Tags: Home Improvement, Roofing, Remodeling
Your roof is one of the most important parts of your home. It protects the structure of your house as well as everything in it. Your roof must stand up to the harshest environments, with temperatures generally ranging from 120 degrees in the summer to below freezing in the winter.
Different types of roofing materials have different life spans and varying costs, but proper maintenance on any type of roof helps extend the life and protect your home from moisture and insect damage. View our photo gallery of roof styles and materials. You can also request FREE roofing estimates!
Asphalt shingle is the most common roofing material used today and is also the most affordable. An average asphalt shingle roof will last about 20 years with proper maintenance. Below are some examples of different styles and colors of asphalt shingles.
Brown Asphalt Shingles
Black Asphalt Shingles
Red Asphalt Shingles
Green Asphalt Shingles
Slate shingles are made of natural stone that is hand quarried, hand split and hand dressed. Slate roofs can last 75 to 100 years and have an old world charm that looks better and better with age. Slate shingles are also fireproof which can help protect your house from jumping fires from neighboring houses and ambers from nearby forest fires if you live in heavily wooded or remote areas. Slate is very expensive and can require some maintenance as it ages. Below are examples of slate roof shingles.
Grey Slate Shingles
Colorful Slate Shingle Roof
Clay Tile shingles are beautiful and add a Mediterranean or Spanish style to your home. They are also long lasting but proper installation is key in having a low maintenance long lasting roof. If not properly installed, you will begin to have falling tiles within a few years and the roof can become a big extra expense.
Terracotta Roof Tiles
Spanish Tile Roof
Red Roof Tiles
Wood shingles are smooth whereas Wood Shakes are more rustic, rough-hewn. Wood shingles and Shakes add lots of character to a home and add a natural beauty to your roof. Using preservative-treated or naturally durable wood for shingles should result in a roof free of decay for 25 to 30 years. But proper maintenance is key for maintaining the longevity of a wood roof and should be periodically checked for the growth of moss and lichens in moist areas. Also proper treatment of your wood shingles and shakes can help with the life of your roof. On disadvantage to this type of roofing materials is the flammability factor. If you live in a wooded area, although the style may be perfect the increased risk of fire is not worth it and in some cases against code of local ordinances. Below are some examples of wood shingles and shakes.
Wood Shingle Roof
Cedar Shake Roof