You want new roofing on your home. That’s a great idea! A new roof has many benefits for a home, from increased value to greater energy efficiency. But before you start calling contractors to get a quote, it’s a good idea to decide what kind of roofing materials might be best for your home. Oregon roofing companies can offer advice, of course, but it’s always good to be informed. So, what are the best materials for Oregon roofing projects?
Why Get a New Roof?
If you’re still on the line about reroofing your home, don’t be: there are many fantastic benefits to having a new roof. The benefits include:
- Energy efficiency. Older roofs may have small holes that leak air, making it more expensive to keep your house heated in winter and cooled in summer. This means your HVAC system needs to use more energy for the desired result, which is not only bad for the environment, but also bad for your wallet.
- Improved value. New roofs have a very high return on investment when it comes to improving the market property value of a home. Not only will your home look nicer, making it easier to sell, but listing a recently repaired roof will give any would-be buyers confidence that they’re making a good purchase.
- Eliminating health hazards. An old roof could be harboring things like mildew or mold that, if left undetected and unchecked, can be health risks. Getting a new roof eliminates that problem.
- Newer technology. If your home’s roof is from the 1980s, it’s using materials and manufacturing processes that are over 30 years old. Roofing technology hasn’t changed as much as, say, computers, but it’s always an improvement to have the latest and greatest techniques.
- Peace of mind. If you’ve ever dealt with a leak, you know that even when it’s fixed, you dread it coming back. With a new roof, you know you have years before you need to worry about anything of the sort.
Whether you live around the country or in Oregon, roofing projects have a very high ROI.
But now we come to our original question: what are the best roofing materials for use in Oregon?
In general, there’s no one “best” roofing material. Instead, you should think of different options as suited for different climates and environments. Furthermore, another consideration is cost—do you really need the ultra-top-end materials when one that’s half as expensive might work 95 percent as well?
Different Roofing for Different Environments
The best type of roofing material ultimately depends on what the weather is like where you live. For instance, ceramic roofing tiles are excellent at dissipating heat and very resistant to salty air, which makes them great for houses in warm environments or homes built near the ocean. However, on their own, clay tiles are slightly water-permeable (though they typically are waterproofed), meaning they would be less suited for a very wet climate like Oregon’s.
Roofing in Oregon can be dramatically different depending on what part of the state you’re in. Most of the population of the state lives in the western part of Oregon, a temperate rainforest, and if you’ve lived in Oregon for even a short amount of time, you don’t need to be told that it’s very damp here. However, homes in eastern Oregon, with its dry climate, wouldn’t need similarly rain-resistant roofing.
One other weather consideration for homes in Oregon is fire risk. Unfortunately, climate change is making wildfires more dangerous, so while you want to obviously hope your home never is in the path of a fire, it must be something you should consider.
What Are the Best Oregon Roofing Materials?
Let’s look at some of the most common materials used for roofing here in Oregon (and around the country).
Asphalt Shingles
The most popular and most common roofing material in the USA, asphalt shingles are a safe bet to have on almost any home. Every roofing company will be familiar with how to install these shingles, and they strike a good balance between price, ease of use, and life span (about 15 to 25—don’t be fooled by the manufacturer’s “lifetime” label). An excellent default option for all environment types.
Wooden Roofing
Wooden shingles or shakes are beautiful, true, but they are difficult to maintain and few contractors still work with them, as the desire for cedar is minimal. A wood roof is vulnerable to fire and has a dramatically reduced life span in wet environments, both of which are present in Oregon. As gorgeous as a roof with wooden shingles can be, they’re not an optimal choice in this state, though they’re more feasible in the dryer eastern part of Oregon.
Metal Roofing
There are typically two main types of metal roofing materials suited for sloped roofs: standing-seam roofs, which have interlocking roofing panels made of steel or aluminum, and metal shingles, made from the same material but shaped like standard shingles. Metal roofing has a very long life span (upward of 50 years) and is highly resistant to heavy snowfall as well as fire.
The primary difference between standing-seam roofs and metal shingles is aesthetics. Some homeowners simply do not like the characteristic ridged appearance of standing-seam roofs. However, metal shingles are more expensive, and both types of metal roofs can be upward of three times as expensive as standard shingles. It might also be harder to find a company experienced with this installation.
Slate Roofing
The king of roofing materials, slate shingles can last decades if not centuries and make for truly beautiful roofs. However, it can be very difficult to find roofing installers who have experience working with slate. Moreover, saying something is the “king of roofing materials” also talks about its price: at a minimum, expect to pay 10 times for a slate roof what you’d pay for a normal asphalt roof, and the real price could be double or even triple that.
Do you want to know what material would be best for your new roof? Contact Interstate Roofing for a consultation.