Whether you’re constructing a new house of your dreams or redoing a roof in your abode there are a huge variety of different roofing materials to use. However, it can be challenging to decide what the best option for your house is. As contemporary technology persists to enhance roofing materials, homeowners have the option to choose from a number of good quality, durable roofing options.
The slope and intricacy of the roof, the weather, the kind and color of the home, the neighborhood, and the expense are among the numerous aspects that influence which type of roofing material is best for your home.
In this article, we will help you sort through the best roofing materials available to you and determine the finest option as per your needs.
What are the 5 major types of roofing material?
Based on our experience, these are the most commonly used roofing materials.
We have made a small classification to help you choose the one that best suits your needs.
Asphalt Composition shingles
An asphalt shingle roof is the most standard roofing material type you see on houses nowadays. The primary reason for it being in vogue is because it’s the most inexpensive sort of roof in the market. These come in a variety of distinct colors and textures and go well with almost any type of house exterior.
- Materials available: Created of either an organic paper fiber mat or fiberglass.
- Ease of Installation: Easy to install.
- Durability: Not very durable, they have a somewhat brief lifespan.
- Weight: Moderately weighing.
- Eco-Friendly: Since these are petroleum based products, they are environmentally unfriendly.
- Slope: Ideal for relatively low to steeper sloped roofs.
- Fire & Wind Resistance: Adequate fire resistance and fair wind resistance.
- Cost: Affordable as compared to others.
Metal Roofing
For people who do not enjoy the appeal of standing seam metal roofs but desire the benefits of metal, there are steel or aluminum shingles or shakes now available. Made with stamped metal and completed with either a high-quality baked-on coating or mineral granules, metal shingles can be manufactured to look very much like traditional asphalt shingles, wooden shakes, or even slate or clay tiles. They are a perfect option where appearance is a vital concern.
- Materials available: Crafted with steel, copper, aluminum, or zinc alloy.
- Ease of Installation: Comparatively hard to install.
- Durability: Incredibly durable, has a long life span of at least 50 years.
- Weight: moderately/light weighing.
- Eco-Friendly: Possible to recycle and use.
- Slope: Ideal for relatively low to steep sloped roofs.
- Fire & Wind Resistance: Both fire and wind resistance.
- Cost: Varies as per the material. Steel is reasonable while copper can be an expensive alternative.
A metal roof doesn’t mean you can’t choose the colour: check out this paint for metal roofs.
Clay Tiles
A clay tile is created with earthen clays molded into wadded or interlocking shapes and fired for hardness. It is usually left unglazed, with the typical reddish-orange color; or it can be glazed and blasted to form ceramic roofing tiles. Clay tile is a remarkably appropriate roofing material for hot temperatures or where salt air is present, which is why these roofs are noticed so frequently in southern coastal regions or desert areas.
- Materials available: Fired natural clay.
- Ease of Installation: Professional installation required.
- Durability: Long lasting and needs exceptionally low maintenance.
- Weight: Heavy.
- Eco-Friendly: Constructed with natural sources and are energy-efficient.
- Slope: Ideal for moderate to steep sloped roofs.
- Fire & Wind Resistance: Exceptional fire and wind resistance.
- Cost: Moderately Expensive.
If you want to protect while maintaining the original appearance of the tile, we recommend you take a look at our roof tile sealer. (clear protection)
Concrete tiles
Concrete tiles are an alternative to clay tiles, with comparable installation methods and equivalent benefits. Concrete tiles are developed from traditional sand-mix concrete coloured to whatever shades are preferred. A combination of profiles are available, some of which correspond with rolled clay tiles, others that are low-profile comparing wood shakes. Concrete tile is occasionally completed with an adorning coating. It is a remarkably heavy roofing material, making it a good choice in high-wind areas.
- Materials available: Created with a combination of sand and cement.
- Ease of Installation: Tricky installation and repairs.
- Durability: Long lasting and demands low maintenance but are quite fragile hence can break.
- Weight: Heavy.
- Eco-Friendly: Construction requires a lot of energy.
- Slope: Ideal for moderate to steep sloped roofs.
- Fire & Wind Resistance: Fine to lower wind resistance but superior fire resistance.
- Cost: Moderate.
Wood Shingles and shakes
Wood shingles and shakes are commonly created with red cedar, Alaskan yellow cedar, and Eastern white cedar. These are all evergreen trees that are dimensionally-stable and offer naturalistic resistance to decay and insect attack, creating them an excellent roofing material. The major difference between shingles and shakes is that shakes are separated from the log and have a rugged, random texture while shingles are sawed and have a softer surface. Price and contractor skill can be an aspect with wood shingles as well, which is why they’re usually only employed on older homes.
- Materials available: Typically created with cedar, but can also be made from redwood which is rot resistant.
- Ease of Installation: Needs professional installation.
- Durability: Demands regular maintenance, short lifespan.
- Weight: moderately/light weighing.
- Eco-Friendly: Made with 100% natural materials.
- Slope: Ideal for low to steeper sloped roofs.
- Fire & Wind Resistance: Fair wind resistance but poor fire resistance if not treated with a fire retardant.
- Cost: Average.
What is the most durable roofing material?
Slate is an unrivaled winner of roofing materials, but it can be challenging to find and install. Slate roofing is costly to manufacture and problematic to install, which is why this “stone” roof is among the most pricey roofing options available.
Regardless, slate is an incredibly high quality material that can last for 75 years or more when correctly installed and maintained. Even though it can be a great investment, a slate roof will give your house a distinctive, attractive, and long lasting addition.
What is the cheapest type of roofing material?
A new roof for your house is always going to be an investment. When selecting which type of roofing material to pick, you need to pick the one that doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket. If you’re looking for the cheapest option or are on a strict budget, an asphalt shingle roof might be a right fit for you. Though if budget isn’t a main decision feature, you have more flexibility to select metal.
What Is a Roof Coating?
The roofs serve as our shield over our heads. But are you aware that roofs need guards too? Roof coating is an enhancement to control the roof to fade and get damaged.
The sun is a strong source of energy, though the UV rays arriving from the sun and the intense heat it emits is also mighty to cause wear to the topcoat of roofings. Roofers use roof coats to strengthen the roof’s integrity. This is also to evade leaks, delay mold growth and buildup of water that kills roof membranes slowly.
With roof coating, the roof becomes impervious to water, no matter how intense the rain could be. Without an adequate coating, the roof becomes vulnerable to all sorts of damage.
Protect your roofs with RENOTEC®
A roof impregnation makes roof tiles self cleaning, extremely water repellent and allows the roof to breathe naturally.
RENOTEC ROOF COATING® is scientifically developed by specialized engineers, which have more than 30 years of experience in developing quality protective coatings for the roofing industry. Treatments with RENOTEC will extend the lifetime of roof tiles and minimize further surface erosion. It has been developed to transform roofs from dirty and unappealing to clean and polished. It is:
- Super hydrophobic
The superior hydrophobic features will make your roof dry and incredibly resistant to biological hazards, mold, mildew, etc. Dry roof tiles will enhance the thermal resistance, control frost damage and lessen the growth of microbial spores.
- Self cleaning effect
Dirt particles are incapable of obtaining a hold on a roof coated with RENOTEC® and will simply flow off with rainfall. Your roof tiles will remain clean and gorgeous for many years.
