Your roof is one of the most important parts of your home. It protects the structure of your house as well as everything in it. Your roof must stand up to the harshest environments, with temperatures generally ranging from 120 degrees in the summer to below freezing in the winter.
There is a lot to know about which roofing and siding products to use that best meet your home’s specific needs. RA Building & Design’s representatives are knowledgeable in all major brands of roofing and siding materials and the proper installation of them for maximum reliability.
We supply and install all types of roofing, siding, and waterproofing materials including vinyl, wood and fiber cement siding. The materials used are all backed by a manufacturer’s extended warranty.
You can rely on RA Building & Design to provide expert advice about roofing and siding products. Different types of roofing materials have different life spans and varying costs, but proper maintenance on any type of roof helps extend the life and protect your home from moisture and insect damage. Take your time to ask questions and explore the possibilities. You will be surprised at how many cost effective options are available.
Shingle Roofing products are the most common roofing materials used today and is also the most affordable. They are easy to install and durable. Generally known as composition shingles, higher-quality versions such as asphalt shingles, wood shingles, cedar shingles and fiberglass shingles are also available and provide a durable option; some may be available with recycled content. An average asphalt shingle roof will last about 20 years with proper maintenance. These shingles are easy to install as they can be nailed on quickly and provide a low-maintenance set-up for busy homeowners. Most are approved with a Class A fire proof standard. However, the downside to this is that it is weak against strong winds and can be blown off. Also, material can deteriorate when the weather is hot and does not give the dimensional look provided by roofing types like tile or shake roofing.
Brown asphalt shingles Black asphalt shingles Green asphalt shingles
Slate shingles are made of natural stone that is hand quarried, hand split and hand dressed. They are rocky in appearance and an expensive choice, but valuable it that it offers a very natural look and can be laid out in a variety of patterns. Slate roofs can last 75 to 100 years and have an old world charm that looks better and better with age. Slate roofing is very durable and generally shows up on more upscale homes. Slate roofing materials have a very long lifespan, good fire protection, low maintenance, and an invulnerably to rot and insects. It comes in a decent selection of sizes and colors, though it is limited due to its hard, earthy, and rugged properties.The downside is that it is heavy and extra supports are recommended. Installations will be tough for contractors along with tasks such as rooftop maintenance, gutter cleaning and painting.
Gray slate tiles Colored slate tiles
Tile Roofing is a durable type of roofing material. Common tile roofing materials are clay tile and concrete tile. Clay tile roofing is beautiful and adds a southwestern, Italian, or Spanish style to your home. They also last a long time, are immune to fire, require little maintenance, and are manufactured in a variety of colors, types, styles and brands. Unfortunately they are heavy and once again will require extra supports to keep them in place. In addition, they are fragile and add difficulty to the routine maintenance procedures like painting or cleaning rain gutters or fireplaces. Initial installation can be regarded as the toughest among the other types of roofing materials and can be quite expensive. Another alternative to these is concrete tile. Some are coated with plastics, enamels, thin metals, and some contain recycled material to provide a range of durability and weight.
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Tile Roofing
Wood Shingles are smooth whereas Wood Shakes are more rustic, rough-hewn. Wood shingles and Shakes add lots of character to a home and add a natural beauty to your roof. Due to the individual characteristics of wood, there will never be two identical shake roofing. Thus, it keeps its personality and individuality of the home and creates something more elegant. Not only does it look stunning, energy benefits are available too as it helps to insulate the attic, and it allows the house to breathe. This type of roofing can circulate air through the small ridges and openings under the felt rows on which wooden shingles are laid.However, wood shake roofing must be properly maintained and will not last as long as other products. The major downfall and problems are mold, rot, and insects. Using preservative-treated or naturally durable wood for shingles should result in a roof free of decay for 25 to 30 years. But proper maintenance is key for maintaining the longevity of a wood roof and should be periodically checked for the growth of moss and lichens in moist areas. Also proper treatment of your wood shingles and shakes can help with the life of your roof. One disadvantage to this type of roofing materials is the flammability factor. If you live in a wooded area, although the style may be perfect the increased risk of fire is not worth it and in some cases against code of local ordinances. Wood shake roofing are extremely hard to install, as parts and pieces must be fabricated in perfect measurements to fit the consumers’ home.
Wood shakes Wood shingles
Metal Roofs made from zinc, copper, and lead were the most popular materials used for roofing, with standing-seam steel being the most popular type of metal roofing. It is versatile and can be made to mimic and resemble wood shakes, clay tiles, shingles, and metal tiles. Metal roofing is durable, fire retardant and almost maintenance-free. Research showed that “metal absorbed 34 percent less heat than asphalt shingles, and homeowners switching to metal roofing reported saving up to 20 percent on their energy bills” — courtesy of The Florida Solar Energy Center in 1985. Metal roofing is lightweight, and can be installed over your existing roofs, thus saving the environment by eliminating the need to remove the old roofing. Metal roofing is not inexpensive and contends with the more expensive roofing materials available. A professional contractor is needed to install this type of roofing material as it can be complicated and require fabrication.
Metal roofing comes in a variety of styles and colors.
