8 Popular Residential Roofing Materials

Asphalt
Concrete shingles are usually dark and somewhat sparkly and can be bought in bundles. They may be most popular within the Midwest since they endure severe climatic conditions and high snowfall adequately. Also, they are versatile, inexpensive and easy to work alongside. chimney, edges and vent flashings or wall terminations, concrete may be the most affordable shingle you are able to put in because the installation does not demand any special add-ons for that roofing edges. These shingles are easy for your roofers to fit and cut plus they are suitable for most kinds of edging and flashing.

Ceramic Tiles
These tile shingles are one of the oldest roofing materials recognized to man but they are continue to extremely popular in warm places just like the Southwestern United States and Florida. Clay-based roof tiles appearance nice are comparatively cheap. They are also quite simple to create small maintenance on. Ceramic tiles operate specifically nicely to intensive sunshine and can help you to maintain your home great.

Copper
This option is becoming more and more popular, especially as an accent choice on houses and buildings, though you won't see a shiny penny for very long. Over time, copper will weather to a eco-friendly color that you may notice on old structures. However copper can be quite strikingly stunning, whether or not as being a new sparkly reddish-precious metal or an oxidized blue-eco-friendly patina, it's also very pricey.

What is the Lifespan of a Roof?

Many homeowners want to know one thing when installing a new roof-- how long will it last? This question is not as simple for home roofing professionals to answer as it may seem. A roof's longevity depends on many factors including the materials used, weather conditions, and amount of maintenance performed. Although many of the aspects affecting a roof's longevity are outside for human control, performing regular maintenance and repair is key to ensuring your roof will last as long as possible. Understanding what can damage a roof or lessen its life expectancy is key to maintaining a strong, sturdy home.

What a Roof Does
Roofs keep the elements from damaging the internal structure of your home. Precipitation, ice and wind can severely damage your home if  it is not well protected. The roof's effectiveness and lifespan depend on the installation techniques and materials. Using high quality materials when installing a new roof is the best way to ensure the roof will last for years to come. Although it is tempting to choose roofing materials based on the aesthetics of your home, you should choose the best material for your particular location and roof pitch.

Material Lifespans.
The lifespan of roofs differs greatly depending on the materials used. Asphalt shingles have an 20-30 year life expectancy under the best conditions. Wood shakes usually last for about 14-19 years with proper maintenance. Other materials like slat eand clay tiles will last for five decades if they are properly installed.

Measuring Your Roof to Determine Total Need of Roofing Supplies

Roof measurement is not hard, but because it occurs in three dimensions instead of two it takes a little more than simple arithmetic. Roof measurement is important if you are considering hiring a Denver roofing contractor for a job because it is a basis for pricing. The total area is how the roofer determines how much roof materials they need.

Except spray foam which starts in two mixable liquids, most roofs are measured in squares. One roofing square is 100 square feet. You do need some geometry to measure areas. The formula for a side of a triangle is area equals half the base times the height. This is useful for end gables which are already triangles. However most roof sections are four sided. So first you will need to determine the length of the angled side of the roof.

You could determine the roof area with just the floor plan but that would take some trigonometry. It could be easier to just clamber upon the roof and get the distance from eave to peak. To help out, divide up pieces of the roof into triangles or rectangles. The rules for these shapes are much easier to calculate. But it is never a bad idea to ask the Denver roofing contractor to check your figures.

To determine the roof slope, you need to break out that old formula from algebra - rise over run. So just take the height of your roof from eaves to peak and put that over the distance from the center of the roof to the eaves. This is your pitch. Another way to calculate it is with a level. Set a level of known proportions (best a one foot level) set one end on the roof and make it level. Then measure the distance to the roof on the other side. That measurement in inches is your rise over 12 for a one foot ruler. Otherwise just divide. If it was 3 inches that would be expresses3/12 or 1/4.

Once you find the total area in square feet, this is divided by 100 to find the number of squares of roofing material the Denver roofer has to order, plus extras.