Beware of Wood Roofs in Boulder! They will need to be replaced soon.

Back in 1994, January 1, 2014, must have sounded like the distant future of science fiction, but now it’s not so far away.  It is the deadline for homeowners in the city of Boulder with wood roofs to have them replaced, a date set in 1994 when the ban went into effect.

All wood roofs will need to be replaced by January 1, 2014.

Homebuyers take note: If the home you’ve fallen in love with has a shake roof, this will be a significant cost in the thousands of dollars to you in the future.  

The actual wording of the building code is a model of confusing bureaucratic jargon:

“No person owning a building with wood roof covering materials shall fail to remove or cause to be removed from the building all wood roof covering materials before January 1, 2014, and to replace the removed roofing with approved roof covering materials which conform to the International Building Code as adopted, and no person shall thereafter take possession or ownership of a building with wood roof covering materials.”

And, in case you’re wondering if your wood composite roof needs to be replaced, the answer is yes, if it’s more than half wood, or in the words of the code: “’Wood’" for the purposes of this definition, means any natural or composite material containing at least fifty percent wood by volume.”

My guess is that 2013 will be a busy year for local roofing companies, and you want to time a re-roof for the dry season. If you need replace your roof, you might as well do it now. Email me at monique@moniquecole.com for my recommended roofing contractors.