I thought shingles were supposed to last about 15-20 years. The guys who install metal "permanent" roofs warrant them for 50 years. That's only two or three times as long as plain old boring shingles. And you have to assume that the company will still be there in 30 or 40 years if you need something fixed.
When I was a kid, people painted their houses every 15-20 years. Yes, we had evil lead in our paint. But it lasted. I've been hearing a company advertise their "coating" for a home that looks like paint but is permanent. They promise it will last 25 years. Twenty-five years doesn't sound very permanent to me.
Why is this short period called "permanent"?
Is it because we have such a mobile society that nobody stays put for 25 years?
Is it because we like to tinker and update and go for a new look?
Is it because the quality of materials and workmanship has degraded so much that upkeep has become a constant battle, and now we think 25 years is relatively permanent?
Friday, June 24, 2016
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We bought our house 4 years ago. There are 16 houses on our street. There are 5 other houses that have the same people living in them as when we moved in. Some of the other 10 have had 3 owners in the last 4 years. Our society is even more mobile than I thought before we moved here. 25 years would be an extremely long time to my neighbors!
ReplyDeleteI knew that people moved a lot, but what you're talking about is way more than I imagined!
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