Getting the right material for your roof is one of the most important decisions that you need to make when you are planning for a roofing project for your home. Every material has its own benefits and disadvantages and works differently for everyone.
Therefore, a material that works well for someone else might not turn out as good in your case. Many customers get influenced by what residential roofing contractors Dearborn MI suggest them to buy. However, as a matter of fact, every house exists in different dynamics and every material responds differently to those dynamics. Therefore, it is essential that you consider a number of factors before you finalize your roofing material decision.
Weather and Climate
Weather conditions are one of the most important factors to consider when you are buying roofing materials. Roofing material can crack, rust, corrode, break, burn or get blown away depending on how they respond to different weather conditions. For example, if your area is prone to heavy rainfall or hail, you might want to avoid metal roofing because of the noise and risk of denting and punctures. Likewise, some material does not respond very well to humidity. Therefore, choose the material that works best for most weather conditions that are common in your area.
Maintenance
Even when you buy a material that has a long life, some materials might require more maintenance at regular intervals compared to others. For example, materials that are coated with paint might require a touchup if the pain gets weathered, or in some cases, shingles might need a repair. In either case, maintenance will incur you some cost and of course physical distress due to construction related equipment being used on your roof while you are living in the house.
Look for material that is low maintenance and will not require much hassle for you after every few years. Some low maintenance materials are priced higher than the ones that are cheap but require higher maintenance. It is recommended that you consider the tradeoff between high initial costs versus high maintenance cost and carry out a cost-benefit analysis to ascertain what will work best for you.
Budget
Budget is, of course, going to be the key influencing factor. Even if you are in love with a certain material, it would be difficult for you to acquire it if your pocket does not allow you to do so. That being said, it is not wise to consider only the initial investment when you are calculating your budget constraints. Some lower priced materials can cost you higher routine costs in the long run as far as maintenance is concerned. Similarly, some materials might cost higher initially but will save you a lot of routine maintenance expenditures compared to low-cost materials.
Warranty
When material quality is good, manufacturers will not shy away from offering you a warranty. A warranty will save you from any financial liability if in case a material does not live up to its claim and ends up creating problems as a result of a defect or quality issues. If a manufacturer or a contractor is reluctant to offer any warranties, consider it a red flag.