ASPHALT SHINGLES
There are a wide variety available today from the light weight organic square butt style shingle to heavier decorative fiberglass laminates with features such as profiled ridge caps and algae inhibitors.
PROS:
CONS:
- Cost - Asphalt shingles are one of the most affordable options
- Class A fire rated
- Easily serviceable
- Proven system with long history of use and easily available accessory items
- Many subdivisions today have the appearance of a sea of sameness, only a few of the more expensive laminates will provide you with a distinctive appearance
- In spite of today's exaggerated warranty claims, historic asphalt shingle lifetimes have been in the 15-25 year range
CEDAR SHAKES
We live in the land of cedar and these products have seen a lot of use. A variety of thicknesses and lengths are available. Shingles and taper-sawn shakes have sawn faces and subsequently lay flat but lack texture. Split face shakes (straight-split, taper-split and re-sawn) have highly textured surfaces.
PROS:
CONS:
- Many attempts have been made to simulate this appearance but nothing looks quite as good as a split face cedar roof
- Proven performance when properly installed and easily available accessory items
- Flammable
- Made from old growth cedar
- Relatively Expensive
- Not easily serviceable, difficult to walk on-especially when damp
- Average lifetime in this area has been 20 years
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TORCH ON
This has become the preferred choice for replacement of older tar and gravel roofs and for flat/low pitched roofs on new construction. There are a variety of systems available including some no torch systems using adhesives and manufactured peel and stick type sheets.
PROS:
CONS:
- Easily serviceable
- Good for flat, low pitched roofs
- Lightweight
- Torch application presents a fire risk
- Not suitable for decks, or direct walking surfaces unless covered with pavers or duck boards
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ENVIROSHAKE
An innovative "made in Canada" product intended to replace cedar shake roofing.
PROS:
CONS:
- Environmentally friendly
- Made with quality recycled products
- Good appearance, simulating real cedar shake, the best simulation we have seen to date.
- Installs similarly to real cedar so that detail flashings and accessories are readily available and have a successful history.
- Is one of the more expensive options
- The product fades to a very light grey over a period of a year and like real cedar, this product changes color quite dramatically from dry to wet conditions.
- Still relatively new to this geographic and climatic area.
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METAL
Like asphalt shingles metal roofing today is available in a wide variety of styles. There are panels with surface mounted fasteners, panels with concealed fastening, stamped panels that resemble other roofing products such as tile or shakes, and metal shingles with granulated surfaces that are not easily recognized as metal at all.
PROS:
CONS:
- Fire resistance
- Lightweight
- Panel systems with concealed fasteners are self cleaning to some extent. Rainwater washes off fir needles and debris more readily then on other roofing products.
- Good lifetime expectations
- Environmentally friendly - recyclable
- Metal roofing is best on uninterrupted surfaces. Many of today's homes with their multiple penetrations of the roof (skylights, chimneys etc) and convoluted roof patterns are not well suited to metal roofing
- Cascading snow, hazardous to people or vehicles parked near roof edge, gutters,etc
- Not easily serviceable - slippery to walk on (except granulated metals)
- Relatively expensive
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CUSTOM FABRICATION
"The devil is in the details"
Whomever first remarked on this has uttered the truth. In our sheet metal shop we fabricate a wide variety of roof and building accessory flashings which are necessary to the ultimate success of any project. As with the primary roof coverings there is a variety of colors and product available. For that special project - copper, rheinzinc and lead are available to enhance appearance and durability.
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WARRANTY COMMENTARY - OUR VIEW
Many times people have entered our shop and declared "I want a 30 year, or 40 year roof". Our reaction is "Hey! Wait a minute here!". Asphalt shingle manufacturers have been particularly guilty of exaggerated warranty claims. They are simply using these numbers as marketing tools, evidently with some success. Both new and established products on the fringe of the market place all seem to require "lifetime or 50 year warranties". Now, the comments.
- With asphalt shingle products in particular there is NO field evidence in this area to support the notion of such long lifetimes.
- Any roofing product or exterior covering will age and deteriorate in appearance, although it can still be functional. Roofing is usually changed out of necessity, sidings are often changed with other motivations in mind, such as style, fashion and reduced maintenance.
- We have seen a number of products with their associated warranty claims come and go from the marketplace. The pine shake fiasco in Alberta, or the high failure rate of fibre cement roofing products along the BC coast, by way of example.
- There is not much personal responsibility involved when such long lifetimes are claimed. There are some, but not many companies that survive for as many years. In this day and age of consolidation companies are constantly buying and selling each other. One cannot help but ponder the future commitment level the manufacturer of salted crackers might have toward their roofing division.
- Workmanship warranties: Once again many "Workmanship Guaranteed" claims have come and gone.
- "I bought a 30 year roof, so I am bullet proof for 30 years, right?" Not quite, a detailed read of any warranty will reveal many commonsense and justifiable caveats. These are often the factors that limit roof lifetime. Like the weather, roof behavior is often non linear and chaotic.
So what's a person to do? There are many products we as roofers would not hesitate to use on our own houses. Our bottom line advice:
- Don't focus (a blank stare is even better) exclusively on warranty when choosing products and roofers.
- Be skeptical and be realistic
- Maintain your sense of humor
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