Many people don’t give their roof a second thought until they have a leak.
The roof on your home is an important feature that shouldn’t be neglected. Watch for signs your roof may need to be repaired before your ceiling turns into a shower head.
The most popular and common roof shingling material is asphalt shingles. These come in a variety of styles and lifespans. They are the most cost effective option and will provide you with worry free protection for 12 - 20 years. Signs your asphalt shingles may be near the end of their lifespan would be things like curling up at the edges of the shingle, pieces of shingle being broken off by strong winds and excessive discolouration and wear at areas where water can degranulate the shingle.
Metal roofs, while have always been around, are being used as a roof option more and more. The advantage to a metal roof is beauty, superior fire protection and longevity. A metal roof can last your lifetime without needing to be replaced. They come in a variety of styles and colours. The disadvantage is metal roofs can cost 2-3 times as much to install. Snow guards should be placed above door openings as snow will slide right off the roof.
Clay shingles are another option that isn’t as popular in Canada but is seen more in warmer climates. They are great looking, can last for 100 years and are awesome at dispersing large volumes of water. The downside to clay tiles is they are heavy, more labour intensive to install, are more expensive than asphalt shingles and they can be brittle and break over time.
Cedar shakes are also a roofing option you may encounter. Cedar shake roofs are beautiful to look at and can appear almost 3 dimensional. They are environmentally friendly and offer excellent protection from strong winds and add insulation value. The downsides to cedar shakes are the cost to install and they do require some maintenance to ensure no moss and fungi grow on them.
Modified bitumen or “torch down” roofing is a type of roofing used on roofs that would be classed as flat roofs. This is most seen on commercial applications however more contemporary style homes with a very low roof pitch may also use this roofing style.
Which ever material you use a new roof is an expensive proposition and attention should be paid to it when you are considering homes to purchase.
