You want a safe home. You want a warm home. And of course, you want an energy-efficient home. Do you know what can help you achieve all of these goals? Your roof. That's right, if you call up a roofer and tell them about your desires, they can recommend some roofing repairs or materials to help you achieve those desires. They may recommend a metal roof, or they might recommend adding zinc strips to the roof peak. It all depends. One thing we can promise, though, is that learning more about roofing is a good idea. This blog is a good resource, but we recommend looking for other ones, too.
An Overview Of The Three Grades Of Asphalt Shingle Roofing
Asphalt shingle roofing is still one of the most popular types of roofing for residential use. When you drive around your city, you probably see mostly shingle roofing on all types of homes. Asphalt shingles are a good option for new roofing, but you may not know there are different grades of shingles. Here's an overview of the different types of asphalt shingles and tips for choosing the right shingles for your home.
1. Luxury Grade Shingles Are The Highest Quality
Shingle roofing grades are sometimes called good, better, and best. Luxury shingles fall into the 'best' category, as they are the largest and thickest type of asphalt shingles. They have an appearance that makes them look similar to slate tiles. Since they are thick, they resist damage from hail impacts, so these would be good shingles for homes in areas that get severe storms.
You might also want these shingles if you have a luxury home or if you just want an upscale appearance for your roof. A possible downside to luxury shingles is that they are heavy. The extra weight is good for wind resistance, but it might be bad for your roof if you're adding luxury shingles as the second layer of roofing.
Your roofer needs to determine if your roof can hold the added weight of the heavy shingles or if your old shingles have to come off first.
2. Architectural Shingles Look More Like Shakes
Architectural shingles fall into the 'better' category. They're not quite as thick and durable as luxury shingles, but they're thicker than three-tab shingles. Plus, they have a unique appearance that makes them look like shakes with texture and shadows.
These shingles are common in both residential and commercial properties. If you want something with more visual appeal than three-tab shingles, architectural shingles might be a good choice. Plus, since they are higher quality than the lowest grade of shingle roofing, they tend to have a longer lifespan. However, you'll need to pay more for the roofing upfront.
3. Three-Tab Shingles Are Lighter And Less Expensive
The main draw of three-tab shingles is that they are more affordable than higher grades of shingle roofing. The downside is that the shingles don't last as long and they're more likely to be damaged in storms since they are lighter and thinner. However, being lighter is an advantage if you want to put a new layer of roofing over your old shingles.
Three-tab shingles have the classic look that you see on many homes. You'll have some variety when it comes to the color of the roofing, and this lets you create a complementary color theme for the exterior of your home.
For more information, contact a professional roofing service such as Alliance Exteriors.