Roofing materials
November 26, 2008 by Laminate & Hardwood Flooring
Filed under Roofing Materials & Contractors
A variety of roofing materials, each with advantages and disadvantages, can be used to top a house. Location is a top concern when selecting materials, for example in coastal areas where hurricanes are common a sturdier material is used. In the medical profession a popular phrase is “doctor heal thyself,” but for homeowners it’s “owner know thy roof.”
Fiberglass asphalt shingles consist of a base of glass fibers covered with ceramic coated mineral granules . This is an inorganic shingle with a high fire rating and often a longer warranty (and life span) than other types of shingles. This shingle resists water and cracking. According to Underwriter Laboratories it can also withstand high winds. Sounds like a winner!
Architectural shingle is an inorganic, three dimensional shingle. Because it is multi layered it has depth and thus an appearance closer to wood or slate roofing. Disadvantages are weight and cost, both more than other shingles.
Roll roofing is less expensive than shingles. It can be used on roofs with shallow grades, or in addition to shingles on steeper roofs. This is used most often on industrial buildings. It has a heavy felt base, saturated with asphalt, covered by a smooth or mineral surface. Easy to install, this type of material will last between 10 and 20 years.
Metal roofing is steel panels used in place of shingles. The best steel panels are made with zinc. Like roll roofing this is most common on industrial buildings. Durable, long lasting and resistant to fire, metal roofing is a great choice.
The earliest shingles were made of wood, and wood shingles are still used in modern construction. Cedar is the most common wood used for these shingles, but many consist of a variety of woods. These are more difficult to install than asphalt shingles. Wood burns. A fire-retardant coating reduces the flammability, but does not eliminate it.
A roof has other elements in addition to the shingles. These are not shingles or tiles or total roof coverings, but nevertheless are elements of a roof. Flashing consists of roofing material or sheet metal strips placed to cover joints, to make the joints waterproof. A special type of flashing is a “boot,” made to fit around a vent pipe. The boot is sometimes plastic. A Drip Edge is an “L” shaped, weather-resistant material placed at exposed roof edges to help protect wood portions of the roof by shedding water. Felt paper, or building paper, is a sheet with a tough, fibrous base saturated with asphalt installed under shingles. Felt paper also contributes to protecting the wood portions of the roof, particularly the frame.
A great source of information on roofing materials is the Internet. The more you know the less likely you are to get wet.
Roofing shingles
December 21, 2008 by Laminate & Hardwood Flooring
Filed under Roofing Materials & Contractors
Roofing shingles are something that most every homeowner has, but few spend enough time thinking about them. The purpose of roofing shingles are to provide a single layer solution to a leak proof top for a home or structure. Roofing shingles are laid from the bottom edge of the roof upward, with each higher row overlapping the lower row . Early shingles were made of wood and were capped at the top with a row of copper or lead sheeting. In modern shingle roofs this cap has been replaced by a row of roofing shingles that includes a plastic underlay.
In the old days wood roofing shingles were considered good. But eventually asphalt and asbestos cement replaced wood as common materials. Fiberglass based asphalt shingles are currently the most popular shingle used in the United States. The obvious issue with wood is fire, and fire is the reason wood and paper backed shingles are used infrequently in modern construction.
There’s another type of roofing shingle that many people have seen but few would be able to name. It’s called a shake, which is a wooden shingle made from split logs. Shake roofs were commonly used in building log cabins, and with many wood frame homes. They’re still in use today, most commonly transported by helicopters, but it wasn’t always done that way. Shakes were tied into packs and transported by pack animals, or even people, before helicopters were invented. Often cut in hilly areas, they were carried down the slope with the help of a long line run from the bottom to the top. This line served as a kind of hand hold so people carrying the shake packs wouldn’t fall.
The main difference between a shingle and a tile is flexibility. Tiles are generally made from ceramic. They’re brittle and ill suited to locations where tree limbs might impact a roof. Shingles are flexible and therefor better able to resist damage from tree limbs. Wood shingles rot, while ceramic tiles don’t., but modern materials such as the asbestos base for most shingles don’t rot. Another difference is the shape. Ceramic tiles have an “S†profile to allow them to interlock for strength while roofing shingles are flat.
One of the more unique materials for roofing shingles is slate. Slate can be easily split into thin sheets. Such sheets, the slate roofing shingles, make for an rustic look for a roof. Slate roofing shingles are installed by a slater, a tradesman trained to work with slate. Because slate is fireproof and an electric insulators, qualities that make it excellent for roofing shingles, slate was used for early 20th century switchboards and relay controls for large electric motors . Imagine that, making a phone call on your roofing shingles.
