Shingle Roofing: The Low Budget Highly Aesthetic Top Cover
For small commercial and residential home owners, in the El Paso TX and Las Cruces NM areas, shingle roofing is a fairly long lasting, cost effective yet aesthetic choice. Normally, it is applied for the purpose of water proofing since its outstanding characteristic is that it repels water more than the other materials. Their life span also pits them higher than other materials. Shingles are primarily made up of elements developed into small, flat rectangular sheets fixed together in overlapping joints.
Types of Shingle Roofs
This material comes in two major forms; fiberglass and organic.
The organic ones are mostly made using a mixture of paper and asphalt. Asphalt is the material that gives shingles its strong water proof characteristics, as it has some mineral fillers and it is also oil-based. In order to make this mixture long-lasting, it is embedded with some ceramic material and salt granules.
Wood is also added to asphalt to make a rare form of organic material.
Fiberglass is one of the recent inventions. It is made of a myriad of materials (also denoted as the fiber material) co-joined with asphalt. The most common type is the combination of cement with asphalt.
In some instances, metal or plastic is utilized as the fiber material.
This is a useful invention that allows expert roofers and those in the construction world to work together to produce better roofing materials.
Currently, technology is used to develop different forms of building material that are light in weight and highly durable. Some of the commonest materials produced include;
- Strip asphalt which is made of a technologically developed fiber glass base and asphalt mixed in a way that makes it light weight. These resemble slate.
- Dimensional asphalt contains several layers of sheets joined together that give the roof a wholesome appearance. They are heavier but last for a longer period due to their many layers.
- Premium asphalt is a recently developed material that can be manipulated technologically to mimic different materials. Normally, the technological improvement is for the purpose of increasing aesthetic appearance.
Pros of Using Shingle Roofs
- Cost effectiveness – The relatively low cost of roofing shingles make them highly appreciated by most residential home owners and people looking for a low budget top cover. Even with their modest cost, they last for a fairly long time depending on their original materials.
- Fairly easy to install – Even an individual with the most basic knowledge on placing a top cover can easily install this material. Even home owners can easily install the top cover using basic directions. When it comes to the tools, only the basic ones are needed in this case. there is nothing particularly outstanding about the tools or the skills. Most of them are also light in weight thus making it easy to install. Due to this basic knowledge, even experts charge less when it comes to installing. A similar scenario is evident when it comes to timing as it takes a short time to install this material compared to others.
- Aesthetic variety – This is one of the materials that is not lacking in style regardless of the style and design of the home. Whether the roof is curved, straight or sloping, this is a material where creativity can be utilized to create different styles for aesthetic purposes.
In addition to this, the variety of colors are as numerous as all colors imaginable; red, blue, green, yellow and even purple colors are available.
The ability of this material to be manipulated by technology also allows it to be developed into a variety of patterns. With such options, it is possible to custom design each home according to personalized tastes.
Cons of These Type of Roofs
- As petroleum based products, these are not eco-friendly. They are also not recyclable.
- They cannot be installed during the time when the temperatures are freezing.
- Their light weight makes them susceptible to being lifted by wind.
- They crack easily due to temperature changes.
- They require sufficient ventilation, when used in the attic, shingle roofing is liable to mildew and other destructive fungi and parasitic plants.
Expert Opinion
It may be difficult to identify the most suitable form of roofing shingles. In this scenario, it is necessary to seek the services of an expert. If you are in the El Paso, Texas or Las Cruces, New Mexico areas, contact us today and obtain a consultation and estimate on the top cover of your home.
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