With the California climate, it’s important to find high quality roofing materials – which is why you should consider installing a composition shingle roof.
Roofing comes in all kinds of roof materials these days, so you’ve got a lot of choice when it comes to which one you’ll use.
One of the most popular materials is composition tiles. There’s all kinds of reasons why you should consider them if you’re about to replace your roof.
Here’s 7 benefits of a composition shingle roof that you won’t get with other roofing materials.
What Is a Composition Shingle Roof?
A composition shingle roof, as the name implies, is a shingle made of several different materials, which are then coated to be hard wearing and weather resistant.
These materials could be anything from recycled plastics to hemp, depending on where you buy them from.
They’re highly popular as there are plenty of benefits to using them on your home.
Here are some of the best benefits of a composition shingle roof:
1. Durable Composition
When comparing roofing materials, many home owners narrow the decision down to either asphalt or composite shingles.
Asphalt sounds like a good choice, as it should last for years, surely?
In fact, the composite shingles will last a lot longer.
An asphalt shingle is usually made up of paper or fiberglass, coated in asphalt.
This mixture doesn’t stand up to the elements as well as composite roofing, so it only lasts about 5 to 20 years on your roof.
Composite roofing is a lot sturdier, so you’ll get around 50 years of life from them.
2. UV Resistant
UV rays are more harmful to your roof than you’d think. When the sun is beating down on the shingles day after day, the UV rays will eventually lead to the breakdown of the roof.
You need a roofing material that can stand up to that kind of pressure.
Composition shingles are well known for the UV reflecting properties.
They’ll last a lot longer under the sun, something that’s vital in California.
It’ll help keep your home cooler too, avoiding large utility bills as you’ll have to run your AC less to cool it.
3. Inexpensive Roofing Solution
Composite shingles are some of the cheapest shingles on the market right now.
Right now, they will cost roughly $480 per square foot, depending on the style you buy and where you buy them from.
Roofing is one of the most expensive home improvement jobs you’ll undertake, so it’s no wonder that so many roofs are now made of composite shingles.
These shingles give you the opportunity to save money and still get a good quality roof.
This alone makes them well worth considering when you’re shopping around.
4. Fire Resistant
Any good roofing material needs to be able to resist fire, especially in Southern California.
If the worst should happen, you want to stop the fire from spreading further than it should.
Composition shingles are a roofing material that is able to resist fire and further damage.
It can be even rated as a Class A fire resistant roof when used on your home.
This property makes it perfect for roofing historically important buildings, or even just older homes.
If safety is your number one priority, then this is the roof you should be looking at for your home.
5. Impact Resistant
As well as being fire resistant, composite shingles are also impact resistant.
You wouldn’t think that you need this in your roofing, but you’d be amazed at how much damage your roof takes over time.
Hail ‘bruises‘ your roof, leading to more damage over time a water gets in.
Plus, there’s damage from debris during storms. If a tree branch falls on your roof, it can cause a lot of damage.
If you use composite shingles, these will mitigate a lot of the issues when your roof takes impact.
It’ll certainly reduce any repair bills you have, which will be welcome when you’re dealing with the aftermath of bad weather.
6. A Variety Of Colors And Styles
Just like you, every home is different. Thanks to their styles and age, they all have a unique look that’s difficult to get anywhere else.
When you replace your roof, you want to ensure that you’re buying shingles that will suit your home down to a tee.
This is very easy to do with composite roof shingles.
They come in a huge range of styles and colors, so you’ll be able to find the one that works best for your home.
Shopping around, you’ll be sure to see a style that’s just right for you.
7. Environmentally Friendly
Many homeowners now are trying to reduce their impact on the planet. You may think that’s hard to do when you’re replacing your roof, but in fact you can.
Composite roofing shingles are potentially very environmentally friendly if you pick one made from the right materials.
This shouldn’t be too difficult, but you can always ask the manufacturer or supplier if you’re not sure.
As noted earlier, you can get shingles made out of recycled materials like plastics, or easily replaced materials like hemp.
This means you don’t have to worry about the effect of your roof on the environment.
Installing Your New Composite Roof
Now you know why you should choose a composite roof, you’ll need to look into getting one installed.
As a homeowner, you’ll want to save money as much as you can, so it’s tempting to install it yourself.
While technically, you can do it yourself, it’s much better to have an roofing company install it for you.
Your roof is somewhere where you can’t afford to cut corners, as it protects your entire house.
There’s all kinds of reasons to consider composition shingles for your home. They are:
- Sturdy
- Look good
- Environmentally friendly
- Inexpensive
- Fire resistant
- Stylish
Start shopping around now for your shingles, and you’ll see some that are just right for your home.