lose the sale, but now you add to your days on market while still needing to install a new roof. Adding insult to this will be that you now will pay double the fee for the tear off and removal charges for the extra layer of roofing.
I felt like an archaeologist last week when I met the mother lode of all roof layovers. On top of a Slate roof, were an additional 6 layers of shingles! This is an all time record for me. Until then I had never seen more than four layers on any one roof. To make matters worse, this homeowner actually called me because she wanted an estimate to repair and replace the water damaged ceilings and walls to all of her upstairs bedrooms and bathroom. Imagine her disappointment, when I explained why she needed all of this interior work done. It turns out that her grandfather, original owner of her turn of the century city home, did the first of many layovers. As they say, the hurts get passed down through the generations.
Marathon highly discourages roof layovers.