Roofs, like any other part of our homes, discretely do their job by giving us shelter and comfort. Rains, strong winds, or merely extreme heat are canceled out by these shield-like components over our heads. We often take this for granted, but it’s the one house part we definitely cannot do without. That’s why utmost care and attention must be showered on our roofing to ensure maximum potential.
There are many roofing materials on the market these days, and it can be tough to decide which one is best for your home. Each material has its benefits and drawbacks, so it is only critical to choose the one that will work best for your house.
In this blog post, we will discuss the pros and cons of seven popular roofing materials: asphalt shingles, metal roofing, clay tile roofing, slate roofing, wood shakes, green roofing, and stone coated steel roofing. We’ll help you decide which material will suit you beautifully!
Asphalt
Asphalt shingles are one of the most popular roofing materials in North America. It consists of fiberglass and/or organic shingles that are coated with asphalt and then further granulated with a mineral coating.
The Plus: Price
Asphalt roofing provides flexibility under different conditions. It is relatively inexpensive, readily available almost everywhere, easy to install and individually repair, and it comes in many colors and styles.
Cons
It is not as durable as other materials on this list, especially in terms of grave weather like heavy rains. It also doesn’t provide much insulation during summer.
Metal
Metal roofing is commonly reinforced and made of steel, aluminum, copper, or zinc. It is a popular roofing material because of its durability under extreme weather conditions, low maintenance cost, and it is energy-efficient. It can even be molded into different shapes and forms of your choice.
The Plus: Durability
Metal roofing is extremely durable, malleable, and can last for up to 50 years without replacement. It’s also non-combustible and has high insulation, so it’s a great choice for homes to exhibit resistance in cases of fire. Furthermore, it is eco-friendly due to its recyclability.
Cons
Metal roofing must be borne of good quality to avoid rusting, so it can come with a hefty price. Compared to other roofing materials, it can be difficult to install on older homes. It also requires occasional maintenance check and coating of sealants to avoid oxidation.
Clay Tiles
Clay roofing is a popular roofing material in Europe and Asia. It is one of the oldest architectural roofing materials to be utilized and is already around for about a thousand years. It is made of natural clay, concrete, slate, or terracotta that is baked in a kiln and reshaped into tiles to be used in roofing.
The Plus: Recyclable
Clay roofing is quite known for its longevity, durability, and low maintenance cost. It is fire-resistant and has insulation to help cool your home in the summertime. It can also be recycled, so it is environmentally-friendly.
Cons
Clay roofing can be quite heavy and technical to install, and it’s not as energy-efficient as some of the other roofing materials on this list. In addition, a sharp pressure with great magnitude such as getting hit by debris or getting stepped on can cause them to break.
Slate
Slate roofing is a popular roofing material in North America and other wet places. It is made of 100% stone and slate material that is quarried from around the world. Its natural cleft surface and relative innate color thats that vary over the entire roof give additional aesthetic quality.
The Plus: Robustness
Slate roofing promotes a pleasing appearance to your roof structure. It is very robust and can last for up to 100 years. It’s also fire-resistant and provides great insulation for your home, and is water-resistant which saves you the worries of horrific rains.
Cons
Slate roofing is deemed to be one of the most expensive roofing materials in the industry, and it can be somewhat heavy and difficult to install on older homes.
Wood Shakes and Shingles
Wood shakes and shingles are made of cedar, redwood, or pine logs which are then split into thin, tapered rectangular strips and then kiln-dried. Shingles are sown on both sides to create a thinner and smoother texture compared to shakes which are only polished on one side. These can be treated or coated to be more resistant to fire, water, and insects.
The Plus: Fantastic Insulation
As a material having poor heat conduction, it can provide great insulation for your home. This means you can make your home cooler in warm seasons and warmer in cold ones. They are eco-friendly, wind-resistant, and are known to exhibit roof stability during wood formation.
Cons
Wood shakes are not that durable, and they require more maintenance than other roofing materials. Furthermore, even though they can be resistant after treatment, they would need to have frequent applications, and wood is also flammable so it can endanger lives despite roof coatings.
Green Roofs
Green roofing is a popular roofing material in Europe and Asia. It is made of vegetation that is planted over a waterproof membrane. The plants act as an insulation layer, which can lower energy bills. In the summer, the plants help cool the building, and in winter they provide some extra warmth. This can be a concrete option for people who are passionate about plants.
The Plus: Energy-Efficient
Green roofing is environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, and aesthetically pleasing. The plants can improve air quality in your area, take part in lessening carbon dioxide concentrations, and even improve the drainage system through counterflooding.
Cons
Green roofing can be expensive compared to other roofing materials, and it needs regular maintenance to sustain its appearance and the effectiveness of its function. It is also not very durable and can be heavy.
Stone-coated steel
Steel roofing, in contrast to the bare metal that people often think of, may have the look of conventional shingles yet provide the durability and strength of a metal. Its roof can be constructed of 24 or 26-gauge rolled steel sheets with rust-preventing paint. A thick layer of stone is applied to the surface of stone-coated steel roofs, resulting in a vintage appearance.
The Plus: Versatility
Stone-coated steel roofing offers versatility under different conditions, robustness, longevity, energy efficiency, has a low maintenance cost, and can provide an aesthetic appearance to your home.
Cons
A particular drawback of this type of roofing may be associated with its expensive initial cost and noise in times of heavy winds and/or precipitation.
Choosing which roofing material works best for you and your home is quite a big decision to make. It needs some serious time to ponder upon and factors to consider. You need to mind your roof type, climate, and budget when choosing the best roofing material for your home. Aside from that, you are also going to need to think about roof installation and maintenance when the time for the roofing operation comes.
For that, you are going to need roof repair professionals, in order to be able to help you in making plans on what type of roof you are going to need and in aiding you on the entire roof installation and management process. Such professionals can even offer services such as replacements, warranty, property safety, cleanup, and can suggest notions regarding your sidings and gutters.
