Deciding your roof

Which roof to use? Metal, Asphalt, or concrete?

Let us present to you the direct and common advantages and disadvantages of each in bullets…

ADVANTAGES OF METAL ROOF:

1. Affordable – The competition is very stiff because the demand is high and this has kept the metal roof pricing easily reachable by anyone’s pocket
2. Easy to install – Because it is popular, everyone knows how to cut and install the parts of the metal roof. All you need are metal scissors and drills to drive in the teks screws that hold the
3. Widely available / Easy to order – Since the competition for metal roof is stiff and the demand very high, everyone wants to manufacture metal roofing so there are a lot factories offering wide choices for builders and this helps to keep the pricing at bay.

DISADVANTAGES of Metal roof:

1. Poor heat insulation – Because it is made of steel, it easily conducts heat resulting in hot ceilings & rooms.
2. Noise during rains – Because it is metal and a thin sheet at that, it does make a racket. Very few people find the noise of rain against metal roof relaxing.
   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   [Show slideshow]

   1 2 ►

ADVANTAGES OF ASHPHAT SHINGLES:

1. Looks very high end – Because of its price and its being originally a western product, this gives asphalt shingles a high end appeal. If you have this kind of roofing, everyone looks at your house as high priced elite.
2. Multicolor (not single tone) – The mineral stones on top the asphalt sheet can be colored in different colors depending on the design the manufacturer want to convey on a particular shingle design. The varied color design in a particular shingle design can be created in wave arrays to create vibrant multicolor designs…
3. Very quiet during rains – The mineral stones on top the asphalt sheet breaks the raindrops to eliminate the thud or bang sound when a drop hits a surface. The asphalt sheet is also excellent sound barrier to totally eliminate the sound of rain drops.
4. Very good heat insulation – While asphalt is a good heat insulator, the mineral stones embedded on each asphalt sheet deflects sunlight away from the asphalt sheet. Aside from deflecting sunlight, the mineral stones also absorbs the heat that is why very little heat can now move to the asphalt sheet, this makes asphalt shingles an excellent heat insulator resulting in cooler ceilings and rooms

DISADVANTAGES of Asphalt Shingles:

1. Costs 4-5x more than metal roofing – this is because good asphalt shingles come from either United States or Canada, though a few companies are now manufacturing asphalt locally, its low demand has not made these companies improve their manufacturing process. Good asphalt shingles still has to come from either US or Canada.
2. Mostly coming from overseas need to be ordered at least 1 month ahead – It does create some tension when a certain materials especially the roofing requires a month or two to arrive, this is ok if it does arrive on time, but there are always instances when it could arrive longer than expected, and then your construction timeline gets messed up.
   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   [Show slideshow]

   1 2 ►

ADVANTAGES OF CONRETE ROOF DECK:

1. Load bearing surface, can be expanded as another floor, or used for functions, or relaxation area, or party area – This makes the concrete roof expensive, when a customer indicates interest in a concrete roof, he/she must be made aware that a concrete roof will affect the design of the columns. Each column rebars have to be computed to be able to carry the weight of a concrete roof deck.. And each concrete roof deck when presented in the blueprint have to be designed as another floor since people will naturally use it, even expand it as another living space in the future.
2. Relatively better heat insulation compared to metal – Just like a concrete wall, concrete roof deck heats up when constantly battered by the sun rays. There is little difference between metal and concrete as far heat conductivity.

DISADVATAGES of concrete roof:

1. Costs way higher than metal or shingles combined – Each concrete slab have to be designed as another floor or living space since people will naturally occupy and even make it a new room in the future. Concrete slab requires a lot of rebars and concrete materials; added with the thickness and rebars required for the columns to support a new floor – this combination drives up the cost of a concrete slab.
2. Can develop cracks and leaks over time – Concrete naturally breaks down when constantly exposed to sun rays. Over time, concrete slab develops cracks resulting in water leaks, thus you have to constantly repair or maintain your concrete slab. You can add tiles on top of it or maybe an epoxy layer to protect the slab, but still that added tile or epoxy will eventually breakdown under constant sunlight exposure and that will eventually expose your slab – if left unattended…
   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   [Show slideshow]

   1 2 ►