Other than major renovations such as remodeling a kitchen or bathroom, installing new roofing is one of the most expensive improvements that homeowners ever need to face. Keep reading to see the best material for roofing.
1.Asphalt roll roofing
Asphalt roll roofing is made from large rolls of the same material, asphalt shingles. This type of roof can be used on relatively flat pitches such as angled shed roofs and sheds themselves. Roll-roofs are easy enough for do it yourselfers to install but this isn’t a very good solution for most home roofs because they aren’t meant for steep angles or entire homes.
A professional roofer would want readers to understand what materials will work best in which situation so that their money doesn’t go down the drain. Therefore, an appropriate tone might be friendly yet helpful rather than disinterested like many academic journals tend to use since homeowners don’t need any further information besides what types of products work well.
Lifespan: Roofing can be expected to last from 5-10 years, at most. Roof material will start deteriorating as soon as it is installed if the roof isn’t kept clear of debris and patched up quickly for any punctures or damage that occurs.
2. Built-Up Roof
A built-up roof (BUR) is a layered roof that consists of alternating layers of bitumen and fiberglass, making the process smelly. The material is inexpensive but fireproof as it provides good insulation against both heat and cold.
Bur roofs are made by stacking different materials such as asphalt, heavy felt paper saturated in tar to prevent leakage, glass roving or mats coated with hot liquid asphalt. This type works well for flat surfaces because its low cost makes up for any steepness in pitch. However, it can be quite tedious due to layering time involved – one layer takes about 1 hour per square foot.
Lifespan: Built-up roofs typically last from 20 to 30 years. To maximize the lifespan of a built-up roof, regular inspection and repair is necessary as well as keeping debris off it so that degradation doesn’t occur on top of this surface.
3. Composite Asphalt Shingle Roof
Composite asphalt shingle roofs are the most popular of all roofing materials, found on more than 80 percent of homes. They use an organic or fiberglass base saturated with asphalt and coated in chips to increase insulation value, longevity, resistance against winds and hail storms.
Composite shingle roofs have high popularity for their low-cost installation process that is normally done by professional crews; they also last longer due to its tough exterior coating which consists small bits of slate/quartz/granules etcetera used as impregnating material.
Lifespan: The average lifespan of a shingle roof is 40 years, but these roofs usually last longer with good maintenance and performance. Each manufacturer offers different warranties for their products varying in life expectancy from 15 to 50+ years such as Owens Corning (50-year warranty), GAF (35-year Warranty) or CertainTeed (45 Year).
4. Wood Shingle Roof
A wood shingle roof is a great choice for those who want an attractive and unique looking style. Shingles are made from thin, wedge-shaped pieces of natural wood that come in cedar or yellow pine flavor. They take time to install though so they may not be the best option if you’re trying to do it yourself! Wood roofs can also pose serious fire hazards depending on where your home is located, so keep this information in mind when deciding whether or not this type of material will benefit your property.
Lifespan: Wood shingle roofs are known for their longevity, with some lasting nearly 50 years when maintained regularly. However, it is important to immediately replace split or cracked wood shingles and keep the roof moss-free in order to make sure that your wooden roof lasts as long as possible.
5. Wood Shake Roof
Although wood shakes are thicker than shingles, they cannot be installed by homeowners because of the high risk for failure. The installation requires professional help and therefore is recommended to hire a contractor who can handle this job safely.
Lifespan: Wood shake roofs have a lifespan of 35 to 40 years, though longer life is not rare. To maximize your wood roof’s lifespan, you need to practice proper maintenance and baby it if necessary. There isn’t an option for any kind of wood roofing material that makes you never again maintain the product so quickly remove debris as soon as possible when it falls on the roof and eliminate moss too! If there are split shakes then replace them right away before they become more problematic later in time like curled or cupped ones should be replaced immediately.
6. Standing seam Metal Roof
Standing-Seam Metal Roofs are an increasingly popular type of roofing, especially in areas prone to wildfire danger. They are made from large steel panels laid on the roof deck with seams overlapping and raised ridges running vertically along the slope. Metals used include aluminum or copper while zinc is also sometimes incorporated into standing seam metal roofs too. These roofs have virtually no maintenance required making them very durable while not being suitable for DIY installation processes either without proper training beforehand which can be a costly undertaking itself as well.
Standing-seam metal rooftops (SSMR) may seem like they would make great homes considering that there’s little need for repair work but this isn’t necessarily true if you’re thinking about installing it yourself.
Lifespan: Standing-seam metal roofs have a lifespan of 30 to 50 years but will last 75 years if they are properly maintained. Regularly check them and inspect for distressed, bent or slipped panels so the roof doesn’t fail before it reaches that age.
7. Clay or Cement Tile
A clay tile roof is very popular in the Southwest United States, but it can be found anywhere across the country. Traditional tiles are made from terracotta clay while ceramic and concrete ones consist of fired or cemented clays respectively. Every type has roughly equal strength and durability when installed by skilled professionals on a sturdy frame with sufficient weight-bearing capacity over roofs.
Lifespan: Clay tile roofs can last 100 years or more with proper maintenance. The downside is not the decay of wood shake and shingles, nor sloughing off mineral grains like composite shingle roofing have.
