| Your roof is a great opportunity to make a dramatic | | | | and will age to a beautiful gray, given the right |
| statement to the world. This colorful creation is going | | | | environmental conditions. However, it is prone to |
| to sit atop a unique, custom home, and no matter | | | | moss and mildew, and the shingles have been known |
| what material you choose it's going to look awesome. | | | | to curl. To combat their inherent vulnerabilities, many |
| There are more choices on the market today than | | | | brands are treated to prevent mildew, and others |
| ever before, and an extra investment will probably | | | | are treated for fire retardancy. The average life |
| make a bigger impact here than elsewhere in your | | | | expectancy is about 25-30 years and could cost |
| home. Even asphalt shingles have taken on a new | | | | $400-500 per 100 square feet. |
| personality. Here are some varieties modern | | | | Concrete Tiles: You'll find a lot of concrete roofs in |
| technology has made available to us (my cost | | | | Europe. Needless to say, they are incredibly durable |
| estimates are very broad, and only meant for | | | | and fire-resistant, and because concrete takes stain |
| comparison's sake). | | | | so well, you can find it in up to 50 colors. Of course, |
| Asphalt (or Composition) Shingles: (also known as | | | | this is a hefty solution for a hefty home: figure out |
| three-tab shingles) The most commonly used | | | | about 1000 pounds per 100 square feet. Concrete |
| shingles, these are made from a mixture of asphalt | | | | roof tiles come in several profiles, and have a life |
| and fiberglass. The ceramic granules protect the | | | | expectancy of about 80 years and can cost around |
| asphalt from the sun's UV rays. We tend to buy | | | | $200-400 per 100 square feet. There will be extra |
| them according to life expectancy, which starts at 15 | | | | expense for beefing up the rafter system to support |
| years for the thinnest shingles, 25-30 years for the | | | | the weight. |
| next level. Their lifetime depends on the environment | | | | Clay Tiles: When you mention clay tiles, most of us |
| and how well the roof is vented. This roof will cost | | | | think of the half-round shapes on Spanish Mission |
| around $50-$150 per 100 square feet. | | | | buildings. Think no more! Clay tiles are flat, |
| Laminated Fiberglass Shingles: Also called architectural | | | | interlocking, rectangular, slabs... and of course |
| or dimensional shingles, this shingle is still made from a | | | | barrel-shaped. You can get them in solid colors or |
| mixture of asphalt and fiberglass, but is built much | | | | blends, textured or smooth. Figure about 1000 |
| thicker, giving it a more three-dimensional look. | | | | pounds per 100 square feet. They have a life |
| Architectural shingles make the roof look more | | | | expectancy of about 50 years, and can cost |
| textured, are larger than a standard shingle, and | | | | $400-$500 per 100 square feet. |
| come in an amazing variety of shapes. They are | | | | Slate: Complex, durable, and beautiful, slate has a life |
| usually guaranteed for 40 years and could easily cost | | | | expectancy of 60 -125 years, and more. Your |
| twice as much as standard asphalt shingles. | | | | standard slate is about 1/4" thick. The slates are |
| Metal Roof: Metal is one of the more sought-after | | | | overlapped so that the bottom edge of the slate is |
| roofing materials for log homes. Usually made of | | | | actually covering two additional layers, and less than |
| steel, aluminum or copper, the most commonly | | | | half of the slate is exposed. This standard thickness |
| discussed metal roof is the standing seam - | | | | will weigh about 750 pounds per 100 square feet. |
| sometimes called vertical panel - roof. You can also | | | | Modern variations of slate roofs are: Rubber Slate |
| get metal shingles that resemble cedar shakes, slate, | | | | (post-industrial waste) and Engineered Slate (marble |
| or tile. There are several advantages to using a metal | | | | dust and polyester resins). A real slate roof can cost |
| roof, not the least of which is its fire resistance. | | | | up to $1000 per 100 square feet installed. |
| These roofs are also remarkably lightweight, and | | | | One of the things I've noticed over the years is that |
| stand up to hurricane-force winds. This roof will | | | | lighter colored asphalt shingles have a tendency to |
| generally cost about $100-$600 per 100 square feet | | | | streak as rainwater washes down the roof. Even my |
| (very big range of materials and composition). Life | | | | dark green roof is streaking in one spot, although the |
| expectancy is anywhere from 30-50 years up to 100 | | | | green masks the darker stain. Before you decide on |
| years. | | | | a color, do yourself a favor and drive around the |
| Cedar Shakes and Shingles: The difference between | | | | neighborhood; look for other houses with similar |
| a Cedar Shake and a Shingle is that, generally, the | | | | shades. Then you can make a decision as to what's |
| shingle is sawn on both sides and the shake is | | | | more important: how your roof will reflect or absorb |
| hand-split on one (or both) sides. The shake tends to | | | | the heat, or which one looks better over the years. |
| be thicker. Cedar looks picture-perfect when installed, | | | | |