If you want your roof to last long, you have to take extra precautions on the over all roof design, design material and cost-competitiveness. Ultimately the house with a strong roof covering has to its credit, good insulation, a strong base to resist unwelcome environmental hazards such as powerful hailstorms, rain, snow, etc. Hiring a roofing service expert such as Arko will also help as we are very knowledgeable with the Twin Cities Ever Changing Climate. Having said this, the roofing material you choose plays an important part in what roof will last the longest.
Roofing material that last the longest has these specifications for a continuing life span:
Shingles and Wood shakes : 15 to 20 years
Asphalt shingles: 10 to 30 years
Metal/ Steel: 50+years
Slate: 30+years
Tile: 30+years
An average roof will last 20 years and a properly maintained roof will last longer. A roof is by no means a small investment and the duration that the roof will last for are based on a number of climatic conditions. If a roof is exposed to extreme conditions such as powerful hailstorms, extreme temptures and even blizzards, a roof will not last as long as a roof in more average climates.
The longest lasting roofing material is slate with life expectancy of 150 years followed by clay and concrete at roughly 100 years. If you need your roof-top to last more than 100 years, a design incorporating slate will be the design you need to consider for your house. But there are certain downsides to this design as listed here:
Cost: The initial cost could run high with premium materials and labor. The materials provide value in the long run but initial costs could run high.
Weight: The weight of the construction materials could be high and would add to the cost of construction. Especially, slate which is nothing but stone weights considerably.
Aesthetics: Finally there is the question of aesthetics and the choice for color in using construction materials of concrete and clay. This would be limited with slate because the color is limited to shades of grey. This would portray a very dull finish to suburban homes with other homes in the suburbs donning very attractive and regal splendors.
So if your roofing materials are clay, slate or concrete, the choice of colors is limited even though the construction cost remains high. This might not be what your looking for! So you need to look at alternative options in roofing material. Here are some examples:
Asphalt shingles: Most of the houses in the Midwest have their roof constructed with asphalt shingles with products claiming life-expectancy of 50 years.
Architectural Asphalt: Higher quality asphalt with a life-span of 30 years.
Wood Shingles and Shakes: Wood maintenance is high but it will last for 30 years or more.
Metal Roofing: Is expected to last 40 to 80 years.
These are the general patterns for buying or deciding upon a roof-top for your house with the above mentioned factors playing a huge part in the life expectancy of your roof. It would be ideal to bring Arko in for suggestions.
Also Read: Easy Tips For Roof Maintenance in Minnesota
Also Read: Roof Water Damage: Prevention, Causes, and Solutions