Your Home Wants An Exciting Rooftop
You home doesn't have to wear a traditional roof. Other cultures have always used a variety of roofing materials that are now readily available on the American market. Extend your living space, keep your home cooler during the summer, and have a roof that rocks! Decide if one of these alternate roofs will better suit your needs or lifestyle.
Increase Your Living Space
There's nothing like sunbathing on your own private rooftop without anyone peering through a fence or hedge. Moreover, a garden roof can be as lovely as the rest of your property. Enjoy a potted plant garden with fragrant flowers or grow your own fruits and veggies.
Garden roofs are specially designed for the extra weight load of people, plants, and outdoor furniture. Not only are you extending the usable living space of your home, but you might find lower cooling costs in the summer.
Cheap, Fast, and Long Life
Do you need a roof right away but are short on funds? Galvanized steel roofing panels are the solution. They fit right over the existing roof so you avoid the extensive labor of tearing out and hauling off the old roofing materials. Recycled galvanized steel contains from 20 percent to 60 percent recycled material, according to the Atlantic Metal Roofing website, so you are helping the environment as well as your wallet.
Galvanized steel roofing panels are available in popular colors, including several shades of red, green, gray, and brown. They do not require maintenance and last up to a half-century. The panels are sold in different gauges for different applications so let a roofing contractor make the choice. He will consider the slope of your roof, whether it has to bear the weight of heavy winter snow, and other factors.
Upgrading a Traditional Roof
Ceramic tiles are a popular choice when upgrading roofing materials. Manufacturers make them in several colors and sizes. Lighter colors help to reflect heat away from the roof. They work best on roofs with a gentle slope.
Concrete roofing tiles have decorative patterns that range from simple to ornate. They are very efficient in hot and cold climates. There is a small air pocket between the sheathing and the concrete tile. This air pocket allows the tile to expand or contract as the weather changes. Concrete tiles are more durable than asphalt shingles.
Conclusion
If you plan to stay in your home for many years, then it pays to choose the type of roof that works best for your family's lifestyle. While a garden roof is most likely more expensive than a traditional roof, the benefits it offers last for the life of your home. At the opposite end of the spectrum, you might prefer one of the less expensive roofing materials if you plan to sell the house in the near future. Contact a roofing contractor for more information.