What Are the Different Types of Shingles?

Buying or building your first house can be an extremely daunting task. In fact, you’ve probably had to learn more about some things than you thought you’d ever need to learn about anything…

And probably one of those things is the roof.

Of course, picking the color of paint for each wall is enough of a headache with all the options you have. But, at least paint isn’t as permanent as your roof.

When is comes to roofing, you need to understand the different types of shingles and the pros and cons of each type because, when they go on, they don’t come off cheap.

So, here’s the basics to all the major shingle types for your commercial roofing project:

• Asphalt

By far the most common type, these are both inexpensive and variable. Coming in at around $2000 installation rate, asphalts are sturdy and get the job done. Of course, they can also be brittle. Considering your roof takes damage year-round from the sun, wind, storms and snow, durability should definitely be a quality you look out for.

One of the biggest drawbacks of this material is that they lack in adaptability. In other words, cities that vary in temperature throughout the year do quite the number on these babies. One other thing to consider is that only sloped roofs will work with this type of material.

• Fiberglass

These are basically asphalt shingles, but drastically improved. As a result, they cost around $4000 to install. But, the results are often worth it.

These are fire-resistant, light weight, and durable. Unlike other roofing materials, these are also inexpensive.

They’re made by overlapping fiberglass and coating them with an asphalt blend that includes various minerals and filters to make the material waterproof.

• Organic

As they’re named, these shingles are made of organic materials like wood chips, recycled material, paper and rags. It doesn’t sound pretty, but these can get the job done well too.

They’re extremely waterproof and fairly inexpensive. The only drawbacks are that they are not as long-lasting as the fiberglass shingles and they are much heavier. They cost roughly $3000 to install.

• Tile

The artists among you will quickly fall in love with this option, as it offers by far the most creative reach. Because they can be molded into any color, tile shingles can be extremely efficient (especially the lighter-toned ones) and save you money on the cooling bill.

These shingles are also very stylish, common mostly on homes with Spanish or Mediterranean style. Of course, as with anything with style, these can get quite pricey. The installation can reach heights of up to $12,000, so budgeters beware.

Worth noting, these shingles can also be prone to smaller issues that more flexible shingles wouldn’t be, like minor leaks or cracks. It just means you’ll have to be careful and check up on it every once in a  while, filling up the cracks as you go.

• Wood

These are more of an exotic choice, and will cost you between the price of asphalt and tile around $9,000 per installation.

Of course, these are environmentally friendly with a flair for the organic, stylized nature aesthetic. Beauty pays, and this case, you’ll pay mostly with time and effort. Because these can be so tricky, they require the hands of true specialists. In addition, they take quite a bit of time to install.

On the bright side, they’ll last anywhere from 30 to 50 years, so they can actually be a worthy investment. And don’t worry too much about mold or mildew, as a good power wash will easily scrape it off this specially-made material.