Having your own home is a dream come true. It’s all yours, from the roof to the floors. Unless you live in a duplex dwelling.
In a duplex, two individual homes share assets like parking, walls, and even a roof. Duplex roofing means that only half of the roof belongs to you. It can be confusing and only becomes a problem when your roof needs repair work or needs to be replaced entirely.
The Thing About Duplex Roofing
As mentioned, duplex housing means that the asset, in this case, the roof is shared between two separate groups.
In some cases, this works out great but in others, not so much. If either party wants to repair or replace anything on the roof and the other party doesn’t want to, what happens next? In some cases, you may need to do repairs to fix leaks or issues you have with your roof, but your roof work can have an impact on your neighbors’ roof.
The situation can be reversed when your neighbor has issues and they want to repair which can impact your portion of the roof. You can’t expect each other to pay the full cost nor can you expect them to pay half without any form of warning. Re-roofing or repairing roofs on duplex properties can be a tricky situation, to say the least.
Can A Roofing Company Re-Roof Half A Roof?
While it is not impossible to re-roof only half a roof. There are external factors that will affect the re-roofing. Re-roofing one section may have an impact on the other section and cause your or your neighbors’ property to get damaged in the process.
In some cases, the newly installed roof may have joints that are incompatible with the older roof. There is also an aesthetic issue as the newly done roof will look different from the older roof, giving the roof an uneven aesthetic. It may be possible if you have a roof divider, but you would need to speak to a professional roofing contractor about it.
Can You Force Someone Or Be Forced Into Doing A Re-Roof?
You cannot force someone or be forced into doing a re-roof, especially if it’s not within your or their budget. You can come to a legal agreement on how best to pay for the project or put it on hold until both parties can afford to pay for the re-roofing.
Both parties must sign a legal document stating their intentions to make reparations for payment before starting any work on the roof, to avoid any parties backing out at the last minute. Leaving one party to pay the full cost.
Who Is Responsible For Maintenance Of The Duplex Roof?
Maintenance can be one of the things on your list, that you just forget to do. Maintenance like minor repairs and cleaning, on a duplex roof is quite important. Keeping your roof in tip-top shape prolongs the need for a re-roofing but you can’t force your neighbor to pay for professional roofing maintenance.
For maintenance, both household owners need to come to an understanding as well as an agreement regarding the regular maintenance and upkeep of the roof. A signed contract is one way to establish that both parties agree to regular maintenance.
Things To Keep In Mind
If any part of the duplex roof is damaged, it must be fixed immediately. More severe problems can occur if minor problems are left unattended. The whole roof can be affected and would need to be replaced if mold, rotting, and other problems.
Finding the right roofing contractor will make all the difference. The team at Aabco Roofing has got you covered! No matter what roofing situation you’re under, we will work hard to get on top of it and provide you with the end results you are looking for! If you have any questions about duplex roofing, contact us today at 1-954-426-8500!
