When it comes to residential roofing options, you have asphalt, clay tiles to wood shakes and anything in between to check out. Many people only think about their roof once it has started leaking. By choosing the right roof while repairing or building a house, you would have ensured leaking does not take place for decades to come while letting the roofing material contribute to the way your building looks like from afar. So many options to think about are available today.
Asphalt Shingles
Flying over many homes in America today you will realize most of the homes are roofed with three-tab standard asphalt shingles. It is one of the least expensive materials for roofing a house and available in so many colors, blended or solid. The modern shingle guarantees 20-30 years of use meaning they are a wonderful choice. Value is a major thing to think about while considering asphalt shingles for your roofing, the reason for their popularity and commonality. However, if you think being common is too much for you, then it is a disadvantage. They also come with a number of thicker variations, such as the architectural shingle, a standard three-tab built to be thicker than typical shingles with a 30 year guarantee.
Wood Shingles
When it comes to looks, the wood shingle is hard to beat. As time passes, the wooden shingle weathers into a soft silver or gray hue blending the house with the landscape. Different species of cedar are used in shingles, such as eastern white, Alaskan yellow or western red cedar. They are also very smooth and their thickness is uniformly cut as much as the width might be varying.
Wood Shakes
The shingle might be soft but the wood shake is rougher and thicker and rather than being sawn from a log, it is split. A wooden roof has to breathe or made to breathe and thus a substrate is normally used below them for air to circulate easily behind. To have air circulating behind the shakes and shingles, they can be laid on the lattice that has been treated with pressure. Wood shakes and shingles may have a wonderful appearance, but their installation is expensive and periodic maintenance is a must.
Slate
There was a time when slate was highly used in residential roofing, especially for municipal buildings and high-end houses. Slate roofs are very beautiful, capable of shedding snow and ice, last for a long time and are quite expensive. However, it requires a unique roof structure to guarantee support; its use today has dwindled. There are however, slate look-alikes that can be used in residential roofing usually made of plastic and recycled rubber that guarantees 50 years of solid and strong roof.
Metal
Metal roofs are long lasting, rugged, easy to install and cheap, especially in the form of galvanized corrugated sheets. They can be copper or even galvanized sheet steel.
Ceramic Tile Roofs
California and Florida are some of the places where ceramic tile roofs are in plenty especially the common barrel tiles. Due to the heavy nature of the roof, the roof framing has to be very stout to ensure the roof load is well supported. Along the roof sheathing is a membrane that ensures waterproofing takes place.
