When we’re designing our dream house or planning a renovation, choosing the right roofing shingle doesn’t seem all that important. After all, not many of us can say that they’ve given shingles a single thought during their life. Still, choosing the best product can make or break the appearance and durability of our roofs.
For those who aren’t experts on the topic and need to learn more in order to make an educated decision — fear not. In this article, we’ll talk about different properties of roofing shingles, and how to find one that fits our needs. So, without further ado, let’s see what are the most important factors to consider when choosing a roofing shingle.
1. The Weight of the Roofing Shingle
Even though most of us think that a heavy shingle is more reliable and durable — that’s only half true. Namely, we also have to acknowledge that the weight will be pushing down on the roof for years to come. Most roofs will only curve, while others might even crack under pressure and collapse into our homes.
Luckily, we can try to find the middle ground, and go with roofing shingles from asphalt, fiber cement, or ceramic. These shingles tend to be on the lighter side, but are still durable enough for most climates.
2. The Price of the Roofing Shingle
We have to ensure that we don’t go too crazy with roofing shingles and exceed our budget because of them. However, that doesn’t mean that we should go with the cheapest ones possible just to save some money.
The reason why is that our roof is in charge of keeping us warm, dry, and protected, so we shouldn’t skimp on it. Also, we need to remember that re-roofing a home can be incredibly expensive, so it’s best to do the job right the first time around. By spending a bit more money upfront, we won’t have to worry about the investment going to waste in a few years.
3. Are We Pleased With How It Looks?
We should try to find roofing shingles that complement our home and our own taste, in addition to their surroundings. Sure, beauty’s only skin deep, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a gorgeous roof that fits in with the rest of our home.
If we’re unsure whether the roofing shingles are a good match, we can always talk to a designer. However, that doesn’t mean we should let them talk us into choosing shingles that we don’t personally love. After all, we’ll be the ones that will have to live with the roof for the foreseeable future.
4. Do the Roofing Shingles Make Architectural Sense?
The look that best suits a certain home is typically determined by the home’s architecture style and how it was built. While this isn’t the most important factor by any means, it’s one we should consider nonetheless. Moreover, by taking the existing architecture into account, we’ll avoid having a house that looks like it was randomized on The Sims.
Additionally, some HOAs might even ask us to reinstall our roof shingles, if they think that they’re unsightly. To avoid any confusion, we should take a look at the surrounding homes, and maybe even ask for a professional’s help.
Final Thoughts
Roofing might seem like a necessary evil we must pay for when building our house. However, roofing shingles do allow us to have fun with the design process and insert our own personality into it.
That being said, finding and installing roofing shingles can easily turn into a logistical nightmare, if we don’t know what we’re doing. Sometimes, even after weeks of searching, we could end up regretting the ones we’ve chosen. So, it might be best to rely on the expertise of a team of professional contractors to help us out.
Tadlock Roofing has been helping homeowners create roofs for decades. Call Tadlock Roofing today to schedule a consultation, and start building the most durable, best-looking roof on the block.
