When it comes to choosing a roofing option you have a few different choices. You can pick between asphalt,metal, or tile. In this article we will go over the three types of roofing both the pros and cons of each, hopefully this will at least make the choice easier for you and your family.
Asphalt Roofing
Asphalt Roofing is one of the most popular choices when it comes to roofing. The reason for that is asphalt is on most homes is because of the cost and install options.
Pros
1. Cost: When it comes to the 3 choices for roofing asphalt is the cheapest out of the three. The reason for this is the materials it takes to make asphalt shingles is cheaper than both Metal and Ceramic/ Tile
2. Install: Asphalt shingles are easy to install, having a easy install makes asphalt shingles another good choice when it comes to replacing your roof. For one it saves cost because its easier to install. In some cases it can be applied over your existing roof, also keeping the cost down.
3. Granules/ Colors: With asphalt shingle having granules the reflect the UV rays that can heat up your home is a great choice to keeping your heating and cooling costs down. With all of the different colors available is also another reason people select asphalt shingles, because it can match any house.
Cons
1. Granule Loss: When it comes to asphalt shingles one of the pros is also a con. The granules help protect the home from uv rays, however they are the usually the first part of the roof that starts to go bad. When they start to fall the the shingle you start losing that layer of protection allowing uv rays to start penetrating the shingle.
2. Weather: When it comes to asphalt shingle weather plays an important role of life of these shingles. Any type of hail storm can damage asphalt shingles. moist weather can also start to damage asphalt shingles over time.
3. Life: When it comes to the life of asphalt shingles out of the three it has the least amount of life. A good asphalt shingle can expect to last 20 to 30 years if installed properly. So it’s a good choice if your planning on selling at some point. If not and you plan on staying over 30 years it may not be the best choice for you.
Metal RoofingPros
1. Life: Metal roofing is know for its life expectancy. A metal roof should last for the entire time the home is standing the average warranty is 20 to 50 years, and the painting usually is warrantied for 30 years. They call it a lifetime roof and thats exactly what it is. So if you want the one and done approach the metal roofing is a good choice.
2. Weight: Because metal roofing is the lightest out of the three it can decrease the weight on the house structure. This is good especially if you’re thinking of building a house. You can save on building extra supports if yo go with metal roofing.
3. Weather Resistance: Perhaps the best thing about metal roofing is its weather resistance. Metal roofing reflects the suns heat to keep you cooling bill down during the summer months. Another great thing is metal is the fact that rain and snow don’t stand a chance against metal roofing, on a side not the darker color choices heat up making snow melt faster.
Cons
1. Cost: One of the biggest drawbacks is price for initial investment. Metal roofing is not a cheap option for a roofing system. for both original install, and repairs because the size of the panels a repair will cost a quite a bit if for some reason you have to get a repair.
2. Noise: This is a con that some people can deal with and some can’t. When its hailing or pouring down rain it can make you feel like your living inside of a drum, this alone can disrupt your family life inside the home, and cause you to go a little nuts. This to me is the biggest drawback when it comes to metal roofing.
3. Denting: Metal roofing just like any other type of metal is prone to dents. This can be caused by a hail storm, a wind storm knocking down branches and trees, or even walking on the roof could cause denting. Most of the time you wont have to walk on a metal roof, however if you need a vent snaked or some type of project that requires getting up on the roof this can cause denting. Some manufactures quantee no denting, but it’s a risk you take.
Tile Roofing
Finally we have our third type of roofing Tile. Tile roofing is a choice that we see in hotter climates, however it’s still a good choice.
Pros
1. Life: Tile roofing is a great choice like metal when it comes to life span. Tile roofing is also a one a done. So if your looking for that permanent roof this is the best choice for your new roof. It can last well over 100 years, but just in case of a incident most manufactures will offer a 50 year warranty.
2. Environmentally Safe: When it comes to tile roofs they are good for the environment, the reason for that is they are made from earths own elements and don’t have chemicals added to make them better. So If you ever have to remove the tile roof it can be recycled and reused.
3. Low Maintenance: Tile roofing is in my opinion is the easiest out of the three to take care of. The reason for that is leaking is almost never a problem. Tile roofing also hardly ever requires a repair, unless there is a severe impact like tree branch falling on the tiles and cracking them.
Cons
1. Cost: Out of our 3 choices tile roofing is by far the most expensive in price per square. So that being said the reason for this is because of the durability and stability of having a tile roof not having to replace or repair hardly ever. This is an example of you get what you pay for.
2. Heavy Weight: One thing I find to be the worst problem with tile is the weight it puts on your house. It can range anywhere from 850 to 950 lbs per square. So if you are thinking about replacing asphalt with tile you should first seek advice from a builder to see if you home can handle the extra weight.
3. Versatility: While there a lot of great things about tile roofing the one thing that makes it harder than the other 2 choices is the fact it has to be installed on roofs with a 4/12 pitch or steeper. So it has its limitations when it comes to application. This something to consider when making the choice.
I hope this article helps you find the answers your looking for when it comes to selecting the kind of roofing system.Knowing the pros and cons before selecting your next roofing project will make your decision easier.
