What Are the Most Important Factors to Consider When Choosing a Roof?

Last updated on January 15, 2024

A lot of people struggle when it comes to choosing a roofing material or understanding how to upgrade their roof because of their lack of experience. Roofing on the house can last decades very easily, so if you bought a premade house, you have never had to work on the roof.

If you are considering a roof for your home, it is most likely the first time you are undertaking such a project on a premade home, or you are building a house from scratch.

The roof only looks big and complicated. In reality, it is very easy to set up, and if you do it right, it won’t bother you for many years. If you don’t have any experience in roof work, you can still work on your roof, make changes, or even upgrade the entire roof.

It just requires a few basic tools and an understanding of how to put the roof together. If you do invest in setting up the roof yourself, you will make your life a lot easier in the future as you will know exactly how to inspect it and rectify any problems that may occur.

However, to get started on the right foot, here are a few important things you want to know about.

Cost

The biggest concern that people have when undertaking a major project like a new roof installation is the cost of the process. The cost will depend on a lot of different factors such as what kind of materials you want to use, whether you are going to do the job yourself or through a professional, the specifications of the roof of the house, the size of the roof and how much can be salvaged from the existing roof.

On average, you can expect the cost of a roof installation to be between $5000 and $10,000. If you are doing a brand new install, this will cost a bit more because you also have to create the roof support system together with things like insulation, plumbing, and electrical fittings.

If you are renovating an existing roof, then you won’t have to make these basic changes to the infrastructure, and the focus will be on the roofing material itself. Also, keep in mind that if you want a full roof install, this will be a great time to look at the roof support systems in place and carry out any repairs if necessary.

In many cases, roof damage, such as leakages, cause damage not only to the tiles on the roof surface but can also damage underlying insulation, support beams, wiring, and plumbing.

Longevity

Considering that a roof replacement or installation can cost quite a bit of money, people don’t want to be doing this every year. In fact, it would be better to spend a bit more time and energy doing the job right the first time rather than dealing with the stress and cost of redoing the roof just a few months or years later.

Two factors impact the longevity of the roof the most. They include the kind of material you use and the kind of care and maintenance you can provide for the material.

Asphalt shingles are a very popular option in roofing because they are cost-effective. Even if a tile is damaged, it is very easy to replace it, and it is quite cost-effective to do so. Even though asphalt shingles don’t have a very long life and often need replacement, the low price makes this a feasible option.

The other option is to invest in a material such as slate, which can easily last 80 to 100 years and requires minimal maintenance, but the price is the problem. It is much more expensive to buy replacement tiles, and installing them without expert help can also be challenging.

Material

When it comes to roofing materials, there are a lot of options. Some of the most common materials include metal sheets, asphalt shingles, classic clay tiles, wooden roofs, and slate tiles. Within each of these categories, there are further subtypes. You can get different kinds of metal roofing for different purposes.

For instance, regular metal sheets might be great for a shed or for an extra garage in the home, but for the roof of the actual home, you want something a bit more attractive and something that will not get damaged that easily. The roof’s look is also a very important consideration for homeowners, and getting something that suits the house’s overall look is also important.

Metal is great in this regard as it offers a lot of flexibility. You can get metal sheets in a lot of different forms and styles, and they can all be modified further to achieve a certain look. You can even easily replicate the look of natural materials such as brick or wood with metal sheets.

Alternatively, you might be looking for the intrinsic benefits of a certain kind of roofing material. For instance, clay roof tiles will be a good choice if you live in a very hot climate. These are great at reflecting heat from the outside and also insulating the home to help keep cool air inside.

Hot areas such as California are also at a higher risk of natural fires, and since clay is fireproof, this also adds a lot of strength and security to the structure.

Similarly, if you are in a colder climate where it is feasible to use wood, then that might be the best choice. It is a great material to use in that kind of climate, and if it is also more easily available, then it will be more economical to use wood rather than anything else. If you have an entire house built out of wood, then this will be the best addition to such a structure.

Durability

To make the most of the money you spend on roofing, you want something that will last a long time, and this can vary quite a lot for different materials. The main challenge is to understand what kind of conditions the roof will be exposed to so you can better select a material that can withstand those conditions.

For instance, clay is one of the best materials for hot climates, but the downside is that it is extremely brittle and fragile. Even a mild hailstorm could completely shatter clay tiles and damage the entire roof. Considering how rapidly the weather situation is changing in every country around the world, it is not surprising to experience extreme rain or even hail in the middle of summer.

Similarly, metal roofs are great for snow, but if you have a lot of trees around your house, this could be risky. As snow piles up on the branches of trees, the trees are much more likely to fall over. In the case that a tree or even a part of the tree falls on your roof, a metal roof will not have the strength to protect the home. This could lead to serious problems and just having a different roofing material could help you avoid such a situation.

On the other hand, you also need to ensure you take proper care of the roof. If you have ceramic tiles or natural stone tiles on the roof, they need to be maintained properly. While they are extremely durable in both heat and cold, if they develop cracks in them, it will compromise their integrity, which means they won’t be able to withstand stress or pressure as well as you would expect them to.

If you can’t properly care for and maintain the roof, these might not be the best materials for you. Good roof maintenance plays a big role in the durability of the roof.

Weight

If you are replacing the roof on your home, then you need to closely examine the roof support structure that you have in place. The tiles are the final layer of the roof, and they don’t hold any of the weight; the support beams underneath carry the burden.

If you designed your home with metal roofing, then the support system underneath is most likely only designed to support the weight of a metal roof. Before you buy those new tiles or start looking at roof designs in a different material, make sure the beams and roof support system you have in place can handle the weight.

If you plan on making more changes to the roof later on, such as installing solar panels or a rainwater harvesting system, it will help to invest in a strong base first.

Things like solar panels can weigh a lot when you have multiple panels along with their frames and wiring on the roof. This places a lot of stress on not only the roof but the home’s entire structure.

Have the roof inspected by a professional to get an idea of the best solution for your home. Having a strong roof will not only increase the roof’s life but will also improve the strength and integrity of the entire building.

Efficiency

These days climate change is becoming a major problem in all parts of the world. Some places are experiencing extremely hot summers while others are breaking winter records. For the average homeowner, this means that they have to spend even more on energy bills to keep their home comfortable and usable.

In this regard, the roof plays an important role. With the right kind of roof, you can reduce the impact of the external environment and improve the home’s insulation so that the heating and cooling from inside the building don’t leak out into the environment.

Making changes to the roof, such as getting a fresh layer of insulation installed or even adding an additional layer of insulation, can make a huge impact. Even the kind of material you use for the tiles will play a big role in how efficient the roof is in managing the home’s temperature.

Material such as metal is light and easily transfers heat to the inside of the home. Materials such as natural stones are excellent insulators and will keep your home cool even on a sweltering hot day. You might think that installing a natural stone roof is too expensive, but when you factor in the kind of savings it could provide you, it works out to be a very economical upgrade.

Upgradability

In a few years, you will most likely want an upgrade. You will have had enough with the look of the house and you will want to change it up a bit. Some roofing materials, such as metal sheets, are excellent for this purpose because they can be easily modified to achieve a wide variety of looks.

Other materials, such as clay tiles, can be painted over, but it’s challenging to really change the look of a clay tile. With natural stones, you are limited to the look you can achieve, but you have the flexibility to change colors. Some materials, such as slate and wood, actually improve as they age.

An old slate tile has a unique rusty tinge to it due to the metal content in the stone, and it looks better with age for those that enjoy that kind of look. In this case, you won’t have to worry about upgrading it since it looks better as the years go by. Have an idea of your future plans for the roof and decide on a material accordingly.

While making changes to the roof isn’t cheap, you should also keep in mind that it is an investment into the property. With a better roof, you can earn a much better rental price or a sale price if you ever decide to let go of the property in the future.

The roof upgrade is a major project, and a homebuyer will be more than happy to pay a premium for a home that already has this job completed. Keeping these things in mind, look around for good roofing ideas and even consult with an expert to see what will work best for you.

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