Quotes From the California Energy Commission on Roofing Options

This is pretty much a cut-and-paste post from the website of the California Energy Commission, but we found it useful reading.

"What most homeowners desire is a roof that's not too expensive, requires no maintenance, and lasts forever. But most roofs are replaced - or at least repaired - every ten years. By carefully choosing your home's roofing material, you can reduce the cost of replacement. In the long run, you'll use less building material, fill up less landfill space with discarded material, and put less demand on our natural resources.

You can realize other environmental benefits from your roofing choices. If you select a light-colored surface or a material that doesn't absorb heat from the sun, you significantly reduce your home's cooling needs. When your attic stays cooler, your cooling bills go down….

Popular Roofing Materials

Here is a rundown on the most popular types of roofing. Remember that cost alone does not determine quality, and not all of these products will meet the needs of your home. But by carefully selecting the right material, making sure it's installed properly and performing modest maintenance occasionally, you can have a roof that functions properly for 20 to 50 years - or even longer.

Composition shingles are a good choice for a clean look at an affordable price. Higher-quality versions made from asphalt or fiberglass shingles offer a more durable option and may be available with recycled content. Composition shingles come in a large selection of types, brands and colors. Versatile, they adapt easily to different applications. They are relatively easy to install, and in some applications can be nailed in place over an existing roof. They require low maintenance and can be walked on without damaging the material. Most brands offer Class A fire protection.

On the negative side, composition shingles don't have the life span of other materials like tile or metal. They don't offer the dimensional look of tile or wood shakes, and they can blow off in high winds….

Metal roofs are coming back into vogue. In the late 1700s, zinc, copper, and lead were the most popular materials used for roofing - such famous historic buildings as the Washington Monument and Thomas Jefferson's Monticello have metal roofs.
Standing-seam steel roofing is the most popular residential metal roofing today. (The term standing-seam describes the upturned edge of one metal panel that connects it to adjacent sections, creating distinctive vertical lines and a trendy historical look.) But metal roofs can also be made to resemble wood shakes, clay tiles, shingles, and Victorian metal tiles. Aluminum or coated steel is formed into individual shingles or tiles, or into modular panels four feet long that mimic a row of shingles or tiles.

Metal roofs are durable, fire retardant and almost maintenance-free. They are also energy efficient; metal reflects heat and blocks its transfer into the attic. Research by the Florida Solar Energy Center in 1985 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.

Steel roofs offer other environmental benefits as well. They are made from between 60 percent to 65 percent recyclable material. Because they weigh very little, metal roofing can be installed over existing roofs, eliminating the need to dispose of excess material in a landfill….and the initial cost of a premium metal roof is higher than most other roofing materials."

Find out more about how metal roofs compare to other roofing types with a free copy of our handy booklet. Download a copy on our homepage.