If there is one investment in any home that should be at the top of the priority list, it should be the roof. It plays a very important role in keeping the house sound, safe, and homey. The roof protects the occupants against harsh weather. It secures all the possession inside. The roof also plays a crucial role in the structural integrity of the house. It only makes sense that the type of material applied to it should be considered carefully. There are many factors that come into play in selecting a roofing material. Listed below are some of the important ones.
Cost
When selecting a roofing material, the very obvious factor to first consider would be the cost. Different materials have different costs. High-end ones cost a lot more than mid-range quality material. It all boils down to your budget and the style of your home. Many homes are built to match the type of roof that comes with it. Some require brick tiles, a more expensive material, and other homes require popular, albeit cheaper, roofing materials.
Weight
Much like cost, different roofing materials weigh differently. This is something that should be carefully considered when selecting a material, particularly when you are planning to have a new roof installed. Houses are typically designed with a specific weight of the roof in mind. Replacing it with roofing material, that’s considerably heavier than the old one, could undermine the structural integrity of the house. Make sure your house is structurally sound before choosing a roofing material.
Weather
Another thing to consider before selecting roofing material is the local weather. Homes located in areas that experience extreme weather would require a roofing material that is a lot more robust and able to retain energy for a stable home temperature. In this instance, it would make a lot more sense to opt for materials that offer higher efficiency.
Functionality
The steepness of the roof also plays a role in the type of material that should be installed. For homes with steep roof angle or pitch, cedar shakes or shingles are preferable because wood is able to shed water faster. On the other hand, for a roof with a lot of edges or corners, slate is ideal because cutting it into different shapes and sizes is a lot easier, making it fit the type of design and architectural feature it is intended.
Maintenance
Different materials require different maintenance practice to keep them free from damage and last long. Roofing inspection and assessment cost money and time and so you would want a roofing material that requires less maintenance yet able to function for a long time. Naturally, these kinds of roofs are a lot more expensive but they last longer and won’t break easily. To combat these, new materials are constantly being developed to curb the cost of the material and still provide protection with minimal maintenance. Contractors like roofing Tampa FL are able to offer advice and recommendations for different roofing materials.
At the end of the day, we all want to feel secure in our own home. And while walls, doors, and gates are usually enough to give us the peace of mind, we tend to forget about the roof over our heads. The roof in a home is an important structure we don’t usually think about, not unless it starts to fail. It is only at this time that we realize how important it is. To prevent this and keep it as functional as possible, we must pay attention to how it’s built and the material we used on it.
