Having spent 30+ years in residential construction, contracting, remodeling, maintenance and home repair, Deane now contributes DIY, informational and financial content as a freelance writer and ...

Question: I have an older house. The attic was converted into a Cape Cod-type bedroom for children. The old asphalt rolled roof is leaking again. What do you suggest as the best method to fix it?

Can you avoid tearing off your old asphalt shingle roof by putting a steel roof over it? Maybe. Most codes now allow no more than two layers of roofing before requiring a complete tear-off. So, if ...

Dear Olivia: It would have been much better if the contractor had used durable tin or copper for that low roof initially, but those materials are much more expensive than asphalt rolled roofing. With ...