How to Choose the Roof That Is Right for You
Whether you are building from scratch or choosing a new roof for your existing home, a wide range of materials are available and worthy of consideration. Style is an important factor, but it’s not the only one. Climate and weather conditions, product cost, material weight, and installation requirements should also influence your selection. Here’s what you need to know to make an informed decision.
The “Square”
Roofers don’t usually use the measure “square feet” and instead talk in squares. One square is 100 square feet in area, the equivalent of a 10-foot by 10-foot square. The roof of a typical two-story, 2,000-square-foot house with a gable roof will consist of less than 1,500 square feet of roofing area, or about fifteen squares.
Cost
Several considerations will affect the cost of a new roof. The price of the material is the starting point, but other factors must also be considered. One is the condition of the existing roof if you are remodeling a house. The old materials must be stripped off and the supporting structure may require repair. The shape of the roof is another contributing factor. A gable roof with few or no breaks in its planes (chimneys, vent pipes, dormers) makes for a simpler roofing job than a house with multiple chimneys, intersecting roof lines (valleys), turrets, skylights or other elements.
Materials
Not every roofing material can be used on every roof. A flat roof or one with a low slope may demand a surface different from one with a steeper pitch. Materials like slate and tile are very heavy, so the structure of many homes is inadequate to carry the load.
Asphalt Shingle Roofing
With a wide array of options, relative ease of installation and economical production, asphalt shingles are by far the most popular roofing material in the US. There are many trusted U.S. manufacturers that market asphalt shingles, including GAF and CertainTeed. Remedy Roofing trusts and stands behind these leading manufacturers and is a manufacturer certified installer of these products. Three-tab asphalt shingles are thinner and slightly less expensive than laminated or architectural asphalt shingles. Not sure which manufacturer shingle is best for your home? We can help and work side by side with the homeowner to select the perfect shingle, shingle color, texture and warranty that fits their budget and their home.
Longevity
15-50 year average lifespan
Relative ease of installation
An experienced roofing crew like the expert teams at Remedy Roofing can usually install a standard size roof on a single day.
Inexpensive
Asphalt shingles are one of the most economic roofing materials on the market and they usually require little maintenance.
Many Options:
Asphalt shingles are the most popular roofing covers in the U.S. and are available in a wide variety of colors, shapes and other options.
Metal Roofing
Appropriate for homes with especially flat or steep rooflines, metal roofing can either be solid metal or constructed metal shingles. Low-end galvanized metal roofs are relatively inexpensive, but can last up to 50 years. Metal roofs are becoming a popular option in many areas of the country. Once seen largely in the Northwest and Rocky Mountain regions, metal roofs are making an inroad into the Midwest and southern United States.
Residential metal roofing is generally made of steel, aluminum, or copper. Rolls of 24- or 26-gauge steel sheets are given a metallic coating to prevent rust, followed by a baked-on paint finish. Aluminum sheets don’t require the metallic coating but do get painted. Copper, is neither coated nor painted, because it weathers without corroding. It is sometimes used for special features, such as the roof of a prominent bay window, gutters, and downspouts. Steel roofing products are coated with either zinc (galvanized) or a mixture of aluminum and zinc (galvalume or zincalume). Of the two, galvalume offers the longest life. The coatings are offered in multiple thicknesses—the thicker the coating the longer the life, and the higher the cost.
Life Cycle Costs
Metal roofing has been proven to be more durable than most other roofing systems available. Thus, metal roofing has low life cycle costs.
Sustainable
Metal roofing is sustainable, and can contain significant recycled content. It lasts longer than most non-metal roofing and is 100% recyclable at the end of its useful life.
Fire & Wind Protection
Metal roofing is extremely fire resistant. In addition to that, metal roofing systems can also be designed to withstand extremely strong winds.
Energy Efficient
Metal roofing is on the leading edge of technology with a wide variety of finishes, designs and colors that provide greater energy savings compared to most other non-metal roofing products on the market today.
Slate Roofing
This material is especially popular in the Northeastern portion of the United States, because the slate from which the shingles are made is quarried there. Slate roofing tile has a long and storied history, and is generally known as one of the highest quality roofing materials on the market. Not all slate is the same—some comes from quarries in Vermont, some from Pennsylvania and other states—but the best of it will outlast the fasteners that hold it in place. Hundred-year-old slate, in fact, is often recycled for re-installation, with the expectation it will last another century.
Slate roofing tiles are cut from metamorphic rock which is highly durable, making it a perfect roofing material to be split in one direction into sheets of various thicknesses. It is cut and trimmed mostly by hand labor into the required sizes and thicknesses. A slate roof is a custom-made job and its use gives a character to a building unlike that of any other type roofing.
If your budget doesn’t allow for real slate shingles, you can always consider a synthetic slate product, which has a similar appearance, but a slightly shorter life span.
Aesthetic and Added Value
Natural slate comes in a wide range of rich colors, varying sizes and thicknesses providing unique appeal to any architectural style. Slate roofing is a beautiful asset that will undoubtedly add value to any home.
Weather Resistance
Slate roof tiles are natural stone; their hard surface and weight make them ideal for bad weather conditions including high winds, heavy rains, and hail.
Longevity
Slate roofing can easy last between 80 and 100 years if properly installed and inspected over its lifetime.
Fire Resistance
Slate roofs are one of the most naturally fire resistant roofs in existence. This is a major benefit anytime there is a risk of air borne sparks from fireworks, wildfires, or from nearby house fires.
Eco Friendly
From an environmental standpoint slate is 100% eco-friendly; it is a natural product of the Earth and is completely safe to put back in the ground.
Clay Tile Roofing
These shingles have a unique appearance characteristic of the Southwest states and colonial Spanish architecture and can also provide great aesthetics for houses with modern design. Tile shingles come in a variety of colors and are some of the most expensive to purchase and install, but also are one of the longest-lasting and durable materials on the market, lasting more than 50 years. They are usually expected to have a greater lifespan than that of the material on which the roofing rests. However, The National Roofing Contractors Association cautions that some homes might not be able to structurally support the weight of tile shingles. Clay tiles do not rot or burn, and it cannot be harmed by insects. It requires little maintenance, and comes in a variety of colors, types, styles and brands. The clay tiles themselves are fragile, so walking on them can be difficult. Although they are fragile to weight, they are extremely resistant to the elements including harmful UV rays.
Longevity
Roofing tiles have some of the lowest lifecycle costs of any roofing material. Centuries old tile roofs are still enduring today. Tiles roofs have an expected average lifespan of 50 years or more.
Design
Roof tiles can match any architectural style required for the building structure. They are designed to emulate traditional barrel style or other roofing materials such as wood and slate.
Weather Resistant
Roof tiles provide a tough, water shedding outer shell with the underlayment working as an extra shield, and can resist damage from hailstones as large as 2”. Additionally, tiles are designed and tested to meet extreme wind speeds.
Ventilation & Insulation
Natural air ventilation under the tile creates a heat transfer barrier that can provide the benefit of a cooler house in the summer and a warmer house in the winter.
Reflectivity
Tests have demonstrated that tiles can cut the transfer of heat compared to other roofing materials such as asphalt shingles by up to 70%.
Eco Friendly
Materials do not deplete limited natural resources and have no chemical preservatives used in the production; all waste can be recycled and does not go into landfills.
Wood Shake Roofing
More expensive than asphalt, wood shingles are known to be more aesthetically appealing because of their natural appearance. Wood was the main choice for centuries, and it’s still a good option, though in some areas fire codes forbid its use. Usually made of cedar, redwood, or southern pine, shingles are sawn or split. They usually have a life expectancy similar to asphalt shingles. If you are looking for a roofing system that will not only protect your home from the elements but also provide a natural look, Wood Shake shingles are the perfect compliment. The strength and beauty of Cedar roofing make for visually versatile, naturally practical and value-enhancing roofing options for your property. Wood Shake shingles are best known for their weather resistant, resistance from insect damage and resisting UV ray damage.
Durability and weather resistance are two of the most important factors to consider when determining what type of Wood Shake roofing system is best for your home. Some woods, such as the red cedar, have natural durability and that makes it the most regularly used wood for shingles. Cedar roofing shakes and shingles also provide excellent insulation as a roofing material.
Insulation & energy efficiency
Cedar wood roofs are energy efficient, providing a natural insulation up to two times that of asphalt shingles. This allows you to conserve home heating and cooling costs, and save on energy bills.
Longevity
In terms of cost-savings, cedar wood is long-lasting, making it an ideal roofing material. Cedar lasts at least 10 years longer than common roofing materials, like asphalt shingles.
Sustainability
Wood shake roofing is an eco-friendly roofing material. Baker Roofing Company uses responsibly harvested cedar, designating it as a sustainable building product.
Ease of Repair
Cedar wood shingles are easy to repair by properly trained technicians. You can simply cut away damaged shingles and replace with new!
Weather Resistant
Cedar wood shingles and shakes are resistant to strong winds and are durable in hurricanes, heavy rains, hail storms, snowstorms and other types of severe storms.
Timeless Look
Cedar wood shingles offer a timeless aesthetic that has been used for over a thousand years. Cedar wood shingles can match many styles of homes and provide a unique look.
Synthetic Tile Roofing
Synthetic Roofing Tiles (Synthetic Slate) offer an innovative, high-performing product matched with a very upscale, traditional look. Remedy Roofing is a premier installer of many high-end synthetic roofing products and understands the benefits and complexities of these premium roofing systems.
Durability
Synthetic roofing systems significantly outperform their more traditional counterparts, with an estimated material life cycle of 40-60 years.
Sustainable
The manufacturing process, utilization of recycled materials, weight/transportation costs, and product re-use all contribute to the sustainability of the product and can even provide LEED points for qualifying projects.
Aesthetics
Synthetic roofing systems are designed to mimic traditional systems, but in doing so, provide an even more aesthetically pleasing finish. With multiple color options & styles, you can find the perfect roof for your home.
Fire Resistant
Many of the systems we install offer a CLASS A fire resistance rating.
