When you’re considering parts of your home that are important, you might not always think about your roof. It is a mistake to ignore your roof, though, it provides you with essential cover. Too often, people don’t think about their roof until there is an issue like a leak. Waiting until water is pouring in during a storm usually means the repair is going to be more expensive than just keeping up with maintenance.
One of the easiest ways to ensure your roof lasts and maintains its good condition is choosing the right material for shingles.
The truth is that your material selection for your roof should reflect the area that you live in. Roofing shingles serve more purposes than stopping the rain from getting into your house and your ceiling (although that is a great function they serve). They can also enhance the aesthetics of your to the more utilitarian. If you are looking to purchase new shingles for your home, consider the following list below that will help you to find the right tiles for your home.
Types of Roof Shingles
- Three-Tab Shingles
- In general, these are thinner than other shingle
- They give your roof a less dimensional look
- Due to the thinner shingles, the warranty length is less
- Dimensional Shingles
- Also known as architectural or laminated shingles
- The most popular shingles for roofing
- Due to the immense popularity, you have a lot of choices in looks
- These shingles often have 30 year-long warranties or longer
- Premium Shingles
- In general, premium shingles have more design and material improvements
- This includes double laminated shingles, reinforced fiberglass shingles, or shingles with additional adhesion material added
- The warranty for premium shingles tends to be longer due to the improvements in materials or design
- Impact Resistant Shingles
- As the name leads you to believe, these shingles are more resistant to impacts
- In order to be ‘impact rated’, these shingles are tested utilizing the UL 2218 standard, which, among other things, includes impacts from a steel ball at various locations
- The shingles hold up to hail and wind damage quite well
- If you live in an area with a lot of storms and a lot of risk of impact (such as hail) to your shingles, impact resistant shingles are a great option for your roofing needs
- Shakes
- Shakes will give your roof a very rustic look
- Traditionally, shakes were made from cedar or other woods. Today, they’re made with more durable materials that provide the same appearance but with greater durability, such as fiberglass
- These new materials drastically lower the price of the shakes, while also lowering the maintenance cost and need for replacement
- Tiles
- Clay is the most common material for these tiles
- It is great for insulating your home while also creating a nice aesthetic
- Tile roofing can be very resilient to harsh weather
- Recent improvements have made tile roofing a lighter option than ever before, reducing the weight of tiles and therefore reducing the need to reinforce your roof’s construction
We Can Help You Find the Right Tiles
Picking the right tiles for your roof will help ensure your roof looks great. Even more importantly, it helps to make the roof last as long as it should. If you’re looking for advice on what roofing shingles or tiles may be the best for you, reach out to the friendly Littleton roofers at National Home Improvement for more information.
