RALEIGH - AND THE ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD IS - - - -
Raleigh, North Carolina. There is a lot to know about roofing materials and a lot to consider when selecting the type you are going to use; especially in more expensive homes. This is just a very quick overview of the five main types.
ASPHALT SHINGLES: Asphalt shingles are used on two out of every three homes. They are relatively inexpensive, come in a broad range of colors, are easy to install, almost no maintenance required, you can walk on them and they are easy to repair. Warranties range range from 20 to 50 years. A twenty year three-tab shingle weighs approx. 200lb. per square while a 50 year shingle can weigh up to 500lb. per square. The difference is multiple layers and more asphalt.
WOOD ROOFING: Wood shingles and shakes have been around for a long time. Most people think they are the same thing. While they look much the same they are not. Shakes are sawn or split in four different styles and are not as uniform as shingles and come in two grades. Because they are irregular, 30-lb. roofing felt is interwoven between each course for extra protection from moisture. This is not necessary with shingles. Shingles are precisely cut and tapered to a specific thickness. The surface is either sanded smooth or untouched and come in three sizes. Both products are mostly made of western red cedar and are used to cover roofs and walls. Other woods used are white oak, southern yellow pine, white cedar and Alaskan yellow cedar. REMEMBER that all shingles and shakes will weather to gray within one or two years. You can walk on wood roofing, it is suitable for complex roofing designs and they are easy to repair. To help keep them dry, leaves should be swept off and not allowed to accumulate over long periods of time.
METAL ROOFS: What are your choices? Steel (which comes with several different types of coatings), corrugated-aluminum and standing-seam copper. Roofing contractors who install metal roofs seem to prefer the standing-seem copper roofs because they look good and are more durable. The standing-seam panels have concealed fasteners. As to the good and bad features, they require little maintenance and a lot of colors are available. They are hard to install on complex roofs, difficult to repair and slippery to walk on.
SLATE: Slate has been used for roofing for hundreds of years and they last longer than you or I will. Slate is expensive and normally only used on very expensive homes. A list of good and bad features pretty well tell the slate story. On the good side, they require no maintenance and are suitable for complex roof designs. On the “not so good” side, they shouldn’t be walked on and good installers are hard to find. While repairs aren’t difficult they require ladders and staging. Colors will vary according to batch and region. Also, copper flashing and nails are recommended.
ROOF TILES: Roof tiles are either clay or concrete. As interest in roof tiles has continued to increase over the years they have undergone considerable changes. Colors used to be very limited. Now, you can get about any color you want and finishes can be either glazed or dull. You can now get tiles that are textured to look like wood shakes. Both types of tile are fireproof and, if installed properly, are very wind resistent. The good features are - they are fireproof and long lasting, now come in many colors, require no maintenance, are wind resistent and are very esthetically pleasing to look at. The negative features are: They are expensive, heavy, difficult to install, shouldn’t be walked on, are not suitable for complex roofs and good installers (depending on where you live) may be hard to find.
John Fish (919) 696-3474 Email: marvmax@mindspring.com Website: www.JohnFish.com
