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By: Steven Briesemeister

As hurricanes and tornados wreck our communities around the United States, the demand for roofing materials skyrocket; factor that in with the slowing economy that is increasing our gas and fuel charges; it’s no wonder that the price of roofing materials continue to go up.  Fortunately, there are roofing materials out on the market that offer the homeowner lasting results without causing bankruptcy.

One roofing material that has been around for decades that has proven to be a favorite for many is asphalt shingles.  This popular shingle is used on 90% of all residential roofs; it’s inexpensive and offers a great lifetime guarantee of 15 to 25 years.  The more popular dimensional shingle is a little more expensive, but gives the roof a 3D look, adding style and uniqueness to the old grandma style asphalt shingle.  Dimensional asphalt shingles are available in many colors and because of their unique installation method, usually last about fifteen years longer than traditional asphalt roofing materials.  Asphalt shingles are very durable because they are reinforced with wood fibers and fiberglass.  There are few downsides to asphalt shingles, the most common is weathering.  After a certain amount of time, even the most beautiful of asphalt shingles start to look worn down and old. 

Another inexpensive roofing material that is used is wood shingles or shakes.  Wood shakes are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, it gives the homeowner a custom look that many crave and want.  The average cost of wood shakes is about $4 per square foot.  Compared to asphalt shingles, they are a little more expensive, but the look and style of a home with wood shakes used for roofing materials is second to none.  Unfortunately, wood shingles do need to be pre-treated in order to preserve its appearance and durability, even with preservatives; the average wood shake roof only last about fifteen to twenty years.  Another negative associated with wood shakes is maintenance, bug and rodent proofing, and fire proofing.  Although, there are coatings available for all the previous mentioned, the coatings tend to strip away the life of the wood shake.

When you compare longevity with costs, the best roofing material to go with is the concrete shingle.  The overall costs are only around $3 per square foot.  Concrete shingles are very aesthetically pleasing to the eye and can even be purchased to resemble slate and clay; a more expensive type of tile roofing material.   The most important factor when using this type of roofing material is to make sure your contractor is experienced with installing concrete tiles.  Although, these tiles are long-lasting and offer the homeowner little costs and maintenance in the long-run; if a leak occurs because of poor workmanship; it’s hard to locate and can sometimes be a disaster.  As well, it’s important to be aware that concrete tiles are heavy and checking with a architect or building engineer prior to installation may not be a bad idea; you want to make sure your home is structurally able to hold a concrete roof.

For roof shingles that are beautiful, durable and reasonbly priced, please visit the site of Owens Corning at http://www.owenscorning.com

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