Are you feeling overwhelmed by your roofing material choices? With all the different types of roofing materials available for your new home construction or home renovation project, determining which one is right for your needs can be downright confusing.
That said, some roofs are better suited to certain applications than others, so it helps to consider your specific needs before selecting a roofing material. If you are contemplating using wood shingles for your roof installation or replacement project, discover their various advantages below.
1. They Are A Popular Choice For Historic Homes
If you are looking to re-roof a historic house, there is a good chance it originally had a wood shingle roof. Using wood shingles for your roof replacement project will help preserve the historical significance of the property and increase its market value.
2. They Are Excellent Heat Insulators
Wood shingles are widely used in roofing projects because of their low thermal conductivity. In other words, wood boasts a higher heat-insulating capacity than other roofing materials, such as metal, asphalt, clay, and concrete.
When used in hot climate zones, wood roofing shingles can significantly reduce unwanted solar heat gain, saving energy and money by minimizing a home's cooling load.
3. They Come In Different Wood Species
Although cedar is the most popular choice of material for wood-shingled roofs, other wood species, such as oak, spruce, teak, treated pine, and wallaba, are available. Each species of wood has a unique color and grain pattern that will make your home stand out from the other properties in your area, guaranteeing increased home aesthetics.
4. They Are More Refined Than Wood Shakes
Wood shakes are hand-crafted, giving them a rough texture and inconsistent finish that shows across each shake and the entirety of the roof. On the other hand, wood shingles are shaved smooth at the edges to give them a uniform appearance that their close cousins cannot match.
As a result, wood shingle roofing looks neater and nicer than wood shake roofing overall.
While wood shingle roofing offers several advantages, it has its downsides. The upfront cost of a wood shake roof can be higher than other roofing options, such as asphalt and concrete tile. Plus, wood shingles have a low fire rating, and they may require a high level of maintenance to prevent damage from rot and biological growths such as mold, moss, and algae.
Contact a roofing contractor close to you to learn more about wood shingle roofing or to ask for a quote.
Very few roofers would say their job is easy. In fact, many describe the work as downright tough! But that does not mean that roofers do not enjoy or value the work that they do. Many workers get satisfaction from working with their hands, and they really enjoy creating a roof from simple materials. They also like the logistical challenges, such as figuring out how to get shingles up on a tall roof, or how to most safely repair a damage gutter. If you'd like to learn more about roofing as a profession, then you've arrived at the right blog.