Mitchell Dean

Are you looking to redoing your roof and wondering what types of material to use? There are an abundance of roof types, some of these are brand new and have a wide range of plusses and minuses. You can reroof your home with the same material that is already up there or investigate alternative materials. Some of these alternatives are environmentally friendly, while others are long lasting and low maintenance possibilities.

Before you make the choice, you should consider the life cycle cost of the roofing material. Some of the more expensive materials require a lot less maintenance and have a longer life expectancy than other roofs. You need to consider the current value and potential value of your home when calculating when and if a roofing material might be too expensive. Also take into account the cost of the roofers who will be handling your roof installation.

Asphalt Shingle Roofing

This type of material can be used on any home from the contemporary look to the historic. The advantages to this roof is that it is usually inexpensive, ranges from low cost 3 tab shingles to architectural shingles with incredible durability and styles. This material comes in many colors, types and from many varied manufacturers suitable for most residential applications. The disadvantages are that this material suffers from a very short life span usually ranging from fifteen to thirty years and they are subject to moss and mildew. The biggest disadvantage is how much this material is environmentally unfriendly.

Woodhsake Roofing

Woodshake roof has been used on bungalows, ranch, contemporary, cottage and historic styles of homes. This roofing material is natural looking, taking on a soft weathered look and offers some insulation value when applied. The best advantage is that the roofing blends in with the environment, is easy to repair or replace and usually lasts for thirty to fifty years. The disadvantages are that it can be quite expensive and usually requires professional installation. This is a high maintenance roof that tends to rot, split, mold and mildew with a poor fire rating unless it is pressure treated.

Metal Roofing

A metal roof is usually used in bungalows, ranch style, contemporary, cottage and historic type of homes. Advantages are that it comes in different looks like cedar, slate or standing seam, comes in many colors, is light weight, is durable and has a long life span of at least fifty years. The greatest thing is that this roof can be installed over existing roofs, is low maintenance and has excellent performance with high wind, hail and rain. Disadvantages; suffers from a difficult installation, can be expensive and it might be in need of periodic painting.

Flat Roofing Materials

This is usually needed when roofing California style modern homes. A flat roof usually uses hot mopped asphalt with some type of decorative stone. This is a relatively inexpensive material and is easy to repair, but there is a bad odder, health risk to installers and the furnace promotes smog.

Engineered Rubber Roofing

This type of material conforms to any type of home. It is one third the weight of a common slate roof and is long lasting, up to thirty or fifty years. This type of roof is cost effective, attractive, available is a wide range of styles and made of reclaimed materials so it is very eco friendly. On the down side this type of roofing material is initially very expensive and is unconventional in the United States even though it has been used extensively for more than thirty years in Europe.

There are a few other types of roofing materials but what is listed above is the most popular. Consider what is important to you and your family when considering a new alternative material for your roof.