Shingles List: Common Types for Your Home

Shingles are the outermost protection of your house to keep you dry and comfy, so choosing the best one that you could afford only makes perfect sense. However, with the long list of materials in the market, you could easily get confused and may end up choosing the wrong one. The best way to look for roofing materials is by researching thoroughly and making a list of pros and cons, as well as getting an estimate from a trusted roofing contractor in Denver. To help you get started, here is a short rundown of popular roofing choices:

Asphalt Shingles – made with a mix of different manufactured materials, asphalt shingles are well-known for their durability, light weight, and affordability compared to other types of shingles. The main setback is their lifespan, which is generally shorter than other materials.

Wood Shingles – more expensive than asphalt, but more aesthetically pleasing. Plus, it has a longer lifespan that could last up to 50 years with proper maintenance. Just watch out for termites!

Tile Shingles – these can get you better temperature control as they are great for keeping the home cool during summer and warm during winter. Tiles are usually made of terracotta, which is very expensive and quite heavy.

Slate Shingles – slate shingles, which are cut from rocks, are durable and inherently insect and fire resistant. They are strong enough to support the heavy weight of thick snow, but also needs heavier support under the sheathing.

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Right Type of Roofing for Your Colorado Home

Colorado remains the state that has suffered the most wildfires this 2013. Although a forest fire setting your house ablaze is highly unlikely, it wouldn't hurt to be informed so you can make the best roofing decisions for your home now and in the future. Here are a few options and ideas for you to consider:

Wooden roofs are very popular because they can instantly make your home look elegant, but they can't adequately protect your home from fire. Aside from that, wooden roofing could cause you to pay high insurance premiums. Of course, the aesthetics of your house are very important to you, so if you do decide to go with this roofing option, consider using  fire-retardant, pressure-treated cedar roofing products.

Instead of a wooden roof, you can opt for one made of tile or metal. Tile products are inherently fire resistant. The downside is that heavy tile products carry a large cave-in risk in the event of an interior fire. On the other hand, metal roofs is an equally fireproof material that has a modern visual appeal and weighs 1/20^th the weight of most tile products.

Your roof and its level of fire resistance is your first line of defense against fire hazards, so choosing the appropriate material is of utmost importance. Consult a roofing professional to make the best decision regarding this issue.

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Metal vs. Hail: Debunking Two Metal Roof Myths

If you live in an area that frequently experiences hailstorms, you may be curious about how a metal roof fare against such weather conditions. If you already have metal roof installed, then you may be concerned that after a hailstorm, your beautiful roof will eventually be left pock-marked and dented. People have many misconceptions about how metal roofs perform in a hailstorm, and it's about time to debunk a couple of those myths.

Myth #1: Metal roofs are more susceptible to hail damage than other roofing systems

A recent article in Metal Roofing Magazine cites two hail studies performed by The Roofing Industry Committee on Weather Issues Inc. (RICOWI)--one from a 2004 hailstorm in Oklahoma City and another from 2011 in Texas. According to the studies, metal roofing holds up to hailstorms as well as or better than other roofing materials provided these are not the severe ones.

Myth #2: During a hailstorm, metal roofs are noisier than other roofing types

It may come as a shock to you that metal roofing is often quieter than an asphalt shingle roof. When a metal roof is installed properly and packed with a solid deck, underlayment, insulation, sheathing, and the other essentials, it will actually silence noise from rain, hail, and other weather disturbances better than other roofing materials.

Separating fact from fiction can help you determine the actual strength of a metal roof. Don't be afraid to ask a metal roofing expert in your neighborhood about metal roofing.

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