The Three Most Important Factors For A Roofing Material
If you are trying to decide on what to choose for your new roof material, you might be seeing a lot of products and materials that you didn't even know existed. That is, many brands have patented and trademarked names for the technologies and materials used in their shingles. These fancy names are really just marketing tools used to help sell shingles that are essentially made out of fiberglass, vinyl, polyurethane, laminate, or some other sort of synthetic material.
Obviously, companies will do their best to display the features of their specific product, but most professional roofers will tell you that they are all more or less the same. That is, when you are shopping for a new roof, the name of the product should really be the last thing you look at. This article explains what you should actually look at when it comes to determining the best roofing material for your upgrade.
R-Value
Every roofing shingle, no matter what it is named, will have an R-value. The R-value is a standard roofing insulation rating and should be one of the first things displayed on the packaging or website. This rating basically measures how quick heat transfers through the shingles. The slower the transfer, the better the insulation. A product with a high R-value will have a slow rate of heat transfer, making it meaning that it has better insulation (for hot and cold weather). Usually, the higher this value is, the thicker, and more expensive the shingles will be.
Wind Resistance
The next thing you should look at is the wind resistance. The wind resistance is simply rated in miles per hour. Even cheap asphalt tiles usually have a wind resistance of up to 60 mph. However, most heavy and hard tiles will have wind resistance well over 100 mph, so they can be installed even in regions where there is severe threat of severe storms.
Lifespan
Finally, you should look at the lifespan of the product. The lifespan rating will basically tell you when you will need to replace your roof material. In general, hard shelled shingles are going to last longer, while flexible asphalt products usually last less than 50 years.
As you can see, it doesn't really matter what your roofing material is called, or what fancy technologies it claims to have. It is more important that the product meets the standardized grades that determine long term performance needs of your climate region.
Speak with a commercial roofing company in your area to learn more.