Lexington KY Roofing offers Free No Commitments roofing consultations with estimates for roofing repairs or replacement. We have only experienced, licensed and insured employees working on your roof. We only use high quality time tested roofing materials.
Weathered Wood Cabin
Wood Shingles
Wood shingles are designed for moderate to steep pitched roofs to shed water quickly. California Redwood, western red cedar, cypress, spruce and pine are all used to manufacture wood shakes and shingles. Cedar is the most popular wood for shakes, southern yellow pine is also popular. Wood shakes and shingles can be pressure treated with fire retardants and chemical preservatives to reduce some of the negative aspects.
Cedar Shed
Moss Covered Wood Shingles
The Price of Wood Shingles
Wood shingles are pricey at 400 to 800 per square, installed whereas Asphalt shingles on the low end can cost 200 to 400 per square installed square. The average Residential roof needs between 22 and 34 squares to install a new roof. Wood shingles are generally 3 times as expensive to install as an asphalt shingled roof.
Some Pros and Cons of Wood Shingles:
Lifespans for cedar wood shingles, assuming a quality installation and moderate climate, is 25 to 35 years depending on location also. In a wet climate, a wood roof would be more prone to rot, insect damage and mildew so would not have a very good lifespan.
Maintenance for a wood roof requires periodic treatment with preservatives and fungicides to keep the wood from drying out, warping, cracking and developing mildew and mold.
Insulation is better with wood shakes than asphalt shingles. However, if the attic is well insulated and well ventilated it will negate these issues.
Impact resistance depends on the quality of the wood shingle. Wood shingles, light in density, are prone to shrinking and swelling as the weather changes which increases the probability of cracks from impact due to hail or other items blowing in the wind.
Fire resistance of wood shingles is not good and these roofs are banned in some areas. However, the shingles can be treated with a chemical to be fire resistant, and it is a very popular option.
Mold growth and insects can be repelled by treatment with CCA (chromated copper arsenate), but this is a very expensive special order so very few clients choose this option.
Cedar shingles lose their reddish-brown color and acquire a silvery sheen over time- many people like this, but it’s something to be aware of for those that don’t.
Repairing a Wood Shingled Roof
Old Wood Shingled Roof
Wood shingles are a very beautiful roofing material but it’s initial expense and required ongoing maintenance is difficult for many homeowners to overcome.
Lexington KY Roofing offers Free No Commitments roofing consultations with estimates for roofing repair, roofing replacement or a new roof system. We have only experienced, licensed and insured employees working on your roof- no day laborers. We only use high quality time tested roofing materials.
Installing a Slate Roof
Slate Roofing
The most expensive roofing option to install Slate has a very beautiful unpolished stone look in a large variety of colors, such as gray green, purple, black, red, and a combination mottled look with several colors blended in.
Historic Home with Slate Roof
Lifespan
They have been known to last 175 years or more- depends on the experience of the installers and the quality of the slate tile.
Poor Installation
Most roofing contractors know very little about slate roofs because they have never installed them, but that doesn't stop them from trying .
Slate Roofs Require an Expert to Install for Several Reasons:
Because slate tiles can’t be walked on, roof scaffolding must be used. Slate tiles that are walked on may break apart immediately or 5 to 10 years later- giving rise to a roof that does not shed water. Those who want a slate roof should get proof of the roofer’s expertise with slate as well as learn a little about the process themselves so they can oversee the project. Also, the roof must be structured to handle the heavy weight (800 to 1,500 lbs. per 100 sq. feet) or roof collapse at some point will befall the inhabitants.
Installation Costs
The cost of slate roofing tile is about 1,000 to 4,000 per square which makes it 5 to 7 times as expensive as an asphalt shingled roof.
Plastic Roofing Panels
Plastic and Synthetics
Synthetics are a polymer without fiber reinforcement and are designed to look like cedar and slate and promise of maintenance free function over a lifetime. However, though plastic shingles are lightweight and easy to install most are thin with a shiny finish which keeps them from looking anything like a cedar shake or slate tile. Their durability varies greatly by manufacture. Polypropylene is a fragile material prone to cracking during winter weather so unless strengthen with other materials’ they are unsuitable in cold climates.
Composite Cedar Shake or Shingle and Slate tiles
Typically, composite shake, shingle and slate are made from recycled materials and a mineral filler such as ground up limestone then mixed with proprietary plastic resins and colors. They give the same look of cedar shakes or Slate tiles but have a much longer lifespan- maintenance free with a 50-year warranty. They cost about 4 times the amount of Asphalt shingles which really puts them out of some peoples’ price range.
Concrete Tile Roofing
The tiles available in concrete come in many colors, and shapes include the half-barrel, S-shape, interlocking, and flat. They have a life expectancy of 50 to 100 years, but since they are very heavy the roof must be constructed to support additional weight. They are similar in expense to wood roofing but life expectancy is much longer and its fire resistance is exceptional.
Durability- Most concrete tile manufactures do not recommend walking on them due to a high probability of damage. For this reason, the tiles sometimes are pre-fitted to 2 by 6-foot boards which are then nailed to solid plywood roof sheathing or the decking.
Expense and Lifespan- They are similar in expense to wood roofing but life expectancy is much longer and its fire resistance is exceptional.
Efflorescence- The Concrete tile over time develops a chalky deposit on its surface called efflorescence. Efflorescence dulls the sheen of the tiles surface, but does not affect the structural integrity. Manufacturers suggest buffing tiles with a clean rag to restore shine (we really cannot see people doing this) or after installation the roof could be coated with a clear primer.
Clay Tile Roof
Tiles are available in concrete or clay with clay being more expensive. They come in many colors, and their shapes include the half-barrel, S-shape, interlocking, and flat. They have a life expectancy of 50 to 100 years, but since they are very heavy the roof must be constructed to support additional weight. Additionally, most clay tile manufactures do not recommend walking on them due to a high probability of damage. The tiles sometimes are pre-fitted to 2 by 6-foot boards which are then nailed to solid plywood roof sheathing or the decking. They are similar in expense to wood roofing but life expectancy is much longer and its fire resistance is exceptional.
Clay tiles have a great natural look and are a readily renewable source. They are manufactured from clay and water then fired at high temperatures. As a rule, they have minimal water absorption and high resistance to high heat cracking. However, they do not withstand freeze and thaw cycles well unless you opt for the reinforced kind which is more expensive. Because of the freeze and thaw cycles in VA, most clients use the more expensive kind. They do have a very long lifespan about 100 years making them one of the most durable roofing materials available.