Choose The Right Roof For Your Home

Here are a few different types of roofing options to consider. 

Asphalt Shingles and Their Alternatives

Shingles made out of asphalt are the most popular choice for material to use for roofing because of the wide variety of advantages they offer over other roofing types.

Among these are their comparatively economical prices and how relatively easy they are to implement. However, some of their other positive points also come with their own respective disadvantages.

Thanks in part to the water-resistant construction of asphalt shingles, you can expect a newly installed roof made out of them to last for a maximum of fifty years.

However, it is more likely that it will last roughly twenty years because of other environmental factors like constant sunlight and overbearing heat, and how often the roof will be walked on will also play a role in how quickly it wears out. Other types of roofing tiles tend to last longer because of their heavier weight.

Another advantage of asphalt shingles is how they are available in many visually different variations and colors. On the other hand, darker-toned varieties can easily be discolored over time and end up appearing incongruous with each other.

One common cause for this is algae that can form on each shingle and disappear from exposure to sunlight, leaving behind black imprints. Fortunately, you can combat this by spreading a bleaching agent and then water onto the affected tiles.

What follows are some alternative shingle varieties that you can use in place of traditional asphalt shingles:

Wood Shake Shingles

These shingles forego the cost-effectiveness of asphalt shingles and introduce a heightened risk of flammability in areas prone to wildfires, and they are not recommended for use in roofs in wetter regions where they are more prone to rotting.

However, they can last roughly thirty years in drier zones, and they represent a more environmentally aware roofing option because the natural materials used in their construction prevents them from contributing harmful substances to rainwater that runs off them.

Metal Shingles

If you can find and afford a roofer or contractor that has the experience necessary to install a roof made out of metallic shingles, you may end up enjoying the benefits of a roof made out materials that are lighter in weight and less harmful to the environment than asphalt shingles.

Specifically, this type of roof will probably only require the occasional paint job to make it look good as new, unless it becomes old enough that it starts to wear on a structural level.

Slate Shingles

Another expensive and hard-to-install variety of shingle is made out of slate, which appears natural, can come in different visual varieties, resists fire and rot, and can last almost a century.

While generally justifying the premium asking price, slate tiles are heavy yet easy to break if they are walked on by persons maintaining the roof.

Ceramic Shingles

Finally, shingles made out of hardened clay are similarly resistant to fire and capable of lasting roughly sixty years on average.

These artistic tiles are durable in terms of lasting in consistently temperate climates, but they are otherwise easily broken by being walked on and by being buffeted by strong winds.