Roofing matrerial ; a discussion .

[adamjones]

I have read with interest John in LA's post and responses concerning roofing .

In our street here in suburban South Eastern Australia there is only one house that has a shingled roof , I know of one other within 20km . They are a rarity here .
Both of these are asphalt shingles , many years ago there was one other that had cedar shingles but that was reroofed decades past .

We don't have snow here and rarely if ever does water ice up , I can recall only a few instances during my childhood in the early sixties .
Steel roofs are almost the norm , especially in rural areas , that and terracotta tiles of the Marseille pattern .

I have never understood the popularity of shingles , they do look good without doubt , but seem to need replacement and major maintenance more often than most .
Is it a cultural or historic preference , or do shingles work best in colder , snow prone climates ?
Recently a tree fell on the roof of my hobby farm's house , the sheets of Custom Orb corrugated zincalum roofing that were damaged by the impact were in outstanding condition . I fitted them 31 years ago , they looked new , I used the best of the undamaged pieces to build a new woodshed .

I can't see the logic , besides aesthetics , for using roof material like shingles instead of steel sheets am I missing something obvious ?

This post was edited by Charles in Aus. on 09/17/2023 at 03:22 am.

Does anyone with building experience have advice on roofing materials? I'm firmly against tar shingles and will be looking to collect water off the roof. What material is best in terms of minimal toxins added to the water? Thanks in advance!

 

[Loosehandle]

I have read with interest John in LA's post and responses concerning roofing .

In our street here in suburban South Eastern Australia there is only one house that has a shingled roof , I know of one other within 20km . They are a rarity here .
Both of these are asphalt shingles , many years ago there was one other that had cedar shingles but that was reroofed decades past .

We don't have snow here and rarely if ever does water ice up , I can recall only a few instances during my childhood in the early sixties .
Steel roofs are almost the norm , especially in rural areas , that and terracotta tiles of the Marseille pattern .

I have never understood the popularity of shingles , they do look good without doubt , but seem to need replacement and major maintenance more often than most .
Is it a cultural or historic preference , or do shingles work best in colder , snow prone climates ?
Recently a tree fell on the roof of my hobby farm's house , the sheets of Custom Orb corrugated zincalum roofing that were damaged by the impact were in outstanding condition . I fitted them 31 years ago , they looked new , I used the best of the undamaged pieces to build a new woodshed .

I can't see the logic , besides aesthetics , for using shingles instead of steel sheets am I missing something obvious ?

This post was edited by Charles in Aus. on 09/17/2023 at 03:22 am.

Im going with steel soon, the new shingles dont last like the ones from the 50s that were asbestos...

 

[Gambles]

I have Edco (brand name) steel shingles on my house. I won’t link the company, but you can Google them if you wish. They interlock with interconnecting lips and they are fastened down with screws. They look like regular shingles, not sheets of tin that other steel roofing looks like. They replaced some 20 year old asphalt shingles that were destroyed by a hail storm last September. I doubt hail will destroy these, but if it happens, heaven help us all. House insurance was cut 15% after the installation of these. BTW, my brother lives about a mile from me. This same hail storm took out the asphalt shingles on his house…premium shingles that were installed exactly two week’s previous.

 

[Duner Wi]

I like standing seam ridge roof.

 

[Texasmark]

I had a new roof put on my house a couple of years ago. Was a toss up as to the type.....I opted for a 35 year fiberglass, reinforced, asphalt shingles with granite grit over steel as I'm 82 and no way do I want to be around when its time to replace it. I built the house in 1979 so when I croak, it will probably get dozed into a pile of rubble and hauled off and going with steel was just a waste of money......better, more productive uses for that.

 

[DanielW]

Steel all the way in my opinion (if you plan on owning the house for more than 15 (years). If using conventional steel with exposed fasteners, make sure you get the screws that have the rubber washer captured under a domed steel washer. Some companies sell roofing screws with a flat face on the steel washer - they leave the washer more exposed to the sun and sometimes 'squish' the washer out from under them. You want to avoid those. I didn't realize anyone still sold them until I bought some barn steel recently and it came with them. Luckily my local hardware store sold the better screws in the same colour.

Or if you really want to get the best, go with aluminum shingles. I have them on a house (they were on it when I bought it). No exposed seams, no rust, and a shingle look. The perfect roof in my opinion. But they're quite pricey.

 

[moresmoke]

I like standing seam ridge roof.

X2 if you can swing the cost of it. Would’ve done it on my house except there were too many peaks and valleys to cut around.

 

[MarkB_MI]

Fiberglass shingles are a reasonable compromise between appearance, cost and life. The old three-tab shingles are nearly obsolete, with most homeowners and contractors preferring the more expensive 'architectural' shingles. The architectural shingles look good, last 30 to 40 years, and are much easier to install than three-tab. Any fool can slap down architectural shingles and have them look good, while you have to be pretty fussy with three-tab.

Forty or fifty years ago shake shingles were quite popular in some places. But they have very poor fire resistance and insurance companies don't like to insure homes with shakes. It's been a long time since I saw a new house with shake shingles.

For appearance, durability and fire resistance, I don't think you can beat a tile roof. But they're quite expensive. They're mandatory in many fire-prone areas.

Which brings us to steel roofs. Personally, I don't care for their appearance, unless you're talking about the steel roofing materials that look like shingles. But if you prefer steel and you don't have an HOA that forbids them, that's your business. I will point out that steep steel roofs can be dangerous to walk on; my brother was seriously injured when he slid off a steel building he was erecting.

 

[Texasmark]

Fiberglass shingles are a reasonable compromise between appearance, cost and life. The old three-tab shingles are nearly obsolete, with most homeowners and contractors preferring the more expensive 'architectural' shingles. The architectural shingles look good, last 30 to 40 years, and are much easier to install than three-tab. Any fool can slap down architectural shingles and have them look good, while you have to be pretty fussy with three-tab.

Forty or fifty years ago shake shingles were quite popular in some places. But they have very poor fire resistance and insurance companies don't like to insure homes with shakes. It's been a long time since I saw a new house with shake shingles.

For appearance, durability and fire resistance, I don't think you can beat a tile roof. But they're quite expensive. They're mandatory in many fire-prone areas.

Which brings us to steel roofs. Personally, I don't care for their appearance, unless you're talking about the steel roofing materials that look like shingles. But if you prefer steel and you don't have an HOA that forbids them, that's your business. I will point out that steep steel roofs can be dangerous to walk on; my brother was seriously injured when he slid off a steel building he was erecting.

The reason I went with "architectural" shingles (designed to look like the irregularities of "cedar shakes") is that not only do they look like "cedar shake" roofs, they are thicker than 3 tabs and seem to hold better without tabs flying off with the high winds we sometimes have around here. Difference was a warranted 30 year vs 35 year roof. On having fiberglass reinforcement, I had asphalt without it and as it became available it does make a difference in tabs staying attached in high wind conditions (my observations).

I was going to buy a new tract house decades ago and the builder was only using cedar shakes. Upon looking at the roofs of partially finished houses the roof consisted of wood slats spaced about a slat apart.....free space then wood then free space.....onto which a base coat of wood shingles would go, flat in texture, then the top coat with a grooved (for looks) surface....and were pretty. Absolutely NO underlayment to ensure that water wouldn't enter.

I was told that it has to rain for them to swell and then they would seal the roof. I had absolutely no use for that moronistic idea and left the sub-division to find a home elsewhere with a roof that was guaranteed not to leak......and was pretty much fire proof.....which the wood shingles weren't and were finally banned by cities around here for that reason.

 

[MarkB_MI]

The reason I went with "architectural" shingles (designed to look like the irregularities of "cedar shakes") is that not only do they look like "cedar shake" roofs, they are thicker than 3 tabs and seem to hold better without tabs flying off with the high winds we sometimes have around here. Difference was a warranted 30 year vs 35 year roof. On having fiberglass reinforcement, I had asphalt without it and as it became available it does make a difference in tabs staying attached in high wind conditions (my observations).

I was going to buy a new tract house decades ago and the builder was only using cedar shakes. Upon looking at the roofs of partially finished houses the roof consisted of wood slats spaced about a slat apart.....free space then wood then free space.....onto which a base coat of wood shingles would go, flat in texture, then the top coat with a grooved (for looks) surface....and were pretty. Absolutely NO underlayment to ensure that water wouldn't enter.

I was told that it has to rain for them to swell and then they would seal the roof. I had absolutely no use for that moronistic idea and left the sub-division to find a home elsewhere with a roof that was guaranteed not to leak......and was pretty much fire proof.....which the wood shingles weren't and were finally banned by cities around here for that reason.

...they are thicker than 3 tabs and seem to hold better without tabs flying off with the high winds we sometimes have around here.

I believe the number one reason for shingles blowing off is improper nailing, and three-tab shingles are pretty fussy about where you nail them. Nail too high and you miss the shingle underneath the one you're nailing. Nail on the glue line and it interferes with the glue. And of course if the nail is too low on the shingle the nail is exposed, so roofers tend to nail too high.

 

[showcrop]

Too bad there is so much oversimplification here.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I pretty much agree with showcrop.

People say a metal roof will last a lifetime.
I say bull at least in my area.
Yes the metal panel may last a lifetime but the roof will not.
To get even close to a lifetime metal roof you need to get no exposed screws.
And then the cost gets to much to justify it.

A regular R panel will leak over time no if ands or buts about it.
If you put the screw in the flat the screw washer will wear out.
And a R panel does not have a big or flat enough rib to install the screw on top the rib properly.

And I do not care what kind of metal roof you have.
Metal sweats in a humid climate.
Nothing you can do about it.

The best roof for my area is slate.
But no one wants to pay for it so asphalt shingles is a tried and proven cheaper alternative.

John,
Do you remember I posted an article where a jail in Sullivan Co had over $500K mold issues because the metal roof ?
Metal roofs costs about 2x more.
Some places are claiming asphalt shingles have a lifetime warranty.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Fiberglass shingles are a reasonable compromise between appearance, cost and life. The old three-tab shingles are nearly obsolete, with most homeowners and contractors preferring the more expensive 'architectural' shingles. The architectural shingles look good, last 30 to 40 years, and are much easier to install than three-tab. Any fool can slap down architectural shingles and have them look good, while you have to be pretty fussy with three-tab.

Forty or fifty years ago shake shingles were quite popular in some places. But they have very poor fire resistance and insurance companies don't like to insure homes with shakes. It's been a long time since I saw a new house with shake shingles.

For appearance, durability and fire resistance, I don't think you can beat a tile roof. But they're quite expensive. They're mandatory in many fire-prone areas.

Which brings us to steel roofs. Personally, I don't care for their appearance, unless you're talking about the steel roofing materials that look like shingles. But if you prefer steel and you don't have an HOA that forbids them, that's your business. I will point out that steep steel roofs can be dangerous to walk on; my brother was seriously injured when he slid off a steel building he was erecting.

Mark,
I have 3 in one shingles on 3 different properties courtesy of the hail storm of 1998.
I'm praying for a good hail storm VERY soon.
Estimated cost to do peal off replacement is almost $500 a square, (100 SQ ft)

 

[WIFarmKid]

Here in Wisconsin steel roofs are becoming much more common, they are cheaper in the long run but not in upfront cost. At Menards right now, a square (100 sq feet) of asphalt shingles is about $30, while a square of exposed fastener steel is about $100. Most houses here are still shingle, any barns/sheds/commercial buildings are steel. And you will hardly find an Amish homestead that has anything but steel roofs (usually green or blue), they don't use shingles.

A neighbor up the road (with a big house) was looking into a steel roof, currently has asphalt shingles about 20 years old, and he got a quote for $35,000 to put on a steel roof (the house has lots of dormers, lots of cutting and fitting). Needless to say, he didn't go with steel.

Also, one of the reasons for shingles is noise control. A vaulted ceiling with thin insulation and a steel roof is LOUD in heavy rain, while shingles are much quieter. So, most houses here still have shingle roofs. In the American west or the land Down Under, where it hardly seems to rain (I have a uncle who lives there), rain noise wouldn't be as much of an issue, I suppose.

As far as tile (ceramic) roofs of any kind, they don't tend to play well with ice. So you don't find as many of them in these northern climates.