Types of Roofs for Your Charlotte Home
Zimmerman Enterprises, a Charlotte roofing contractor services all of the Charlotte area. Zimmerman Enterprises takes pride in being able to provide its customers with the best roofing products, quality workmanship and a warranty all at reasonable prices.
What most Charlotte 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.
Metal Roofs
Metal roofs are coming back into style. 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. 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. Metal roofs absorb 34 percent less heat than asphalt shingles, and homeowners switching to metal roofing reported saving up to 20 percent on their energy bills.
Shingle Roofs
Asphalt shingles come in two basic types: glass fiber and organic. Organic shingles consist of an organic felt material which is generally paper saturated with asphalt to make it waterproof. A top coating of adhesive asphalt is then applied and the ceramic granules are then embedded. Organic shingles contain around 40% more asphalt per square (100 sq. ft.) than their glass fiber counterpart which makes them weigh more and gives them excellent durability and blow-off resistance.
Glass fiber shingles have a glass fiber reinforcing mat manufactured to the shape of the shingle. This mat is then coated with asphalt which contains mineral fillers. The glass fiber mat is not waterproof by itself. Its purpose is for reinforcement. What makes the glass fiber shingle waterproof is the asphalt. However, the asphalt itself will not stick to the mat. For this reason, "fillers" are used. The fillers in the asphalt cling to the glass fibers in the mat. The asphalt then encapsulates the glass fibers, fills all of the little holes and voids in the mat rendering it waterproof. After this cools a bit, adhesive asphalt is used to cover the mat and the ceramic granules are then embedded.
The ceramic granules are there for two reasons. The primary reason is to protect the shingles from the sun. The sun's UV rays are very damaging to asphalt and cause it to deteriorate prematurely. This is one of the same reasons that gravel is used on built-up roofs. The second and more obvious reason for the granules is aesthetics. Asphalt shingles are available in a wide variety of colors to match almost any facade or landscape.
State Roofing
Tile and slate roofing is very heavy, sometimes requiring structural reinforcement. Slate roofs last much longer than asphalt shingle roofs. Depending on the slate's quality, the roof may last 50 years or more. Slate does cost a lot more initially, and because it is brittle, may require more repairs over time.
Slate roofs last much longer than asphalt shingle roofs, though not forever. Depending on the quality of the slate, the roof may last 50 years or more. Slate does cost a lot more initially, and because it is brittle, may require more repairs over time. There aren't a lot of people skilled in slate repair work, so it can sometimes be a problem to get repairs done.
Among those that opt for slate, most do so because it is perceived to be a higher-end product. Among new Charlotte homes, you're only likely to see it on the most expensive. If you already have slate, you're usually better off repairing it rather than replacing it.
Whatever roofing material you want, Zimmerman Enterprises can help you with your roofing project. We specialize in shingle, metal, and slate roofing and are committed to creating the best experience for our clients.