"Rick Onanian" wrote in message
...

In the roofing business, we get people asking for minor repairs
whose shingle roof is 30 years old and has finally leaked enough to
see water inside the house. Meanwhile, it's probably been leaking
into the woodwork for ten years, causing (at least) damage to the
roof sheathing, and maybe even interior mold or roof structure
damage. They can't see spending thousands of dollars when all they
have is a tiny leak.

They can't understand that the $200 repair job will be ineffective
no matter how well done, nor that their old roof surface is causing
expensive damage to the wood underneath.

Sure, you are generally correct, but here's my story:

In 1981, my wife and I bought a house built in 1911. We were the second
owners!

The house was in poor repair, which we knew. We were also strapped for cash.

The roof was leaking. From the looks of it, I needed a new roof. But I
called up a roofer my uncle-in-law recommended. The conversation went like
this:

Roofer: Where do you live?

me: (gave address in next town, on an obscure side street)

Roofer: That's a green roof, right? That's (previous owner's) old house?

me: Uh, yeah.

Roofer: I put that roof on in 1957. It shouldn't be leaking. Let me come
over.

The roofer took out an ornamental railing, put down some sheet goods and
tar, collected $115 from me and it didn't leak until a couple of years ago,
when another similar repair was needed. The old roofer died last year,
unfortunately, so I have to get bids from somebody else since some chunks
are now falling off. Doesn't leak, though. Part of the reason it doesn't
leak is that there are actually FOUR layers of roofing.

I'm anticipating a big bill. There's 90 years of tar-papered over problems
up there.

That's OK; I can afford it now.