Things to Keep in Mind When Choosing Your New Roof Design

Whether you’re deciding on a new roof design for your new or existing home, aesthetics are quite important. Although this is true, weight, material costs, and installation requirements also play a huge role. Materials include wood, composite shingles, asphalt, clay tiles, slate, and concrete. Apart from this, you need to consider how you are going to accommodate all family members without compromising on the quality and beauty of your new home design.

As a homeowner, you need to do extensive research on every facet of your house, from the flooring right up to the roofing. In this article, we going to share all you need to know to help you make up your mind.

A great place to start is to investigate various roofing techniques that you could use. But you must bear in mind that not all of them are suitable for the design you have chosen for your home. Practically speaking, if you’re not used to this area of construction, it’s always best to consult Roofing Companies in Utah or anywhere near your location. Advice from experts is always helpful, even though some decisions are based on personal preference.

Roofing Terms

But before, we get to the nitty-gritty stuff, let’s get the terminology straight. Roofers don’t often use the term “square feet.” Rather they speak in squares. A square is used as their basic unit of measurement. For example, one square is 100 square feet in area, the equivalence to 10 foot by 10-foot square.

New Roof Price-Tag

Many factors influence the cost of a new roof. The first point is the material price. The other is the state of the existing roof if you are renovating and remodeling a house. If old materials are stripped off and if the remaining structure needs repairs, that on its own will have cost implications.

Another contributing factor is the shape of the roof. For instance, a gable roof with low breaks in its planes (such as vent pipes, dormers, or chimneys) results in a simple roofing job. However, a house with many intersecting rooflines, chimneys, skylights, or other factors will cost much more to roof.

Decisions… Decisions…

Not every roof can be made using just any kind of roof material. A roof that is flat or a roof with a low slope may require a different surface compared to one with a steeper pitch. Materials like tile and slate are quite heavy for this reason, the structure of most homes is unable to carry its load.

So if you plan to remodel a roof, more often than not, the existence of your current roof will determine the choice of the roof material you use. More than this though it’s important to consider the texture, color, weight, and durability of the materials you will use compared to other houses similar to yours.

Notes for Installation

Either way, no matter what roofing surface you choose, you will most definitely need flashing. This is a critical element of all exterior work for both the siding and roof. For those who don’t know, flashing is a metal made from lead or aluminum and sometimes plastic film, it’s put on using strips on areas where dissimilar materials connect. Flashing works best to keep a structure watertight.

Whichever roof material you decide to choose, the coursing must be regular to the eye and parallel to the roof’s edge, from one course to the other one. The joints need to be staggered to prevent leakage. You must also be wary of a contractor who depends on tar for joints, except for specific roofs where a membrane is used. That said, tar must not be used to make a new roof as that’s a lazy expedient.

Your Climate

If you’re an eager beaver, you may have paid attention to consistent roof colors in every locality in your travels, but have you ever thought about what motivates people from a specific location to choose the same color and design? Well, it boils down to the climate in that location. Personal preference and the design of the home are great motivators, however, environmental conditions also play a role.

The color of the roof you choose will have an important impact on your home’s temperature internally. As a common rule, darker colors absorb heat, while lighter colors deflect heat. So if you choose to roof your home with a dark color you will find your room/s to be warmer or hotter compared to a house covered with a light-colored roof. In this case, it’s always advisable to have a lighter-colored roof because it will regulate the heat on a hot day.

Create a Visual 

Studying color combinations and home designs is good but seeing the real deal in visual form is even better, it’s a great motivator for your decision-making process. Many roofing organizations have a range of examples they can share of previously completed projects. It’s best to have a look at these to see which ones tickle your fancy.

In your search, as you look at these visual references, you should look at them under a ray of sunshine as they will appear different or darker in low light. If for whatever reason you don’t want to go to a contractor’s office, there are online tools you can use as your next best alternative. One of the key benefits of using these tools is that you have the liberty to adjust the colors until you find the right color combination.

Final thoughts 

Remodeling your home’s roof is an exciting adventure, especially if you can picture the end product and capture it visually. But it must be restated that to prevent regrets in the end, many factors will need to be considered, such as your home’s style, colors, and local climate. As these factors have a huge impact on the appearance and sustainability of your home, it’s important to take your time to dodge bad decisions along the way. On your way to your new roof design, my final words to you are; gather many opinions from experts before you seal the deal.