Choosing the Right Roofing Materials for Your Home

Choosing the Right Roofing Materials for Your Home

Different homes in different climates will require different roofs, but which kind is the best? Here's how to choose the right roofing materials for your home.

Keyword(s): roofing materials

Need a new roof?

The choices can be overwhelming.

The roofing materials you choose must protect and insulate your home. But you also have to consider the cost and appearance.

The best choice will be affordable and give you a good return on your investment by increasing the value of your home.

Keep reading to learn what's available, and the types of materials that work best on a residential roof in Orange County.

Roof Style

The roof style of your home may determine which type of materials you can consider.

If your home has a low slope or a flat roof, you may use a different material than a home with a roof that has a very steep pitch.

The structure of the home must be able to support the material you choose. If you want a slate roof, which is very heavy, the house has to be able to carry the load.

Consult with a professional to learn which types of roofing materials will work on your home.

Cost

After you determine the type of roof your house can support, you'll need to figure out the cost.

There are several things that determine the price of a new roof.

• Roofing Materials
• Condition of Existing Roof
• Removal of the Previous Roof
• Structure Repair
• Type of Roof (Steep, Flat, Intersections)
• Skylights, Chimney, Turrets
• Solar Panels

A home with chimneys, dormers, and skylights will cost more than a home with a simple roof. This is because it's labor intensive and requires more materials.

If the structure of the roof has rot, termites or other damage, you must repair it before you put on a new roof. That will add to the cost.

Types of Roofing Materials

Below are the best types of materials for Southern California weather.

Asphalt Shingles

Asphalt shingles are light in weight, easy to install and fit most budgets.

Most asphalt shingles are fiberglass. They're fiberglass mat that's saturated with asphalt and coated with colored ceramic granules. A roof covered in asphalt shingles can last up to 30 years.

A shingle roof has lower insulation quality than other roofing materials. But, they are available in many colors and are the cheapest option.

In fact, most Americans choose asphalt roofing materials for their homes.

Asphalt shingles used to be one of the least energy-efficient materials. They absorbed a lot of solar heat.

Now they are shingles with reflective granules that reflect most of the sun's heat.

Asphalt shingles are recyclable.

Wood Shingles and Shakes

Wood shingles and shakes are cedar, redwood, and southern pine.

Shingles are machine made. Shakes are handmade and often have a rougher look. Both have a natural look that adds character to a home.

Wooden roofing materials can grow mold in heavy rainfall areas. There has also been concern over fire resistance for wooden materials.

You can find shingles and shakes treated with fire retardants to reduce risk. Check with your local building officials to determine any restrictions on installing a wood roof in your area.

Metal Roofing

In the past, metal roofing covered warehouses more than residential homes.

Technological advances, and changing styles, make it easier for people to use at home. The choices today include copper, aluminum, alloy strips, and stainless steel. Many of the metal materials include recycled content.

Copper is the most expensive of the metals. As it ages, the copper takes on a green patina.

Metal roofs can be textured to look like wood shakes, shingles, slate or tile. The materials are long-lasting, lightweight, and resistant to bad weather. Metal also won't burn.

Besides their good looks, metal roofs are easy to install because they are so lightweight. A metal roof reflects the sun so it stays cooler inside in the summer.

Clay Tile

Clay tile roofing is natural clay that's fired in a kiln.

You've probably seen the half cylinder shaped tiles that are popular in Spanish and Mission style homes.

Clay tiles are durable, expensive and heavy. Your roof may need reinforcements to support the weight of a clay roof.

Overall, clay tiles provide many of the same benefits as slate, but cost less and offer more color choices. Clay tile is fire resistant.

Concrete Tile

Concrete tile is made of sand, cement, and water. It's available in different colors and textures.

The color is incorporated into the cement. It's not just a coating. Some color may fade after a few years.

Concrete tile is available in flat profile, low profile and high profile. Each profile has a different appearance. Low profile has small curves and high profile has larger curves.

A concrete tile roof is one of the most difficult roofing materials to install correctly. But, when properly installed with the right underlayments, battens, and flashings it will be a very good roof.

Concrete tile roofs are more expensive than asphalt shingle but less than a clay tile.

Slate

Slate is a beautiful natural material that lasts for hundreds of years.

If you are roofing a house with slate, you must reinforce the roof to carry the heavy load.

The color of slate comes from it's chemical and mineral composition. It will vary depending on where the slate is from. The slate may also change color after exposure to weather.

Slate is one of the prettiest types of roofs. But, installation is labor intensive and should only be done by skilled professionals. The installation and the raw materials make a slate roof expensive.

Simulated Slate Roofing Shingles

If you want a slate roof at a reduced cost, you can choose a composite material that looks like slate.

It is similar in weight to asphalt, so you won't need to reinforce the structure.

The simulated slate shingles are made of plastic/polymer, clay, rubber or asphalt.

This composite material looks like the real thing. However, it may crack under impact. It also may fade. Although it doesn't cost as much as real slate, it is more expensive than other choices.

Get an Estimate

If you need help with a new or replacement roof, contact Luke Roofing for an estimate. We're a long-established Orange County roofer.

You can count on Luke Roofing for prompt, reliable expertise for every residential roofing need and situation.

Skylights can be a fun, helpful addition to your home. They can bring natural light into areas like bathrooms and closets where regular windows are less than idea. Or they can make rooms seem even larger, with an endless view up into the sky.

However, when not installed properly, skylights can do some real damage to both your roof and the interior of your home. So before you install a skylight, be sure you know these five things:

1.Placement is paramount

When you’re considering where to put a skylight, you should know that you can’t just plop it in wherever seems convenient. Sure, it’d be nice to be able to pick any spot on the inside of your home and stick a skylight there. But you can’t do that!

Skylights come in limited sizes for a reason: they need to fit between beams. You certainly don’t want to cut through your roof’s support beams to put in a skylight.

The easiest way to figure out where you can put a skylight is to look at your home’s official blueprints, which will lay out where all the beams in your home happen to fall. If you have attic access, you can also just look between the roofing supports to determine where your skylight can go.

Not sure where you can put a skylight in your home? Consult with a professional to determine the best course of actions.

The state of your roof can tell you a lot about your home, in general. Water stains may mean that you have backed-up gutters, for instance. And a roof that is waving or denting in places may have storm damage or underlying structural issues. One other thing your roof can tell you about: mold.

Mold under the roof is a less common issue in SoCal than in wetter areas of the country, but that doesn’t mean it never happens. After all, it only takes a little water damage for mold to crop up in otherwise sheltered areas.

So what should you look for to tell if there’s mold happening on or just under your roof? And when should you call an Orange County roofing contractor to take care of the problem? Here’s what you need to know about finding, dealing with, and preventing mold on your roof.

Signs to Look For

First, it’s always important as a homeowner to know what signs to look for as a problem might arise. When it comes to mold in or around your roof, you might notice actual visible stains and streaks that seem to spread on your roof, for instance. If your roof is poorly ventilated, mold can actually grow on top of the roof or just under the shingles, causing discoloration that seems to get worse as time goes by.

It’s more likely, though, that mold signs will be visible inside your home. For instance, you might notice cracked or peeling paint on your ceilings, or even water stains coming through to the ceilings. If you notice signs like these, you either have recent water damage or, potentially, mold.

Also, you should always be on the lookout for worrying physical symptoms in yourself, your children, or your pets. Symptoms of mold reaction can be subtle, and may look like cold, flu, or seasonal allergy symptoms to begin with. But if you notice family members who have increased respiratory issues, itchy skin, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, or sore throat on an ongoing basis, it’s a good idea to look for mold. Other mold exposure symptoms include rashes, headaches, or chest tightness.

If these symptoms are ongoing and out of the ordinary, you’ll want to talk to a doctor, of course. But you may also want to talk to an Orange County roofing contractor who can thoroughly check the top of your home for mold. This is especially true if you notice these symptoms in connection with other physical signs of mold around or outside of your home.

Dealing with Mold on Your Roof

When it comes to dealing with mold on your roof, it’s really best left to the professionals. Mold and mildew growth on the outside of your roof, such as between your tiles, is less likely to cause serious health problems for your family. However, you’ll want to have contractors take care of this unsightly problem before it does further damage to the roofing underlayment.

Usually, contractors will clean the roof thoroughly if exterior mold is the problem. They may use a bleach solution to kill the mold growth, and they may need to replace some of the more affected tiles or shingles, if necessary.

Mold growing under the roof can be a larger problem to deal with, and you may need to talk with a contractor who specializes in mold remediation.

Mold growing in the attic may be harmless cosmetic mold that can be scrubbed off or even left alone. But if the mold variety is potentially hazardous, you’ll have to decide whether to clean it up or actually replace the roofing underlayment.

Replacing underlayment is a costly venture, but could be more efficient than trying to scrub mold off of the wood, treat it, and then keep mold from coming back. Again, though, this is a question for an experienced contractor, and you’ll need to have them come to your home to scope out the problem in order to get a feel for this particular issue.

If you do decide to replace the underlayment, be sure to find out what was likely the cause of the mold growth in the first place. Take steps to prevent such an expensive issue from cropping up again in the future!

Preventing Mold on Your Roof

Preventing mold on and under your roof comes down to two things: design and maintenance.

Design is important because you’ll want to be sure that your attic has enough ventilation. Lack of ventilation traps humid air near the roofing underlayment, which can encourage mold growth. But too much ventilation can also be a bad thing for the health of your home, in general. This is why it’s important to consult with a professional when deciding on the layout of your roof and its ventilation system.

Maintenance is also important. The major cause of mold in and under roofs is leaks, which are often caused by lack of proper maintenance. If your roof isn’t maintained properly, it’s more likely to crack and have leaks, which can, in turn, allow for mold growth.

It’s important to have your roof inspected regularly by an Orange County roofing contractor who can catch small problems before they turn into major issues. During regular inspections, you may find minor issues that the contractors can fix quickly, thus preventing underlayment damage and costly mold problems down the road.

If you have any questions, be sure to reach out to Luke Roofing. A long-established Orange County roofer in Villa Park and surrounding areas, we provide prompt, reliable expertise for every residential roofing need and situation. Wherever and whenever you need roofing services in OC, you definitely can count on Luke Roofing.

So it’s time to replace the old roof on your home? Or maybe you’re doing a new build, but can’t decide what type of roof to put on your home.

With all the options on the market today - from metal to asphalt to clay and concrete tile - it can be difficult to pick a roofing material that will work best for you and your home. Luckily, a few steps can get you through much of the choosing process up front. Here are the steps you should take to eliminate some roofing materials right off the bat so that you can do your due diligence and choose the roof that will work best for your particular needs.

First, eliminate the impossible

The first thing you should do is eliminate any roofing types that are completely unsuitable for your home and the Southern California climate. On this second point, most types of roofing material can be made to suit the climate in SoCal. However, you’ll see cedar shake shingles less often here because the dry weather and sun exposure may weather them more quickly.

You should also look into the types of materials that your roof can support. Heavier materials, such as concrete and clay tiles, take a stronger supporting structure and underlayment than lighter options. While you can often retrofit a house to support these materials, this could add significantly to your costs. So ask your Orange County roofing contractor whether your current structure will support all types of materials, and you may be able to eliminate some options off the bat.

Your roof is one of the most important components of your home, since it protects the rest of your home from wear and tear. Even the best-installed roof from the best materials will need replaced eventually. But you can mitigate the need to repair or replace your roof by establishing and following a maintenance plan early on. Here’s how you can establish and keep track of your roof’s maintenance plan.

1.First, understand the whys

Before you’ll take time to follow a maintenance plan for your roof, you’ll want to know why you should do such a thing. Talk to your Orange County roofers about this, and they’ll tell you why it’s important to actually follow a roofing maintenance plan.

You need to change the oil in your car to keep larger problems from cropping up down the road. The same thing goes for your roof. Though you don’t need to replace the oil, you do need to be sure your roof is in good repair on a regular basis to avoid more expensive repairs down the road.

Are you hiring an Orange County roofing contractor to put a new roof on your home? Maybe your main goals is to increase your curb appeal and the value of your home, or to replace a worn out roof. Either way, you’ll find that the re-roofing process requires some preparation on your part.

Whether your roofers are working on your home or your business, you’ll what to take certain steps to prepare yourself for the process, and to get through it well.

Keep in mind that you may need to move out of your home or shut down your business temporarily, especially during the early phases. Re-roofing can be messy and even dangerous at times. It’s best to talk to your roofing contractor ahead of the process to see if they have advice on whether or not you can stay in your home.

Once upon a time, metal roofs were merely sheets of tin tossed up over southern shanties and red barns. The corrugated metal looked attractive, in a rustic, woodsy sort of way. But metal wasn’t a material you’d use for most residential roofs, especially not if your house was of a certain style.

But today, metal roofing has expanded its repertoire. It’s now a versatile, good-looking option that can look like more traditional roofing materials for residences. Whether your home is a European-style Colonial, a contemporary home, or even a classic SoCal mission style, there’s a metal roof for your home.

But first, the benefits

Of course, other types of roofs will also work for these styles of homes. Colonials, for instance, are often roofed in wood shingles or even asphalt shingles. Contemporary homes typically use shingle roofs, though some other options are used. And on mission-style adobe homes, you’ll usually find slate or clay tile roofing.

5 Things to Know About Your Roof Rain Gutters by an Orange County Roofing Professional

If you’re working with an Orange County roofing contractor to repair or replace your roof, you may consider having your contractor check out your gutters, as well. Though you might assume they’re in great shape, new gutters can work wonders for the efficacy of your roof and the overall look and feel of your home.

When it comes to gutters, most homeowners don’t think about them until something is going terribly wrong--like they’re starting to fall off the house. But the right gutters can protect your home during a deluge, and can even add to the overall style of your home.

Here's 5 things to consider when picking your shingles

If you’ve decided to reshingle your roof, you’ve got a lot of decisions to make, though you might not know it yet. Not only do you have to decide on the types of shingles you’ll use, but you’ll also have to choose the color of your shingles. Since your roof covers a large part of the outside square footage of your home, you’ll find that it’s a great way to make a statement.

Put some thought into choosing your roof’s color, and you can really make a statement. Not sure how to go about choosing a color--especially if you might want to vary greatly from the current color of your roof? Take these five tips when choosing the shingles your Orange County roofing contractor will use on your new work:

If your home is like many in Orange County, California, it has a tile roof. These roofs have many great advantages, including added insulation and the ability to stand the test of time. They can last for fifty years or more without being replaced. But, eventually, nearly any roof will wear down and need replaced. When you’re considering replacing your clay or concrete tile roof, you’ll need to take several factors into consideration, including the following:

Repair or Replace?

The first question to ask your Orange County roofing contractor is whether your roof can be repaired cost-effectively, or if it should be replaced. Like shingle roofs, clay tile roofs can be replaced fairly easily by the right professional. Individual tiles that are cracked or worn can be replaced on their own.

Whether you’re replacing or renovating your roof, you might be ready for some upgrades. Roofing upgrades, when installed by a licensed Orange County roofing contractor, can not only add to the value of your home, but also make it more comfortable and energy-efficient. And we don’t just mean spending thousands moving from asphalt shingles to clay tiles. You can actually take smaller steps to upgrade your roof, including these five options:

1.Improve the ventilation

One of the best ways to improve the overall efficiency of your home, especially in warm climates like ours, is to improve the ventilation in your roof. Proper roof ventilation allows heat to escape out of the roof, rather than collecting in your attic and slowly warming the floors below it.

All too often, roofs aren’t properly ventilated when a home is built. This causes the attic to act as a furnace when the weather is warm, adding to your cooling costs. To keep your attic cooler, as your Orange County roofer to add soffit vents. These vents go in the soffits under the eaves, and draw cooler air into the attic. Then a vent in the top of the roof allows hot air at the peak to escape. This ensures airflow through the attic, keeping it at a cooler temperature when the weather gets hot.

2.Add insulation

Another option for adding to the efficiency of your home is to add insulation to your roof or attic. The easiest option here is blown-in insulation - a thick layer of the stuff on the attic floor. Talk to your roofer about other possible ways to add insulation that will keep the attic’s heat from warming up the rest of the house.

One possible caveat here: make sure the insulation doesn’t negate your ventilation efforts. You may need to use shields or ducts to hold back the insulation around vents, so that it doesn’t block up the vents and render them useless.

3.Opt for lower-maintenance gutters

If you’re replacing your roof, why not go ahead and look at the gutters, as well? If your existing gutters aren’t properly aligned or just need a color change and upgrade, opt for a lower-maintenance option. The latest gutters include built-in hoots, which make them practically maintenance-free. With hoods to keep debris out of the gutters, you won’t have to worry about cleaning out your gutters a few times a year.

4.Reflect the sun

In sunny SoCal, one of the best choices you can make is a roof that reflects the sun. Reflective options include galvanized metal and light-colored roofing shingles. These materials bounce the sun’s light back away from your home, helping to keep it cool.

There are a myriad of high-efficiency sun-reflecting options on the market today. Talk to your Orange County roofing professional about the options available for your particular roof. This can be one more step to keep your home cool in the hot summers, which can, in turn, add value to your home as a whole.

5.Add some texture

What if you’re looking for a visual upgrade that will boost your home’s curb appeal? The easiest way to achieve this goal with your roof is to move from a flat surface - like a traditional shingle roof - to a surface with some interesting texture. Again, there are plenty of options that will achieve this goal.

So you’re noticing a drip from somewhere around your roof whenever it happens to rain? Luckily, many roofing leaks are easy to fix. Sometimes, it only takes a professional Orange County roofer a few minutes to a couple of hours to fix a leak. On the flip side, it can sometimes take hours to figure out exactly where that leak is coming from.

The first step to figuring out where the leak is coming from is to identify the leak in the first place. All too often, leaks can start out silent, and you won’t even know they’re there until they’ve caused lots of issues. For instance, your roof could be leaking into the attic, but it takes time for the leak to trickle down to the ceiling where you can actually see it.

When it comes to the exterior of your home, some problems can be let go for a while. Maybe your home needs a good cleaning, but you want to wait until next summer. No problem. But when it comes to your roof, there are plenty of issues you definitely don’t want to wait on fixing.

Remember, your roof protects the rest of your home. So when there’s damage to your roof, you’re putting your entire home at risk. No, roofing repairs aren’t necessarily the things you want to spend money on. But without a solid roof in excellent shape, you stand to lose much more in your home.

As the environment and environmental concerns come to the cultural forefront - especially here in California - more homeowners are asking how to go green with home renovation and repair projects. One great place to begin going green is with your roof. But which roof is the most eco-friendly? And how green can you get with your roof? We’re here to answer these questions and more.

What does “green” mean for a roof?

When it comes to your roof, there are plenty of ways to go “greener” than you already are right now. One of the most eco-friendly options is probably a truly green roof, which grows heat-deflecting, oxygen-producing, air-cleaning plants on the roof. But you don’t have to get quite that out there when choosing a greener option to replace your home’s roof. Instead, just think about these factors:1.Energy savings

Most of the time, homeowners think of their home’s roof as nothing more than a utility. It’s just something that has to be replaced once in a while to be functional. But depending on your roofline, your roof could account for nearly half of what people see when they walk or drive past your home. That’s some serious real estate for the eyes, and you want to be sure that it looks great!

Luckily, adding curb appeal with a new roof isn’t that difficult, especially with all of the options on the market today. Here are a few ideas for updating your roof to create more curb appeal:

Are you considering installing solar energy in your home? How do you know if you’re ready to make this investment? And how do you go about hiring the right company to install your solar panels? Here are five questions you’ll want to ask yourself before you decide to install solar:

1.How much will it save?

Since savings is a primary reason that many people install solar, you’ll want to look at how much it’ll save you. If you’re reading from Southern California, you’re in luck. California residents can expect to save more than almost anyone else when it comes to solar power. One infographic puts the monthly savings of the average California home at $143. Even with the cost of installation, solar power could save you $34,260 over the life of your solar panels!

When it comes to southern California roofing, the primary choices are shingle and tile. Both options have their advantages, and the most important thing is to ensure that you’re using the best Orange County roofing contractors for the job.

But if you’re wondering about the major differences between these two types of roofing, we’re here to help. Here are the main differences between shingle and tile roofs:

1.Eco-friendliness

These days, many Californians are looking for eco-friendly home options, including roofs. As far as eco-friendliness, tile roofs win hands-down in California. Shingles can actually be better in some colder climates, but concrete and clay tiles are generally more energy-saving with our warm weather.

When it comes to replacing your roof, you need to start by choosing the best Orange County roofing contractors. But once you’ve done that, you may still have some questions. We’re here to help!

Replacing your roof is an expensive - and time-consuming - proposition. But your roof is one of the most important pieces of your entire home. That’s why it’s essential to hire a great contractor and to ensure you get all of your questions answered before the roof replacement process begins.

Our contractors can answer any questions you might have in person or over the phone. But if you’re looking for answers to common questions, here are some of the most common questions we’re asked about replacing roofs:

Considering installing a solar system in your home? As solar panels become more affordable and more efficient, more and more California homeowners are considering installing them. When you work with professional solar panel installers, you can get solar panels that look great and give your home the energy it needs to keep running.

If you’re on the fence about installing solar panels in your home, just consider these five huge advantages of solar power:

1.They can power your entire home

It used to be that solar panels weren’t efficient enough to power your whole home. They could just be used to offset your power needs. Now, even a home with relatively little roof real estate can be powered entirely by solar panels. In fact, tens of thousands of US homes in remote areas are powered exclusively by solar these days!

Even in your home that’s part of the national power grid, you can use solar to exclusively provide your home’s energy needs. This means that you can not only save money on your monthly electric bill, but that you might also be able to get an extra check from the electric company. To meet ever-increasing demands for power, some electric companies today will actually pay consumers who put more energy into the grid than they use!

SELECT ShingleMaster^TM Orange County Roofing Contractors

When you’re looking for Orange County roofing contractors for your roof repair or replacement, do you know what to look for? One obvious place to begin is with licensing information. You definitely need to ensure that the contractor you hire is licensed in the State of California.

While licensed professionals have a certain level of expertise and experience, not all professionals are excellent at what they do. So how do you find the best contractors out there, who can offer excellent products, excellent service, and excellent guarantees?

One option is to look at third party certifications, such as those offered by renowned roofing products company CertainTeed. This company offers extra certifications to businesses who sell its products - which are known for their high quality and great warranties. So if you’re looking for a roofing contractor in Orange County, check to see if they have additional CertainTeed certifications.