When considering a new roof, asphalt shingles are a popular choice. In today’s market, there are many kinds of roofing shingles available, with various benefits for durability, energy efficiency, and appearance. Choosing the best roof shingles for your home can be overwhelming, with an array of factors influencing your decision based on your needs.
Today, we’re going over the best roofing materials for residential homes. We’ll address considerations for choosing a material, types of roofing, and how they compare to help determine the best roof shingles for your home.
Considerations for Selecting the Best Roof Shingles
It’s essential to consider the needs of your home and its environment when choosing a roofing material. Some things to keep in mind when shopping for shingles include:
- Appearance: Highly visible, the type of shingles used on your home will influence the overall aesthetics and style.
- Longevity: Certain materials used in roofing are more durable than others, and may increase the lifespan of your roof.
- Energy Cost: Different materials offer variable benefits for energy efficiency, choosing the right material for your energy use and climate may improve cost savings.
- Maintenance: Some materials require regular maintenance, like sealing and cleaning. If a low-maintenance roof is your goal, you’ll want to avoid high-maintenance materials.
- Performance: Your region, environment, and climate may affect the performance and longevity of your roof material. In areas with challenging conditions, it’s critical to opt for a roofing material that can withstand inclement weather and harsh environments.
Types of Roofing Shingles You Can Choose From
As a homeowner, investing in a new roof can be daunting. With many styles and options to choose from, our top choices for the best roof shingles are asphalt, metal, slate, and wood.
Asphalt Shingles
The most popular roof material option in North America, asphalt shingles are typically constructed from a fiberglass mat, covered in asphalt and ceramic particulate. Asphalt shingles are lightweight, affordable, and easy to install. There are four types of asphalt shingles: organic, fiberglass, 3-tab, and architectural.
Asphalt shingles provide varying levels of durability. While standard 3-tab shingles are incredibly cost-effective, they offer lower lifespans than multilayer architectural shingles. Architectural shingles have dimensional aesthetic qualities, but fiberglass and organic materials may increase fire resistance or eco-friendliness.
Metal Roofing
Metal roofing is increasingly popular among today’s homeowners for aesthetics and maintenance. Overall, metal shingles are one of the most comprehensive solutions, offering numerous benefits for various factors. Highly durable, metal shingles can last 40-70 years and feature resistance to fire and algae.
Able to reflect sunlight, metal roofing is energy efficient, keeping your home cool during summer months. Metal shingles can also withstand challenging weather conditions, such as heavy rain or snowfall without damage. Opting for metal roofing additionally increases aesthetic value, adding a sleek and modern look to your home.
Slate Shingles
Made of a natural stone, slate shingles are extremely long-lasting, and with the right maintenance can last up to 200 years with proper maintenance. Slate shingles are a high-quality material option. However, cost and weight are initial drawbacks to their advantages, and home roofs must be reinforced before installation.
These shingles provide exceptional weather resistance with built-in safety features for fire and wind uplift resistance. Slate shingles are stylish and elegant, with hybrid material options for more cost-effective roofing.
Wood Shingles
Wooden roofing takes the form of hand-split shakes and machined shingles. Typically made of redwood, pine, or cedar, wood shakes and shingles have a distinct appearance for a unique, rustic aesthetic. Wood roofing materials are long-lasting under the right conditions, with a longevity of 40-50 years.
This material is high-maintenance, as wood is susceptible to various kinds of damage. Prone to insect infestation and rot, wood shingles require regular cleaning and sealing. Wood roofs are also highly flammable and must be treated with fire-resistant coatings. Additionally, these roofs may not be compliant with building codes in regions that are likely to experience wildfires.
Comparing Roof Shingles Material to Suit Your Needs
Each roofing material offers advantages and disadvantages that may indicate a suitable choice for your home. Contrasting the options for best roof shingles, here’s how each material may perform against another:
- Asphalt: Asphalt is cost-effective, and popular, with some types lasting up to 30 years. There are four styles of asphalt shingles to choose from, 3-tab, architectural, fiberglass, and organic. Asphalt shingles are less durable than metal, more cost-effective than slate, and less maintenance than wood.
- Metal: Metal roofing is easy to maintain, provides safety benefits, and may last up to 70 years. Shingles made from metal materials also offer modern aesthetics and can withstand harsh weather, like intense rain or snowfall. This material is also energy-efficient, reflecting sunlight in warmer months for a cooler home. Metal shingles offer the best overall benefits for appearance, durability, performance, and maintenance.
- Slate: Shingles made from slate rock are extremely durable with a longevity of up to 200 years. However, slate shingles are expensive, heavy, and will require additional reinforcement of the roof for installation. Slate shingles enhance the overall appearance of your home and there may be more cost-effective hybrid material options that deliver similar benefits.
- Wood: The highest maintenance material option, wood roofing requires sealing, cleaning, and treatment to prevent fire, rot, and infestation. Wood shingles and shakes offer a distinctive, rustic quality for unique aesthetics, but may not be allowed in some regions due to wildfire conditions.
Consult a Licensed Contractor for Information on the Best Roof Shingles for You
There are many options for high-quality roofing in residential construction. Ultimately, the best roof shingles for your home will address considerations of cost, durability, lifespan, and climate. Whether your main concern is energy efficiency, cost savings or resale value, longevity, or style, there is a suitable roof material option that meets your requirements.
If you would like additional information on material options to determine the best roof shingles for your needs, contact a roofing contractor to go over your questions.
