The Aesthetics of Different Roofing Materials: Which Ones Look Best on Your Home?
The state of your roof telegraphs to others the state of your house, so you need that roof to look nice, clean, and sturdy. Any roofing material, when installed correctly and when the material is of good quality, can make your house look great.
But some materials give off a different vibe than others, and it's important to match that vibe to the image you have of your house in your head, as well as the image you want the house to give to others.
Composite and Luxury Asphalt Shingles
One of the most common roofing materials you'll find, as well as one of the most affordable, is asphalt. These shingles may be composites made of several materials, or they could be high-end shingles; in either case, they look pretty standard. They're usually dark in color and lay flat when installed correctly. When new, and when in good shape, they make your house look trim and clean.
The issue with these is that, when they start to fade and weaken with age, they can start to look a bit off. So, they need more frequent replacement. But they are a great default roofing material if you need to get a new roof on your house as soon as possible.
Terracotta Tiles
Terracotta or clay tiles are the curved orange tiles you see on Spanish-style homes. These curved tiles create a space underneath where hot air can be blown away by breezes, helping to keep the interior of the home cool. When hot sunlight heats up the air under the tiles, breezes can sweep through those spaces and replace the hot air with cooler air (which in summer might not be saying much, but it still helps).
That prevents more heat from transferring through the remaining roofing materials into the home. The tiles make your house look serene and lovely, and the tiles are long-lasting in most cases. However, they're not the best tiles for areas that receive hail storms. Tiny hail won't do much, but larger hail can crack the tiles.
Metal
Metal roofs can be relatively flat, or they can be ones where the metal is molded to form different shapes, mimicking other types of roofs. Metal is durable, and when insulated properly, it can help make your home very comfortable. Your home can look modern and sleek with a metal roof. The drawback to this material is that it really does have to be insulated well to prevent heat transfer and sound transfer; a hailstorm hitting an uninsulated metal roof is very loud.
Slate Tiles
Slate tiles give your home a traditional look that harkens back to Europe and its older homes. But the tiles are fragile and don't do well with things like hail. The material is worth looking at if hail isn't an issue in your region, but do be cautious.
Cedar Shake Shingles
Cedar shake shingles are great if you want your home to have a rustic look like something out of a storybook. They're cute and give off a comforting, warm vibe. But, they are wood, and fire is a concern, even if the shingles are treated to be more fire-resistant.
In fact, some states don't allow wood shingle roofs anymore because of the fire risk in that state. If you're in a region where fires aren't that much of an issue, you could have cedar shake shingles installed. Just speak with your insurance company first.
If you need a roofing contractor in Montgomery County, PA, or you need to call roofing contractors in Collegeville, PA, call top Peak Roofing for a consultation. Contact us today.
