There are two types of roofs that commercial and residential buildings use: pitched roofs and flat roofs. Each of these types of roofs needs specific types of roofing material with very few overlaps. Pitched roofs are normally used on residential housing and on commercial buildings when built in a very rainy or snowy climate so that the precipitation flows off of the roof rather than sitting and forming puddles that can cause damage like on flat roofs. The main overlaps in roofing material for these two styles of roofs are metal and rubber roofing material.

Types of Materials

There are several different types of flat roofing materials available on the market today. The first type is tar and gravel styles of roofs. These can be used on roofs that are considered flat, which means there is less than three inches rise to twelve inches of run. This slight amount of rise allows water to run to the sides of the roofs where there is a drainage system to remove it rather than forming puddles, as would happen if the roof was completely flat.

Tar and gravel flat roofing material is a built-up roof, where the roofing contractor lays down three to five layers of saturated felt material, slathering it with tar and asphalt in between each layer. When the top layer is reached, it is topped with a mineral and rock mixture to allow for walking across the roof and also more protection from the elements. This type of roof is very inexpensive, but it is also very messy, does not last more than fifteen years on average, and is not for high rain or snow types of climates.

Modified bitumen is a similar flat roofing material, which layers polyester or fiberglass rather than saturated felt, and also uses bitumen rather than tar and asphalt. This also is a low cost flat roofing material, but it does not last long either and is not for high raid or snow climates. Roll roofing material is the cheapest and is applied in a single layer, so that it is not messy like the other two, but since it is only a single layer, it only lasts about ten years.

More lasting flat roofing material is ethylene propylene diene monomer or EPDM which is a rubber roofing material. This type of material is also applied in a single layer, but it is much better in high winds or hail than the tar and gravel or modified bitumen roofs. It also has a longer life, usually lasting at least twenty years and is UV resistant, which helps with the air conditioning bill in the summer.

Slate roofing material has been around for a long time and with good reason. Slate roofs often last at least one hundred years and some have even been known to last two hundred years! Slate roofing material also adds a sense of class and style to any home or office building, being made of stone to compliment any building design.

Benefits of Slate

Slate roofing material is the most expensive of residential roofing materials, yet it also requires less maintenance and lasts for an extremely long time. Slate roofing material usually costs between six hundred to one thousand dollars per square, which is about ten times the cost of asphalt shingles. However, slate roofing material is much more aesthetically pleasing than asphalt shingles, and they last up to five times as long before having to be replaced, in fact, in most cases outliving the owner of the residence!

Slate roofing material must be installed by an expert in slate roofing so that it is installed properly, this eliminating possible problems encountered by a less experienced team. Be sure to ask the contractor for references when contemplating a slate roof and also ask if they are a member of a slate roofing association, which would help to ensure that they are up on the latest practices regarding slate roofing materials.

Slate roofing materials are fire proof, since they are made of stone, so they do not require the fire retardant of other materials such as cedar shake. They are also moss resistant, which can be a problem with other cedar or shingle roofs, causing them to deteriorate and lose their water resistant qualities. Since they are stone, there is little maintenance required, with the only exception being if a tree panch hits the roof peaking some of the slates.

There are some options for those who are not able to afford slate roofing material but like the look that slate gives a home or office building. Metal roofing materials now come in a variety of different textures and patterns, one of which is a shingle that can look identical to slate. The benefit of metal slate roofing material is that it is lighter and is not as pittle, making it much easier to install. In addition, the cost is average for roofing materials, a little above asphalt roofing material, but significantly lower than true slate roofing materials. Installation costs are also usually less since it does not require as much specialization to work with metal roofing material as slate.

When renovating a roof there are many different choices in roofing materials, from slate to cedar shakes and even metal roofing materials. The choices depend on the slant of the roof, the price range desired, and the skills of the contractors in that community. There are also different design aspects to consider when choosing roofing material as well as the insulation properties of the materials and the length of time the roof will normally last.

Types of Roofs

If the roof is a pitched roof, meaning it has a slant to it, there are certain roofing materials that can be used that cannot be used on flat roofs. One type of roofing material is cedar shake, which looks like shingles that are made out of cedar. This type of roofing is environmentally friendly and usually lasts about thirty years if it is installed correctly, fifteen to twenty years if not.

Another type of pitched roofing material is composition or dimensional shingles. Composition shingles are made of organic or fiberglass asphalt and are the most common shingles on the market. Not only are they the least expensive, but they usually last twenty to thirty years and are easy to install. Fiberglass shingles are stronger and more flexible than the organic ones, although they cost a little more. The thickest are the dimensional shingles which are better for design options, giving a custom appearance to the roof. They cost more initially, but usually have a longer life, running about forty years.

Tile and slate shingles are the least seen in roofing mainly because of the cost of each, being up to ten times more expensive than asphalt shingles. However, both of these types of roofing material last the longest on the market, with slate roofs often lasting over one hundred years if installed properly. Tile and slate roofing materials are heavier and do require a more specialized installation, needing experts to properly install them.

Flat roofs require different types of roofing materials. Tar and gravel is one type, where the roof is layered with three to five layers of saturated felt. In between the layers there is tar and asphalt and the top layer usually has a mineral or rock concoction. Modified bitumen is another, similar roofing material for flat roofs which uses polyester or fiberglass layers with bitumen in between them. Both of these types of roofing materials are low cost, but are not for high rain or snow climates. EPDM rubber roofs are more substantial and are applied in a single layer over the roof. Since this is the case, it needs more insulation, but it does have a long life and resists UV rays from the sun. Metal roofs are another option, which are usually single seam for flat roofs.

Residential roofing material comes in a huge variety of choices in today’s market. Depending on the slope of the roof and the cost of the roofing material that the consumer wants to stay within, there are different colors and design options to choose from that complement any style of home.

Pitched Roofs

Residential roofing materials are usually pitched roofing material, since most homes have a slanted roof rather than a flat one, depending on the climate. The most common residential roofing material is composition shingles, which are composed of asphalt material, either organic or fiberglass. Asphalt residential roofing material usually costs from sixty to one hundred dollars per square, which is some of the cheapest on the market. There is also the option to use dimensional shingles which are thicker and provide a more custom appearance for the roof in addition to having a longer life, lasting up to forty years instead of twenty to thirty.

Residential roofing material for pitched roofs also includes tile or slate roofs, which are on the more expensive end of the spectrum. Slate roofs often run from six hundred to one thousand dollars, which is ten times the amount of asphalt roofs. However, both of these types of residential roofing materials last significantly longer than asphalt roofs and require less maintenance, with slate roofs lasting up to one hundred years or more.

Flat Roofs

Flat residential roofing materials are made for roofs that are of a three inch rise to twelve inch run or less. The one common residential roofing material between pitched and flat roofs is metal, which is very versatile. Metal roofing materials are of average cost, a little more than asphalt roofs but much less than slate. Metal roofing is also flexible in texture and look, offering standing seam which is the most common, but also tile and slate. This allows the consumer to create the look he wants without the cost of tile and slate. Metal roofs last up to fifty years and are also low maintenance, making them a great choice for any home.

In addition to metal, the most common and least expensive flat residential roofing materials are tar and gravel, modified bitumen and roll roofing materials. The first two are built-up roofs, meaning they use layers of materials to build the roof which is a messy process. Roll roofing material is a single layer of asphalt shingle mat, which is very inexpensive, but also only lasts for about ten years.

Metal roofing material is gaining popularity in residential roofing, rather than only being found in commercial settings. Part of the reason for this change is that metal roofing material has more options available in texture and types, varying from standing seam, which was so common in commercial settings, to tile and even shingle roofing material. Metal roofing material is also flexible in the types of roofs that it can be used on, since it can be used on any pitch of roof, commonly used as pitched or flat roofing material, and is lightweight compared to other materials, making it much easier to work with, especially on steep pitched roofs.

Options

Metal roofing material’s cost is slightly more expensive but nearer to the sixty to one hundred dollars per square for asphalt roofing material than the six hundred to one thousand per square cost for slate roofing material, which is the most expensive on the market. Although it is more expensive than asphalt roofing material, metal roofing material lasts longer than asphalt materials, often being under warrantee for up to fifty years.

Standing seam metal roofing material is the most commonly used, which connects the pieces side by side through hidden fasteners so that the entire roof looks like one piece of metal with ridges in it. Tile metal roofing material can be of many different earthy colors and textures according to the design of the house, masking itself as the more pittle and heavier tile that is sometimes used on pitched roofs. Shingle metal roofing material can come in any color and texture as well, even masking itself as cedar shake but without the fire hazard and need for fire-retardant treatment.

Metal roofing material can also be made of ‘cool metal’ which helps to deflect the sunlight in very hot climates, thus reducing the air conditioning bill for the consumer. In addition, it is usually made of up to twenty-five percent recycled metals, so it is more environmentally friendly than some of the other roofing materials. Metal roofing materials are also recyclable, so that a panel can be taken from one project and used on another, thus reducing waste and cost.

Metal roofing material can also come insulated, so that the two metal sheets are filled with a liquid foam insulation that expands until it fills all possible space and then hardens so that it becomes a solid piece. This provides a uniform insulation across the top of the roof, which is better than other types of insulation that is used which sometimes leaves air gaps, letting out heat in the winter.

Slate roofing contractors are the most specialized and difficult to find since slate roofs only compose about five percent of total new roofing projects today. As opposed to flat roofing contractors who mainly work on commercial projects, slate roofing contractors mainly work on residential buildings. Slate roofs are very long lasting, even though the slate itself can be very pittle to work with, thus requiring special care when installing it.

Slate Roofs

Slate roofing material is the most expensive on the market which makes it even more important to find a slate roofing contractor who is specialized in that type of installation. That way the roofing material is not wasted through careless peakage of the pittle slate. Slate roofing material costs from six hundred to one thousand dollars per square, which is about ten times the cost of composite roofing materials.

Slate roofing material, when properly installed by a slate roofing contractor, can last one hundred years or more with very little maintenance in between. The long life of the roof is part of what adds to the price of the materials. The installation price is also more expensive by the slate roofing contractor, which makes it even more important to be sure that the contractor is well qualified and has plenty of hands on experience with slate roofs.

Slate roofing contractors, in addition to their state license and being bonded by a surety company, should have a membership to a professional slate roofing organization. This type of organization provides education on all the latest slate products and techniques, and also provides assurance to individuals looking for a slate roofing contractor that the contractor has this education and can sometimes also provide references for the contractor. If the professional organization cannot provide references, the slate roofing contractor should be able to furnish a list for the individual to contact in order to see if they were satisfied with the cost, materials and workmanship of the roofing project.

In addition to these qualities, a slate roofing contractor should also have proof of insurance that an individual can examine to see if all workers for the duration of the project are covered by workman’s compensation should anything happen during the project. The contractor should also provide safety and educational training to his workman and an individual is wise to see how often that is done. There should also be on-site supervision during the duration of the project so that less skilled workers have oversight.

A flat roofing contractor has to be skilled in many different types of roofing materials as well as being able to be both a commercial and residential roofing contractor so that the roofs installed meet the appropriate specifications. A flat roof is defined as one that has a three inch rise to a twelve inch run or less, leaving it almost flat. A flat roof needs to have a little bit of a slope so that water does not pool and destroy the roofing materials and cause leaks to the building. With a little bit of a slope, water will run into the gutter or other drainage system and run off of the roof. Flat roofs are usually not used in high rain or show climates on residential buildings since they do not hold up as well as pitched roofs do in those conditions.

Types of Materials

Flat roofing contractors most often need to install built up roofs, such as tar and gravel or modified bitumen. These two types of roofs are very economical and last around fifteen years. They are messy to install since every layer of the roof has either tar or bitumen holding it together. Tar and gravel roofs use three to five layers of saturated felt which is layered with tar and asphalt. The top layer of the built-up roof is covered in a mineral and rock mixture so that it holds up to the elements better and can be walked on if necessary. Flat roofing contractors who install modified bitumen roofs layer polyester or fiberglass material and put bitumen in between layers.

Another inexpensive roofing material that flat roofing contractors must work with is roll roofing material. This material only holds up for about ten years since it is only laid in a single layer. It is made up of an asphalt shingle mat which is easy to install and not as messy as the previously mentioned built-up materials.

Flat roofing contractors also need to be able to install EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) rubber roofing material. This is also applied to the roof in a single layer over a rigid insulation making it easy to install as well. This rubber material is very durable so that it lasts longer than the built-up roofs and also provides limited UV protection which helps with energy costs in hotter climates. PVC mempane is also used by flat roofing contractors which is beneficial since it does not have seams that can let in water. It also reflects the sunlight which helps in hotter climates.

Another type of flat roofing material that is gaining popularity is metal roofing, which comes in a variety of different textures and styles. It is also the longest lasting of the roofing materials, many lasting up to fifty years before needing replacement.

Commercial roofing contractors often have to be specialized as a metal roofing contractor since many commercial buildings use metal roofing material. Metal roofing contractors have to be aware of the specific properties and types of metal roofing materials so that they can be properly installed on commercial buildings as well as residential ones. Metal roofing materials, when properly installed, can last up to fifty years, which is one of the longest types of roofs on the market today, especially for the price of the materials which is average for the market today.

Properties of Metal

Metal roofing contractors have an awareness of the lightweight nature of metal roofing material, which does not require as heavy of a framework to support the metal roof, whatever the style. In addition, they have an awareness of the various ways to attach the metal roofing material to each building, knowing that metal tends to expand and contract more than other types of roofing materials. Metal roofing contractors prefer metal roofing material because it is lightweight to move around, regardless of type and style, and it is also very durable and easy to fit together compared to more organic types of materials like tile or slate.

Metal roofing contractors also need to be aware of the different styles that are available in metal roofing material. There are many more styles today than there were ten years ago, when the main style of metal roofing was standing seam metal roofing material. Standing seam metal roofs have the squares placed side by side and fastened together with a hidden fastener so that the finished product looks like one solid piece of metal that has ridges in it. Today, metal roofing material can mimic almost any other style of roofing material, such as tile, slate, cedar shakes and other shingles. Since it imitates these different styles, there are also different ways to lay the roofing material, all of which a metal roofing contractor needs to be aware of.

Questions

Finding a reliable metal roofing contractor requires a little investigation beforehand. The metal roofing contractor should have a valid state license and should be bonded by a surety company. The contractor should also have insurance that covers all workers so that if there is an injury during the duration of the job it is covered by that insurance, rather than the homeowners insurance. One of the best ways to verify a metal roofing contractor is to ask for and call the references provided to see if the work was up to high quality standards.

Commercial roofing contractors have a lot of responsibilities that they have to take care of. Not only do they have to be aware of the roofing materials that are appropriate for different types of roofs, such as pitched and flat roofs, but they also have to know how to install these different materials and make sure that the roof gets finished according to the building codes that apply to that state, region and city. Finding the right commercial roofing contractor is extremely important and many questions should be asked and estimates obtained before deciding on one and beginning the project.

Questions to Ask

Commercial roofing contractors should all be state licensed and also bonded by a surety company. If a commercial roofing contractor does not have a license, the consumer should not ever consider that company for a commercial roofing project, since there is so much at stake in cost as well as the life of the roof. In addition, commercial roofing contractors should be part of a professional roofing organization that can help to vouch for the abilities of the company. Professional roofing organizations also help to keep the commercial roofing contractors up to date on the latest materials and techniques in commercial roofing, thus always continuing education.

Commercial roofing contractors should also have proof of roofing contractor insurance, of which an individual should be able to look at copies to verify that workers compensation is provided for all workers for the duration of the project so that the business or homeowners insurance is not used to pay for any accidents that might happen on the job. The individual must inspect the policy carefully to make sure that all workers are covered and not just the commercial roofing contractor.

Another question to ask a commercial roofing contractor is what type of safety training and education that is given to the workers under their supervision and how often. This is important because large projects have many workers on it and this training is imperative for the safety of all. The commercial roofing contractor should also be willing to provide a list of references that the individual can call to verify the experience that other people have had with that particular roofing company.

Finally, when the commercial roofing contractors are narrowed down to three or four, then the written estimates of the project should be obtained from all of the companies for comparison. These estimates should be very detailed, laying out all the materials needed, the length of time the project will take, who will be supervising and how many people will work on it, and the cost of the labor.

When a house or office building needs re-roofing, it is a huge undertaking that can provide a lot of unnecessary stress on the home or office owner. Since a new roof is only required in most cases every twenty to fifty years, having the name of a great roofing contractor on hand at all times is probably not the case for most individuals. There are different types of roofs on the market today, some of which were not an option when the original roof was put on the house or office, so the consumer now has more options to think about when re-roofing, whether to stick to the former roofing material or to change to a new one. If there is a change in material used, there is also the job of finding the appropriate contractor who is specialized in that type of roofing material, such as a metal roofing contractor.

Questions to Ask

There are several important questions to ask of a roofing contractor before even having the contractor come and do an estimate on the work to be completed. One of the first questions is whether the roofing contractor has a permanent place of business, which shows that it is an established company, rather than something that a contractor is trying to get off the ground or do as a side job. Another crucial question that goes along with this is whether the roofing contractor is state licensed and bonded by a surety company. This is very important and the information can usually be verified through the state.

Another important question to ask is whether the roofing contractor is affiliated with a roofing organization, which shows professionalism as well as the ability to stay informed about the latest roofing techniques and materials in the field. Since there are workers that work for the roofing contractor, it is also important to ask what type of safety training and education is done with the workers and how often. In addition, there should be clarity on what type of on-site supervision will be given over the workers and when there will be updates given to the individual on the status of the project.

In addition to these questions, the roofing contractor should also be able to give the individual proof of insurance, verifying that both he and his crew are insured for the duration of the job. The individual should ask to see copies of the plan to ensure that workers compensation is covered in the plan so that if there is an injury on the job, the individual does not get stuck paying the costs through his homeowner’s insurance plan.

One of the final questions before getting a written estimation of the work to be done is to ask what type of warrantee will be given for the new roof. There should always be a manufacturer’s warrantee for the materials and a contractor’s warrantee for the work that is done. That way the owner is covered for any type of problem with the roof.