What Makes Residential Roofs Stand Apart

When it comes to residential roofs some quite different standards apply from the general commercial roofing. This happens mostly because the budgets are typically more tight, the tastes vary quite a lot and that the post installation maintenance will be minimal.

To cut costs many residential roofs are made in the DYI fashion. This is something that I do not recommend. Residential roofs should be made by professionals. There are many ways to get the things wrong and an inexperienced roofing amateur can easily spell disaster.

A residential roof should also be made with good thermal insulation in mind, especially when it comes to metal roofs. Preserving heat can prove to be very cost effective in the long run, but I must stress that this is not more important than proper ventilation. If the air stays in there for too long condensation will occur which quite literally can ruin a roof. I still see tile and slate roofs as the best choices for a residential roof. This is because these roofs can last with minimal maintenance for a very long period. The problem with these though is the fact that they will cost more and also the fact that they are more difficult to install. Even roofing contractors can get it wrong and finding the appropriate professional can be a quite time consuming task.

When it comes to flashing work I recommend for those DYI fans to use aluminium. It is much more easy to work with it as it bends quite easily and it also provides quite a good protection as it won't rust. The flashing work is not exactly very difficult, but requires attention to details as a poorly made job can ruin a roof. Of course other alternatives can still be found such as plastic, but I found these to have a rather limited time span, so I still recommend to use galvanized metal for flashing jobs.

If you are looking for a temporary solution (and by temporary I mean something that will last about 20 years) you can safely use the cheaper solutions, but I would still recommend the use of a roof contractor. There are many brand new technologies out there that claim to have a lot of endurance and quality at a low cost. Only time can really prove if these technologies can deliver these promises. You can try them of course, but you may get some nasty surprises in the long run. You have been warned.

What bothers me most about today's roofs is the fact that they have a small warranty. Twenty years might seem a long time, but compare that to the two centuries that some of the really old roofs have withstood and you will get a sense of proportion. I strongly disagree with disposable, cheap roofs. A roof should stand for generations even with minimal maintenance. Solid wood and slate roofs are still the best choice available at least for the low end of the market, so if you really want a good roof I recommend them.

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