Common Roofing Materials

We frequently encounter a question at US Quality Construction: What is the best type of roofing material? People who need a new roof often find themselves astonished to realize that at least ten distinct kinds of common roofing materials are popular in the United States alone.

There are several factors that influence which roof we choose for our home because not every roof fits every home. For hot, humid regions in the south, clay and concrete tile roofs are best, while green roofs keep the city's air and noise clean. In light of this, we decided to take it upon ourselves to enlighten you with the most common roofing materials out there!

So, let's have a look at some of the common roofing materials readily available in the market:

The Most Common Roofing Materials

Asphalt Composite Shingles

Composite asphalt shingles are a common roofing material in the US. You can't beat the price and they're a great investment. Their lifespan can be up to 20 years, depending on the weather.

There are a lot of styles and colors to choose from. Depending on the exterior color of your home and your landscaping, asphalt shingles can provide you with the ideal color palette.

Whether you're going for light brown, dark brown, light and dark grey, black, green, reddish-brown, or blue-gray, you're going to love it. A 3-tab shingle, a dimensional shingle, and a luxury shingle are the three different types.

Wooden Shingles

A natural wood shake or shingle roof is a high-end option. It's possible to keep them for 50 years if you take care of them. It's easy to treat wood shakes and shingles to be fire-resistant, resist decay and repel insects if they're made from pine, cypress, cedar, or redwood. The reason they're so popular is because of this.

The appearance of shingles and shakes differs despite being made of the same materials. Shakes are made by splitting the wood and molding it. Rustic texture and appearance are often preserved by preserving that rough edge.

They have a wedge-shaped end with a wide end. Stacking these roofs together increases their depth significantly. The shingles are, on the other hand, laid in an overlapping style after they have been sawn on both sides to produce an equal thickness.

Compared to most other roofing materials, wood shakes cost more because they require a lot of labor. Additionally, cutting, staining, and applying protective sealants are time-consuming. You need a lot of patience to place the shingles one at a time. Despite this, they're one of the most common roofing materials since they're beautiful and long-lasting.

Slate Shingles

One of the most common and long-lasting roofing materials is slate shingles. The lifespan of slate shingles is up to 100 years, and they don't need much maintenance. For that reason, they got the nickname "forever roof". Slate is aesthetically pleasing, eco-friendly, and fire- and water-resistant. Between three and four slate roofs are replaced and dumped in landfills in the same amount of time as one slate roof would last.

In spite of their popularity, slate roofs can have some drawbacks. They're not a good idea in hail-prone areas since they shatter quickly. Hail is their deadliest enemy. Second, the cost to customers is high. If you look at it like an investment in your lifetime home, you'll get your money's worth.

Synthetic Slate Shingles

Synthetic slate shingles are one of the most common roofing materials, and they look and feel like real slate, but cost less than tens of thousands of dollars. They're durable and water-resistant, just like slate roofs. The texture and appearance closely resemble real slates, so they give it a natural feel.

Natural slate is heavier, more complicated to install, more expensive to produce, comes in fewer colors, and is harder to repair or replace. Synthetic slate is lighter, easier to install, and cheaper to produce.

Metal Roofing

Metal roofing is another common roof material. Metal roofs are getting more and more popular. Corrugated metal and metal panels are two types of metal roofing.

Residential roofs can be damaged by their tendency to expand and contract. This makes them great for commercial and industrial buildings. In addition to shedding snow and water, metal roofs reflect sunshine, saving you money on cooling costs, and they're lightweight, so they're easy to install. They're on this list because of all these reasons.

Metal Panels

About 4 feet long and bulky, these metal panels look like slate or shingles. Alternatively, you can get stone-coated steel, which is steel with a stone-embedded acrylic foundation. This material is highly resilient, so it's great for covering up dings and other imperfections.

Because of its almost damaged texture, it's easy to hide flaws. Unlike metal panels that have flat reflective surfaces, stone-coated steel hides dents better.

Metal Shingles

Metal shingles are a common roofing material because they're easy to install and look good. Generally, they're slates or shingles, but they're lighter because steel is more commonly used than stone-coated steel.

They initially resemble a typical asphalt shingle roof, but they have the strength and longevity of metal, so you don't have to give up style for better security. Their high upfront cost is their one drawback, but the durability will give you an amazing return on investment.

Conclusion

You can see that it takes a lot to give you a sturdy roofing system. With the fantastic selection of common roofing materials options and the best roofing components, you might be well on your way to a sturdy roof for many years.

Once you have chosen the best materials for your house, you will need to hire a reputable builder to do the proper installation. Fortunately, US Quality Construction is an expert in roofing, and we would be delighted to collaborate with you!

Call our roofing company right away, to begin with your free quote! If you want further assistance choosing between these common roofing materials, we are here to help you with that too!