7 Best Materials To Use For Roofing

With time and advanced technology, roofing systems have evolved in style, installation techniques, and even materials. Every roof is designed with the safety of occupants in mind, considering aesthetic appeal, durability, and longevity at the same time.

Since the roof protects the entire structure of a house or building, it’s a must to determine the best material to use, which will be the topic discussed below.

Types Of Roofing Materials 

The different roofing materials include metal, asphalt, clay tile, slate, and shakes or wood shingles. Selecting the best roofing material for your next project depends on various factors, such as your budget, desired quality, and overall look of roofing you want to have for your property. To know your options, it pays off to discuss the different types of roofing materials with an expert.

You can consult an experienced roofer to get expert advice on the best roofing material applicable to your needs and obtain estimates. Regardless of the roofing material you choose, roofing experts highly recommend leaving roofing jobs to qualified professionals. You shouldn’t ignore such a good point because DIY roofing repair and replacement can be dangerous.

Here are the most common roofing materials used in residential and commercial establishments:

Metal

Metal roofing can be made of copper, alloy strips, aluminum, or steel. This roofing material differs in shape and texture. The coating weight of galvanized metal roofs is generally G30-G90. However, its substrate galvanized steel coil, has no warranty service, which means that the service life cannot be accurately predicted.

Take a look at these good-to-know things about metal roofs:

• Keep your home cooler: Metal roofing effectively reflects the sun’s rays, keeping your home cooler during summer.
• Durable and long-lasting: A metal roofing system can last 50 to 100 years.
• Attractive: Copper roofing acquires a greenish patina over time that some homeowners find attractive.
• Customizable: Steel metal roofs can be shaped and bent in different angles that other roofing materials don’t possess.

 Asphalt

Made from fiberglass, asphalt, and ceramic and mineral granules, asphalt shingles are popular roofing material in the United States. This type of roofing usually comes with a 20 to 30 years warranty. When replacing damaged individual shingles, asphalt is an easy-to-install material, too, making it more convenient.

Here are the best qualities of asphalt roofing that make it attractive to most property owners:

• Tough: Asphalt shingles have a fiberglass base, providing strength to withstand elements.
• Waterproof: The asphalt and minerals make this roofing waterproof.
• Deflect UV Light: The ceramic granules of asphalt roofs give shingles their color that also aid deflect the damaging effects of ultraviolet light.
• Inexpensive: Asphalt roofing systems are affordable, easy to install, and relatively light.
• Attractive: Asphalt shingles come in sheets and layered on a roof, giving the illusion of having more expensive single shingles, like slate or cedar.

 Slate

Slate roofing tile is a high-quality, long-lasting roofing material made of a natural stone product. Here are the good reasons why some homeowners still prefer slate roofing tiles:

• Beautiful Appearance: Homeowners prefer slate because of its immense and natural beauty. Its classic appearance is timeless, too. Slate roofing comes in a broad range of colors, such as black, red, gray, green, purple, and mottled tiles, creating several colors when combined.
• Longevity: Slate roofs can last at least a century.
• Fire Resistance: This roofing is fireproof, helping you prevent fires caused by wildfires, fireworks, adjacent house fires, and other airborne fires.
• Environment-friendly: Slates have positive environmental impacts because they don’t end up in landfills sooner than other roofing materials. This is because, as mentioned, slate roofs can last 100 years or more.

Tar And Gravel

A built-up roofing system consists of tar and gravel, which are commonly seen in commercial establishments. It’s an excellent alternative to shingle roofs, and the durability highly depends on the type of raw materials used.

Built-up roofing is an increasingly popular roofing choice for commercial properties because of the following reasons:

• Easy to maintain: Built-up roofing has fewer components. Also, fixing damages is a simple patch and replacement.
• Efficient heating and cooling: Tar and gravel are great insulators, making them suitable in warmer climates.
• Fire-resistant: Built-up roofing uses ‘cold’ bitumen and ballasted asphalt, which act as a natural fire insulator.

 

Tile

Clay, slate, and concrete tiles withstand high winds, hail, and fire. Most tile roof manufacturers offer a 50-year warranty because this material is impervious to insect damage and rot, unlike wood.

Check the following advantages of installing tile roofs:

• Energy-efficient: Clay, slate, and concrete tiles help regulate indoor temperatures.
• Low maintenance: Unless it breaks because of heavy impact, the tile roof doesn’t leak at all.
• Many choices: Clay, slate, and concrete tiles come in many styles and colors, matching any home style, such as Medieval and Contemporary European. Tiles also resemble traditional wood shakes or shingles.

Galvanized Iron Or GI Sheet

 If you want to make your home energy-efficient, a GI sheet is the best roofing material for solar panel installation.

GI sheet is made with galvanized iron, and this roofing is also called ‘flat roof,’ which is compatible with solar panels, making them easier to install. Slate and wood roofs are brittle, so they aren’t suitable for installing solar panels.

Wood Shakes

Wood shakes are made of wood, such as cedar, pine, or redwood. This roofing is also a preferred roofing material because of its following characteristics:

• Unrivaled beauty: Since this roofing offers a natural look, it’ll add elegance to your home. Western red cedar is a hard tree species in North America that’s being used in wood shakes with a rugged, split look, providing depth and texture. Over time, wood shakes turn into lovely gray color, perfect for traditional homes, such as Victorian, Colonial, Craftsman, and Cape Cod.
• Increased energy efficiency: Shakes provide greater insulation than asphalt shingles, making your home thermally comfortable, reducing heating and cooling costs.
• Superior durability: Wood shake is wind- and hail-resistant. This means it can withstand any storm damage, preventing cracks, leaks, and punctures.

Conclusion

You can choose from the different roofing materials discussed above and decide what’s best for your home or building. Asphalt and metal roofs are popular options because they’re easy to install and generally more affordable than other materials.

Slate is unique, beautiful, and durable, making it a popular choice among homeowners, but expensive and difficult to install. Tiles are extremely durable and longer-lasting. On the other hand, wood shakes are considered a natural roof material that’s popular for traditional homes as they can withstand harsh elements.