Roof Material Differences: A Basic Guide
Asscher Roofing Company
Roof Material Differences: A Basic Guide
The Importance of Your Roof
Your roof is an essential part of your home that provides much needed protection. Your roof serves a barrier between you and the exterior elements, protecting against snow, rain, hail, ice, and possible debris.
Additionally, your roof provides insulation in the winter and summer months, along with any rainy season year round: making your roof a priority. While there are different types of materials your roof can be composed of: Asscher Roofing Company Specializes in Asphalt and Metal roofing. Regardless of our specialties, we believe in providing up front and transparent information, therefore, this blog post will discuss the different roofing building materials as well as some beneficial information regarding each.
Which roof material do you need?
Asphalt, Metal, Flat, or a combination.
The Different Types of Roofing Materials
Shingles
Shingle based roofing can be defined as a flat thin rectangular piece of asphalt laid in overlapping rows to cover the roofs of buildings or homes. Shingles began to become popular during the early 1900s and are still commonly used today. Asphalt shingles usually consist of mineral fiber and cementitious fillers mixed with asphalt, they are the most common type of shingle used in the midwest.
Shingles come in a variety of colors such as black, gray, blue, red, green, etc. Asphalt Roofs last 20 - 25 years but may need consistent maintenance over the years depending on weather conditions and roofing quality.
There are three different types of shingles:
Architectural Shingles: specifically engineered to create a high quality roof by individual shingle’s contour, cut and dimensional thickness. Architectural shingles often make use of efficient technology that protect your roof properly while also making your project more efficient. We rank Architectural Shingles as our Diamond Standard product, meaning it is the perfect balance for your project.
Designer Shingles: are engineered similarly to Architectural Shingles, however designer shingles are often cut in denser, unique patterns that create a more aesthetically pleasing profile to your roof.
3-tab Shingles: are made utilizing aesthetics that appear as three uniform cutouts, or tabs, made along the lower edge of the shingles. While three tab shingles have been historically used for asphalt roofing, technology and updates often make this shingle our least recommended option.
This roofing material can be considered light weight compared to slate or clay tiles, and asphalt shingles are often the most affordable option when looking to replace or install a new roofing system. Asscher roofing offers a variety of brands and styles of shingles. Check out our shingles on our products page.
Metal Roofing
A Metal roof can be defined by vertical metal panels that are directly attached to the frame or purlins. Metal roofing was common on barns or agricultural buildings but has become more popular in residential homes. The most common types of metal used to make metal roofing panels are:
Copper
Galvanized steel
Galvalume coated steel
Zinc
Aluminum
Stainless steel
Metal roofing holds its’ largest benefits in the longevity of the roofing material and variety of options available today. There are a variety of colors, shapes, and styles of Metal Roofing material, and metal roofs can lasts up to 60 years with proper maintenance which is triple the amount of a common asphalt roof. Metal roofing is often more expensive than traditional asphalt roofing.
Explore our Metal Roofing System page to read more about our metal roofing options. If you are interested, schedule a consultation today!
Clay/Concrete tiles
Clay Roofing tiles are composed of clay that is molded then baked at high temperatures. Clay tiled roofs are commonly referred to as Spanish tile roofs and can come in a variety of colors that range from white, yellow, orange, and brown. This roofing material is considered very durable and highly insulated. The density of the tile depends solely on how long the tiles were baked and at what temperature.
Concrete tiles are made of a mixture of sand, cement, and water. They are molded with heat and high pressure to form their shape. Concrete is typically a gray plain color but it is possible for them to be painted to enhance their appearance. These tiles come in a flat shape, low/high profile, and small/large curve. This type of tile is also known to be highly durable.There are some main differences between concrete and clay tiles.
Some of the basic differences of concrete vs clay tiles:
The water absorption level is lower in clay tiles than concrete tiles.
Concrete tiles have a higher weight compared to clay tiles.
Clay tiles are considered to be more durable than concrete tiles.
Clay tiles roofs can last up to 100 years vs. concrete tiles which last 30-50 years.
Asscher roofing does not provide clay or concrete tile roofing; we also encourage our community to properly inspect their structural system before installing this type of roof material, as the weight could prove dangerous to your homes support system.
Slate Shingles
Slate shingles are thin sheets made of real stone material. This roofing material can last 75 - 200 years. This roofing material is waterproof which makes it resistant to mold/fungus. Slate can be very costly material and is very heavy. They can also be broken easily, therefore in the midwest, we recommend another modern form of slate roofing.
Rubber slate is another type of roofing material. Rubber slate is made of recycled plastic and rubber. This material can look very similar to real slate shingles from a distance. This material is light weight when compared to slate. This roofing may not be as durable as real stone slate shingles but it still can last up to 100 years.
Flat Roofing
Flat top roofs are most common on commercial business buildings. We offer TPO flat roofing materials, meaning thermoplastic polyolefin. This roofing material is made of polypropylene and ethyl propylene rubbers. While we specialize in TPO flat roofing, There are many different types of flat roofing options:
PVC Membrane
Built-up Roof (BUR)
Modified Bitumen
Rubber Membrane
TPO
Metal
Coating
TPO flat roofing
Since this is the flat top roofing material we offer at Asscher Roofing company, we will discuss this material separately. TPO roofing material is considered durable and energy efficient, and normally comes in white, light gray, and black finishes. TPO is also UV resistant to help keep your building cool.
TPO roofing material can save you money on your cooling bill during the warm summer months, and will typically last you between 15- 20 years. An additional benefit of TPO Roofing is that this roofing material is bendable and weldable. Finally: this material is 100% recyclable so this product is eco-friendly.
Contact us if you are interested in this roofing option so we can discuss your project needs and timeline. Keep in mind that TPO Roofing Materials have been challenging to source across 2021 and likely for 2022 as well.
Needs, Wants, Goals
Three key questions when considering changing your roofing material.
Closing notes:
It is important to have the proper knowledge of roofing materials before purchasing a roof for your home. We want to help make this decision easier for you, so we crafted this blog post to help give our clients a better understanding of the different types of roofing materials available.
Asscher Roofing Company offers asphalt shingles, metal roofing and flat top roofing options and will strive to give you the best quality and care when it comes to your roofing needs! Contact us today to schedule today.