Whenever people visit or potential buyers come by to take a look, your home exterior is the first thing they will always notice. Changing the house’s siding or adding a fresh coat of paint to the exterior can do wonders to improve its curb appeal. However, these obvious home improvements won’t be enough to give the entire structure a facelift.
Since the roof covers a massive part of the visible exterior surface, it can have an enormous influence on how your home’s exterior will be viewed. As such, it makes sense to replace the roof to breathe life into your home’s exterior.
Most homeowners who are in the market for a new roof would often go with asphalt shingles. An asphalt roof is pretty much the default when it comes to roofs since it doesn’t cost much and is easy to install. It’s also a roofing material that can be altered to work with any architectural design. The color and design choices for asphalt shingles are also equally varied.
However, you don’t have to limit yourself to the most basic roofing material when there are also plenty of options that can give your home a refreshing, unique look. With so many options it’s best to consult a professional roofing company in Fairmont, WV to get the best advice on what roof material to use for your roof.
Take a few minutes to learn about the available options to help you decide the best roofing material for you.
• Slate roofing
Slate roofs are typically found in many historic buildings and elegant homes. It’s a long-lasting roof that can last as long as 200 years in favorable environments and with proper maintenance. This is why many slate roofs installed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries remain intact.
However, slate isn’t exclusive to those types of structures. Even today, it’s a material that can found in a lot of homes. It can do a great job of handling adverse weather compared to other materials. But its most attractive feature is the beauty it adds to your roof.
Aesthetically speaking, not many roofing options that look as good as a slate roof. It’s the kind of natural look that modern materials cannot fully replicate. Furthermore, it can be made into many aesthetically pleasing shapes and have a myriad of color options.
Bear in mind that it’s a higher-end product, which means it costs a lot more than your average roofing material. The high costs make it less ideal for everyone. If you still prefer slate roofs, economical options like composite slates, which may be synthetic but can mimic the natural variations in stone to some extent.
• Clay tile roofing
Clay roof tiles are durable materials made from baked mold clay. With their impressive structural strength, clay roof tiles can resist even the harshest weather. High wind speeds, torrential downpours, and any other stormy weather cannot uproot these tiles.
Besides its durability, this material also has reflective properties and helps ventilation to function at its best. As a result, your home’s heating and cooling system increase its efficiency. This allows you to enjoy a comfortable climate throughout the year.
When it comes to appearance, clay roofs can be used to add a unique flair to your home. It’s a popular material in homes with Mediterranean, Spanish, and Southwestern styles. However, its natural earth tone allows them to match various design styles outside the mentioned above.
Traditional clay tiles come in terra cotta, brown earth tones, and rustic reds type of color palette. These days, clay also offers virtually offers any color, size, and shape options. This allows homeowners to customize their roofs to match any home or design ideas.
• Wood Shakes and Shingles
Before asphalt shingles took over, wood roofs were considered the most common roofing material in America. Wood is a roofing material manufactured from various wood species like redwood, red cedar, or cypress trees.
Wood roofs provide a natural, traditional, and rustic feel look that can complement just any setting. It can invoke the feel of a log cabin or cottage for your home exterior. Age can also beautify your wood roofs instead of making them duller. When first installed, it starts with an excellent-looking sandy brown and only looks better as it gets older.
Wood roofing types can be split into shingles and shakes. People often confused wood shingles with wood shakes, but they’re not quite the same. The most distinctive difference is their appearance.
Wood shingles are smooth and homogenous materials that offer uniformity and a seamless appearance. Whereas wood shakes provide a more rustic look from their rough texture and finish. Unlike its shingle counterpart, wood shakes lack uniformity and have an unpolished look.
Whether you choose wood shakes or shingles, you can expect a long and reliable service after a proper installation and regular maintenance. Additionally, this beautiful material is also durable, resistant to severe storms, and energy-efficient. However, it also belongs to the more expensive roof category but if you have the budget for it, then go for it.
• Metal Roofing
When you think metal roof, you probably picture an industrial look you probably won’t want for your home. However, it should no longer be a worry as the metal roof industry no longer limits itself to using simple sheet metal.
These days, metal roofs come in a wide range of styles and colors that provides plenty of options to consider for your home. You can choose from various materials, including steel, aluminum, stainless steel, copper, and zinc alloys. Each one of them has apparent differences that affect durability, price, appearance, and more.
With the wealth of available options, you can find the right metal roof design that adds a distinction to your home exterior. Suppose you prefer another roofing material but don’t have the budget for it. In that case, you can even have your metal roof mimic any roofing material.
Metal roofs are more expensive than your average roofing material, but it’s more cost-effective than the high end
This will allow you to get the look you want while taking advantage of metal’s many benefits. Besides increasing curb appeal, metal roofs provide a long service life, durability, weather resistance, and reduced utility expense.
There are plenty of roofing options available to maintain and enhance your home’s beauty. However, the choices you make should be determined from the performance requirements, aesthetics, and budget. Make sure to look carefully at all the possible options to find the suitable material for your roofing project. Choosing the right roofing contractor is also imperative to help your home look its best.
Fahey Roofing Contractors has the experienced and skilled contractors you need to help you with any necessary roof repairs and roof replacement. We serve various areas in West Virginia and Ohio. Visit our website today at www.faheyroofingcontractors.com or contact us at (304) 826-1323 for West Virginia or (740) 523-0380 for Ohio to learn more.
