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11 Types of Roofing Materials
A selection of roofing material types for modern homes.
There are many types of roofing materials vying for the attention of homeowners, including asphalt composite shingles, metal shingles, wood shakes, and clay tile.
Unfortunately, the abundance of roofing material options makes it challenging for the average homeowner to make an informed choice.
To assist you, here are 11 types of roofing materials to consider for your home.
Roofing materials types
1. Metal shingles/shakes
Metal shingles or shakes are a great choice for homeowners seeking the benefits of metal roofing materials without having to instal real metal roofs.
Made from stamped metal and finished with mineral granules or a baked-on coating, metal shingles can be designed to look like wooden shakes, asphalt shingles, or slate or clay tiles.
The installation cost of metal roofing materials generally falls within the range of $7 to $10 per square foot. With a lifespan ranging from 30 to 50 years, these roofs provide a durable and long-lasting investment for homeowners.
2. Standing seam metal roof
For a majority of homeowners, standing seam metal roofing materials stand out as the most popular choice among metallic roofing options.
Standing seam roof is named so because the steel or aluminium panels are designed to meet in raised seams that interlock to keep moisture out of the building.
Metal roofing materials are increasingly popular in regions that experience heavy snowfall and areas that are prone to wildfires since metal roofs are fully fireproof.
One of the drawbacks of these types of roofs is that they can only be installed by individuals with special skills and not every roofing dealer is capable of installing them.
Fitting a standing seam metal roof costs $6 to $12 per foot.
Metal roofs can last 30 to 50 years, with some types lasting for 75 years.
3. Rolled roofing
Rolled roofing is made up of long rolls of mineral-infused and asphalt-infused material topped with mineral granules.
Each roll is about 100 square feet of roofing and roughly 3 feet wide.
Rolled roofing materials are ideal for low-slope residential houses as well as out-structures such as sheds, shops, and other utilitarian buildings.
4. Slate shingles
These are easily the best roofing materials available in the market.
Slate roofing is made up of thin sheets of natural stone that give it an extremely lengthy lifespan of 75 to 200 years. It is ideal for homeowners looking for stylish roofing.
However, installation of slate shingles requires specialized skills – which are not easy to come by. It costs $30 to $75 per square foot to fit a slate roof.
5. Asphalt composite shingles
Asphalt shingles roofing materials are quite popular in the United States.
Made from a fiberglass base covered with asphalt and mineral granules, asphalt shingles come with a warranty of 20-30 years – making them a preferred option for homeowners.
Installation of asphalt composite shingles is quite easy and almost every roofing company has the capacity to install shingles roofing materials – at a cost of $1.50 to $3.50 per square foot.
6. Wood shingle/shakes
Although wood is prone to wildfires and moisture damage, wood shingles roofing materials are still a popular choice for owners of luxury homes.
Shingles are basically thin, wedge-shaped blocks of wood made by precise sawing. On the other hand, shakes are made by splitting wood.
They are thicker wedges with a bumpier texture.
It costs $4.50 to $9 to install a square foot of shingles, with shakes being more expensive to install at about $6.50 to $11 per square foot.
Depending on climate and maintenance, these roofs can last up to 60 years.
7. Clay tile
Made from earthen clays precast into rolled or interlocking shapes and fired for stiffness, roofing materials tiles, specifically clay tiles, emerge as an excellent choice for roofing in hot climate regions or areas with prevalent salt air.
This quality makes clay tile roofing materials a widely embraced and practical choice, particularly in coastal regions or deserts.
In most cases clay tiles are often left unglazed – with their typical reddish-orange color – but they can be glazed and fired to make ceramic roofing tiles.
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It costs $10 to $18 to install a square foot of clay tiles, although installation costs for ceramic roofing tiles can be as high as $30 per square foot.
Clay tiles can last more than 100 years.
8. Built-up roofing
This is one of the oldest roofing options, mainly used for flat roofs. Built-up roofing systems consist of several layers of roofing felt infused with asphalt that is applied hot.
The felt is applied in overlapping layers to create a barrier two or four layers thick.
A layer of finely crushed stone is then embedded in hot tar over the top to make a durable and impermeable roof.
It costs $2.50 to $5 to install a square foot of built-up roofing.
These roofs can last 20 to 50 years.
9. Synthetic slate roofing
Designed to mimic natural slate, this roofing material is made from engineered polymers fused with recycled plastic and rubber.
Synthetic slate roofing is extremely light, which makes it a viable candidate for buildings that cannot support the heavy weight of natural slate.
Although not as durable as natural slate, synthetic slate comes with a warranty of up to 50 years. Installation cost of synthetic slate is between $6 and $12.
10. Membrane roofing
Membrane roofing materials are a great choice for flat or very low pitch roofs.
They come in types among them EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), Neoprene (polychloroprene), and PVC (polyvinyl chloride).
Others include Polymer-modified bitumen, and Chlorinated polyethylene and chlorosulfonated polyethylene sheets.
EPDM, a synthetic material often referred to as rubber roofing, is easily the best membrane roofing material.
Just as in the case of rolled asphalt roofing, EPDM is applied in large sheets that limit the number of seams where water can penetrate.
With proper maintenance, these roofs can last 20 to 35 years.
It costs about $3 to $4 to install a square foot of membrane roof.
11. Concrete tile
This is an alternative to clay tile, with comparable fitting techniques and benefits.
Concrete tiles are cast from standard sand-mix concrete that is colored to a desired hue.
They are available in a number of profiles – some of which resemble rolled clay tiles while others are low profile varieties that resemble wood shakes.
Due to their bulkiness, concrete tiles are a great choice for high-wind regions.
It costs $9 to $12 to install a square foot of concrete tiles, which have a life expectancy of 50 years or longer with good maintenance.
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