Know your options when it comes to shingles and roofing materials for your New Jersey home

If you’re a New Jersey homeowner considering a new roof, it’s important to understand your options in roofing materials. People have been covering the tops of their dwellings with all kinds of materials for thousands of years, from thatch to bark to iron to cedar shingles. Now the type of material a person might use for their roofs can largely depend on their esthetic qualities, how well they insulate the house and their cost.

Roof materials most frequently used are:

Asphalt

This roof material is actually roofing felt that’s been impregnated with asphalt, then covered with a coat of granulated minerals. More modern shingles have a fire and weather resistant fiberglass base. Asphalt roofing needs very little maintenance through the fist years after its installation, but then asphalt shingles become notorious for curling, cracking and even melting in the hot sun. These shingles therefore do much better in cool weather climates. Asphalt roofs are also not very energy efficient. However, they can last 30 years if they’re well maintained and the shingles are easy to repair.

Wood Shingles or Shakes

The difference between shingles and shakes is that shingles are uniform and look machine cut and shakes are more rustic and go well with country homes. However, they need to be treated to be fire resistant and to resist rotting and splitting. Both of them eventually weather to a soft, silvery gray that lots of homeowners find pleasing, but they’re both expensive. Shakes, however, may be worth the cost over time, as they can last up to 50 years. Shingles can last up to 20. Both are easy to repair and replace.

Clay or Slate Tiles

These roofing materials can last as long as the house does, or longer, but they’re both heavy and expensive. They’re also challenging to repair and replace if they crack or chip. Slate is a bit easier to repair, but the worker must be careful when going up on a slate roof. The stone is slippery and even walking on it can crack it. However, slate and clay make up for their drawbacks by being fireproof.

Metal

Metal roofs can be attractive on certain kinds of homes. They can be made of copper, corrugated aluminum, or steel. All but copper can be painted and copper soon fades to a verdigris color that many building owners also enjoy. All metal roofs are extremely durable and can last for decades if they’re installed and maintained properly. The trick is they must be flashed and fastened with the same type of metal or an electrolytic reaction will cause the metal to corrode. Painted roofs also need touch ups once in a while. A metal roof that’s painted with a pigment with a high reflectivity can save a homeowner money in terms of energy bills.

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