# When to replace roof decking



## John W (6 mo ago)

Hello. I'm new to the forum. Full disclosure. I am not a roofer. I am the homeowner. I have a house in North TX built in mid 1970s with 3/8" decking. The decking has had 3 roofs nailed to it already (only one roof nailed on at a time). The new roof would be the 4th. I am trying to get the insurance to cover deck replacement. I've talked to the City and current code requires 5/8" decking, but doesn't require it to be brought up to code unless half of the deck has to be replaced for other reasons. The Building Official siad the code didn't address how many could be nailed into the deck before it became unnailable or too perforated and weakened.. 

Is there a Building Code or industry tandard that addresses this?. 

Any help will be appreciated.


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## Ilyas Brandner (Sep 27, 2021)

Take a look at Codes and Standards - NRCA
Best Regards


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## KJB420 (Jul 29, 2017)

There is nothing in the current IBC that specifies how many times roofing materials can be installed before sheathing needs to be replaced. That is left to the discretion of your roofing contractor. General rule of thumb in the industry is that if more than half the sheathing is no good, it's best just to replace all of the sheathing. As a professional, I think you can safely tear materials off of the deck 3 times and still have a perfectly acceptable roof deck to install all new materials. Now, keep in mind, this applies to a roof that has had no issues with things like ice-dams, leaks, damage from falling tree branches, and the like. Hope this helps


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