I moved into my house not too long ago and had the first occasion to want to go up to the roof yesterday. It looks like there are three layers of shingles. I've read that you should never have more than two layers of shingles because of the weight. How much should I worry about this?
Thanks for your input,
-Ben
I'd go check with the local code officials and see what the code says. In most places you are permitted to have 2 layers, but no more. Also, in most places you need a building permit to put on new shingles. Find out if one was taken out. If the answers to both of those questions are no, then depending on the rest of the facts, like the age of the roof, I'd seriously consider going after the seller ad you could have a slam dunk case.
Ben,
Shingles have weight. Each layer of shingles puts weight on your roof structure. This structure must support this weight and the weight of other things (snow and ice come to mind). 3 layers of shingles may be too much weight for your roof structure.I 'd be concerned about the roof collapsing. I'd really worry come Winter.
Dave M.
In addition to what the others have said, I'd pay a visit to whoever did the home inspection and kick him in the teeth. Then get your money back.
Assuming he had a home inspector. Even so, many give the roof a cursory inspection and pronounce it good or bad and if the top layer looks good, he would not do any in depth inspecting.
As for the number of layers, there are probably tens of thousands of houses with three layers. There is the potential for problems, but I'd not act too quickly. If it has been on there for 10 years, I'd do nothing until it was time to re-roof. Not knowing the construction, none of us can say if there is serious danger from the weight. Pitch, snow load, type of rafter or truss, etc. all play a part. Just look at the weight of the older slate roofs.
Edwin Pawlowski wrote: ...
Slate roofs were certainly not placed on stick-framed houses only sized for asphalt...that's totally unrelated to the OP's situation.
I agree it's highly unlikely if it's been there any length of time there's going to be a problem tomorrow.
While weight can be a consdieration, the primary proscription on the third layer is it tends to shorten life of the new shingles from additional heat and poor conditions underneath.
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Also, when it it time for a new roof, the roofers will charge a lot more for the tear off and haul away of a three layer roof.
As others have said, 3 layers is not a good idea and it does not meet most local codes. On the other hand, older homes often do turn out to have 3 layers because someone went ahead and added a 3rd layer without doing the tear-off that should have been done first. If you had a home inspection done before the purchase, that definitely would have given you the info on the status of the roof. As far as trying to go back now and stick it to the seller, that's doubtful at this point. The fact that you were now able to discover the status of the roof by checking on your own means you could have done the same thing before you bought the property.
If you don't see any evidence of sagging, and the roof seems to be in good shape and is not leaking, you may not need to do anything. If you are getting close to needing a new roof anyway, it would probably make sense to go ahead and get estimates and have it done now before this coming winter.
"LJP" wrote
Keep in mind that he may be south of the snow-line and if so, 3 layers is allowed. We don't have the snow weight issues.
I'd go check with the local code officials and see what the code says. In most places you are permitted to have 2 layers, but no more. Also, in most places you need a building permit to put on new shingles. Find out if one was taken out. If the answers to both of those questions are no, then depending on the rest of the facts, like the age of the roof, I'd seriously consider going after the seller ad you could have a slam dunk case.
Why would the seller know anything about roofing?
No one else has mentioned this, so I will: Make sure the spot you checked really _has_ three layers.
Some spots, like edges, have an extra layer of shingles on purpose. You also have to count carefully to avoid counting overlapping shingles in a single layer as multiple layers.
Unless someone snunk over and re-shingled his house in the dead of night, the seller knew there were three layers.
Three layers is certainly something noteworthy and maybe illegal.
On the other hand, maybe it's the third layer that's holding the house together.
He (the seller) may have bought the house that way. He's only responsible for things he knows about. He'd have plausible deniability. If that wasn't true, almost anybody selling a home would be in serious trouble.
:-) Maybe a real estate lawyer could respond. My real estate agent said "the less you know the better".
snipped-for-privacy@optonline.net wrote: ...
For what?
Having just one and only one layer is best. Shingles are heavy and can put extra stress on a roof. I've seen some really bad sagging roofs with 2,3 and 4 layers of shingles on it.
I've been scratching my head, wondering how much difference another layer of shingles would make. Google knows :o) Found a website that seems to explain it well:
Of course it is (and where did I say or even imply it wasn't?) , but the worst problem is still (generally) the more rapid deterioration of the shingles themselves as opposed to actual risk of a roof failing. If that weren't the case, considering the number of roofing jobs done every year which are second- (or even third-layer), we'd hear of roofs collapsing every where and we don't...
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Before doing anything else, confirm that you DO have three layers of shingles.
It sounds like you don't have much experience examining roofs (and there's nothing wrong with that ;) ) so get a roofer or other knowledgeable pro out to confirm. THEN decide what, if anything, you should expect from, or need to do to, your roof.
The last disclosesures I filled out or read didn't ask anything about shingle layers. It may have asked about leaking issues. Layers could be covered in the inspection but I have two layers and there isn't a thing about that in my last inspection. Plenty of other roofing issues.
Ben wrote in news:a0c3c19d-596e-4a74-b1d2-a589f3e0fe76 @u6g2000prc.googlegroups.com:
1) Please don't say you are in ME, NH, VT or Buffalo.2) Wear a hardhat in the attic.
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