Making sure your roof is in a good state of repair is essential task for every homeowner. Not only does a roof have to provide a suitable covering for your home, it should also be a thing of beauty and as such you need to take care of it throughout its life. Because of this you need to make sure you choose the right roofing materials when reroofing your home.
There are a range of different roofing options
There are quite a few options available when you are looking for a suitable roofing material for your home. Each of these options can be classified depending on their lifespan and the material from which it is made. For example, some materials may last longer but will be more expensive, whereas some materials may be manmade and others will be cut from the ground such as slate.
Some of the available roofing options include:
€¢ Concrete tiles
€¢ Slate
€¢ Wooden shingles
€¢ Metal sheet roofing
€¢ Clay tiles
The most popular method of roofing a home is tiling. Tiles are easy to handle and can be replaced individually if any are damaged, making them a great choice for the homeowner who keeps on top of their roof maintenance.
Natural clay tiles are a classic look and for certain conservation areas may be the only option but in most cases there are concrete tile alternatives which give the same look, protection and ease of installation as clay tiles with less breakability and lower cost.
Slates are available in three different forms, natural slate, cement fibre slates and the Cambrian reconstituted slate tile. Fibre cement slates and reconstituted slates are easy to install and can give a look very similar to more expensive natural slate tiles without the high cost and the relatively high breakability of slate.
In the UK, wooden shingles are not very common except for use in sheds, where cedar shingles can give a lovely look and metal roofs are usually the province of businesses and warehouses. The only exception to this is heritage buildings like churches, concert halls etc which might have a lead roof or the rare occasions where a copper roof has been specified by the architect.
In all cases (except the wooden roofed shed) it is best employing a professional roofer who can give your home the roof that it deserves
