Repairing a damaged roof can be a lot of work and the sad part is, much of the damage could have been avoided with a little effort from the homeowner and routine inspections by expert Roofers. The inspections may not need to be done every year like certain appliances may require, but every three to five years could prevent unexpected disasters. At the very least, the roof needs a visual inspection after any major storms or heavy winds. This is to ensure that the roof covering, which is typically the thin, three-tab, asphalt shingle, has not been damaged.
It may be possible to repair certain types of damage by replacing the failed shingles, and this is an important option for some people. Unfortunately, mixing old shingles with new ones may be wasting money if the original shingles have less than one-third of their service life remaining. These concerns can be avoided with a little planning and research. That is, the homeowner needs to find the material and style of roof covering that suits the home and avoids exposing it to further damage. The two best asphalt products for this task are laminated shingles or composite ones. The difference may seem minimal, but the two types of shingles were originally designed for different purposes.
Some Roofers prefer to use the laminated product because the shingle is thicker. This is because the laminated shingle includes an additional layer of material on its back side which gives them both extra strength and durability. To make the shingle unique, the manufacturer creates random patterns so using the shingle will result in a unique roof design.
The other solution, using composite shingles, was first developed to simulate the look of slate. This is done by using custom edging and one or more additional shingle layers on top of the product. The beauty of composite shingles is the ability to use them on any pitched roof. Not only do they improve the look of the building, but composite and laminated shingles also improve its value. A quality roofing job can actually increase the property owner’s equity and may avoid potential pitfalls when it comes time to sell the property.
