One thing that comes along with homeownership is a commitment to keeping a roof over your family’s head. And every once in a while, your roof needs repair and updates. That means you need to know about the different types of roofing materials available, so you can make the best choice to get the job done.
Here’s a helpful guide to get you up to speed on basic roof construction types and the types of roofing materials that work best for each.
Types of House Roofs
There are lots of ways to configure a roof. However, roof construction types fall into these basic categories.
- Flat: Modern architecture, commercial, and sunrooms
- Lean-to: Used predominantly on sheds
- Hipped: All of the sides slope downward
- Gable: A triangle that’s formed when two areas of a pitched roof meet
- Mansard: Four-sided, hipped, Gambrel
- Gambrel: Dutch Colonial, Georgian-style, and great for skylights
But what is the best pick for the types of roofing materials to use for each of these house roof types?
Types of Roofing Materials
When you’re considering the types of roofing materials for your home, you’ll want to look into the drainage, as well as how other environmental elements such as wind and snow will affect the structure. You’ll also want to think about things such as color, weight, cost, and safety.
Here are the most common types of roofing materials:
- Asphalt shingles
- Clay
- Slate
- Metal
- Wood
Asphalt shingles are most commonly used because they’re good for almost all climates. They’re also low-cost, durable, and easy to install. What’s more, they come in a variety of colors.
Clay or tile roofing covering materials are more durable than asphalt and are perfect for dry climates. They also take more skill to install. And, while slate is an elegant look that is often used on colonial style homes, it’s also one of the more expensive types of roofing materials.
Metal is used mostly for commercial buildings and wood roof construction types range from shingles to shakes. Shingles, which are sawn on both sides, and are more symmetrical than shakes which are thin sheets of split planks or dried logs. The random thickness of shakes is perfect for cottage-style homes, while shingles are more uniform for a more modern look.
Finding a Contractor
Now, maybe after thinking this through, you want to contact the professionals. It’s best to have an idea of what to look for in a roofing company before you hire a contractor. You can use this article https://prr247.com/15-tips-for-choosing-the-best-roofing-company/ as a helpful guide to help determine which roofing company is your best choice.
Among their other excellent suggestions, Point Roofing and Restoration suggests checking in with the Better Business Bureau to find an accredited company. Here’s a link to the BBB’s list of roofing contractors—https://www.bbb.org/us/category/roofing-contractors so you can easily pop in your city, state, and zip code to find roofing contractors near you.
Are you searching for more information on the best types of roofing materials? Maybe you want more inspiration for your building projects. Then check out our blog at The Wow Decor for more tips and tricks.
