Close Look at Top 5 Roofing Materials – Pros and Cons

Published on: 12 December 2016 Last Updated on: 19 August 2019

There’s no dearth of options for those mulling a new roof installation. Choosing the correct roof for your home is imperative to ensure that you get full functionality and lifespan. The final decision should be taken after considering different factors such as the owner’s location, the roof’s weight, and the cost, warranty, and lifetime of the product. This blog post discusses, five popular roofing options for homeowners taking time to look at their advantages and shortcomings:

1. Asphalt shingles

Asphalt shingles are unarguably the most common roofing option for homeowners in US, all thanks to their affordable nature and ease of installation. Moreover, many roofers also follow the practice of reinforcing shingles with organic materials or fiberglass, which has a positive impact on their durability and moisture resistance.

Pros

Asphalt shingles come in different sizes, shapes, and colors. They are easily available and the most economical roofing option available on the market.

Cons

Asphalt has a short lifespan when compared to other materials, and also incapable of providing proper insulation.

Best suited house styles: Traditional sub-urban houses

Cost: The cost of installing asphalt shingles can be anywhere between $70 to $120/sq.ft. and they can last for 20-25 years with proper maintenance.

2. Clay and concrete tiles

The use of clay adds to the roof’s texture and elegance, enhancing its aesthetic appeal. Clay and concrete tiles are heavy roofing materials and should be installed by professionals to avoid accidents and damage to property.

Pros

Clay and concrete tiles are highly durable and fire-resistant. They are also known for their energy efficiency. Installing a concrete roof can, therefore, help you lower energy costs.

Cons

Both clay and concrete are heavier than other roofing materials and usually require additional framing to function smoothly. The materials are also expensive and you may have to shell out a considerable amount of money to install clay/concrete tiles.

Best suited house styles: Mediterranean, Southwestern, and Spanish-style homes.

Cost: Prices fluctuate in the range of $300-$500/sq.ft. Concrete tiles have a lifespan of 40-50 years provided you follow maintenance schedules without fail.

3. Metal roof

Metal roofs are available in two types, panels, and shingles. Some of the common metals used by roofers who specialize in metal roofing are aluminum, copper, stainless steel, and zinc. If you’re considering a metal roof, it is advisable that you first consult your provider on the type of metal you should use after considering all the important factors.

Pros

Metal roofs are highly resistant to temperature fluctuations and also offer better protection against solar radiation. They are also long-lasting and recyclable.

Cons

Installing a metal roof can be a costly decision and you may have to shell out anywhere between $100-$800/sq.ft. to install a metal roof.

Best suited house styles: bungalows, cabins, and contemporary and cottage-style homes.

Effective life: With proper maintenance, metal roofs can last anywhere between 40-75 years.

4. Slate

Opting for a slate roof is a prudent decision if you need to avail a variety of designing options. Slate roofing comes in different colors like black, green, grey, red, and purple. It lends a touch of style and elegance to your roofing.

Pros

Slate roofs are durable and equipped with fire-resistance properties. You can also recycle slate to reduce costs and save the environment.

Cons

Apart from being expensive, slate is also heavy, making any plans for a DIY approach strongly inadvisable. Moreover, the quality of the materials can vary if you plan to use imported slate.

Cost: $600/sq.ft. And above. The effective life of slate roofs can extend up to 100 years and more.

5. Wood shingles and shake

Wood shingles are handmade and available in attractive shades of gray. When opting for wood roofing make sure the material is class a certified and includes shingles with a fire-resistant coating.

Pros

The use of wood shingles lends a rough yet artistic look to your roof. The shingles are made from natural materials like cedar, and redwood and are environment-friendly.

Cons

There are high chances of the roof sustaining significant damage when exposed to moisture, high temperatures, and rainfall. Moreover, fire codes in some states may prohibit the use of these materials.

Best suited house styles: Cape Cod, cottage, Craftsman and Tudor-style homes.

Cost: $100-$150/ sq.ft. You can expect the roofing to last around 25-30 years.

The blog discusses five popular roofing choices available to homeowners. You should, however, not limit yourself to these choices. Consider exploring other options before making a final decision. Consult your contractor and ask them to share their thoughts on your choice. You must also factor-in the maintenance costs and schedules associated with each option before you.

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How to Choose the Right Kitchen Cabinet Materials for Your Project

Among the defining factors of your kitchen’s overall look are its cabinets. After all, in kitchen design, the cabinetry often serves as an anchor, the thing that ties every other design elements together to create a seamless look. As such, beyond style, what’s more, important is to choose the right materials for your kitchen cabinet. Reliable flat pack kitchen contractors can offer you a variety of kitchen cabinet material choices. Moreover, they can also recommend suitable materials and even combinations of materials to suit both style and practical function. Here’s a quick look into the most common materials used by cabinet makers. How to Choose the Right Kitchen Cabinet Materials for Your Project: Hardwood Cabinets You could say that hardwood kitchen cabinets are the grandfather of all kitchen cabinets. One of the main draws of using hardwood is that, because it’s a natural material that varies in grain from piece to piece, every kitchen cabinet will be equally unique. There are no two trees that are exactly alike, which means that even cabinets made from the same kind of hardwood will have subtle differences. Another benefit of hardwood is that it’s not only durable. It’s also easy to repair. Even inexperienced carpenters can DIY procedures like sanding, staining, or refinishing. Finally, there’s a wealth of options to choose from. Popular hardwood species include jarrah, marri, birch, cherry, maple, and oak. When it comes to downsides, however, the most common disadvantage people cite is that hardwoods tend to be heavy. As such, if you want pure hardwood cabinets, you have to make sure that there’s a sturdy enough structure to support them. Another drawback of hardwood kitchen cabinets is that they’re expensive, especially if you want fully customized designs. Some Perth kitchen cabinet makers will suggest combining hardwoods with other materials to help drive down the cost. Are hardwood cabinets right for your kitchen? If budget isn’t an issue and you want beautiful, long-lasting cabinets, hardwood is the best choice. Hardwood is also great for busy kitchens since it’s a heavy-duty material. Medium-Density Fibreboard Cabinets Medium-density fibreboard or MDF has gained popularity in the world of cabinetry, especially since IKEA has long been using it for their own kitchen cabinets and other furniture. The material is a composite of recycled wood fibers and wax, bound together by resin. The boards are made through high-pressure CNC milling, resulting in strong and dense material. Indeed, MDF is a versatile substrate, able to be painted, veneered, lacquered, laminated, or treated with almost any process or substance. MDF is also proven to be resistant to cracking and is considerably smoother than plywood. The one downside of MDF is that it needs to be properly sealed. Otherwise, it has a tendency to warp. You can use carpenter’s glue for this purpose, especially if you’re going to paint over the material. For some waterproofing, you can use the wood sealant, varnish, or a coat of moisture-resistant paint. Are MDF cabinets right for your kitchen? Those looking for more affordable yet high-quality alternatives can turn to MDF. Contemporary kitchens and those who love to DIY and customize will also benefit from MDF cabinets. Plywood Cabinets Plywood is made from multiple thin layers or plies of wood that are bound together by a combination of glue, heat, and pressure. The adjacent layers are rotated so that the grains are facing alternate directions. This technique, called cross-graining, enhances the material’s strength in all directions. Moreover, it helps prevent shrinkage and expansion, minimizes splitting of the layers (when nailed at the edges), and reduces warping. Many cabinet makers consider plywood excellent material. Apart from the benefits mentioned above, plywood is also moisture-resistant, light but sturdy, flexible, and easy to install. In case the cabinets get damaged, plywood is also quite easy to repair through DIY methods. Finally, plywood is also much less expensive compared to even the most affordable hardwood. Do remember that making plywood cabinets is all about choosing the right thickness. You’d want to use a thicker material on drawer bottoms, for example, or you risk it cracking or splitting if you put heavier items in it. Your kitchen cabinet maker likely already knows this, of course, but just make sure that you tell them what you need so they use the correct types of material. Also, ask where they source their plywood. Note that some lower-quality products may have gaps between the individual plies. Are our plywood cabinets right for your kitchen? Plywood is ideal if you’re working with a stricter budget but don’t want to compromise on quality. You may also want to consider plywood if you’re making your own cabinets since it’s an easy material to work with. Particleboard Cabinets Particleboard is often compared to plywood. Also called low-density fibreboard (LDF) or chipboard, particleboard is engineered from various recycled wood products like wood chips, sawdust, and wood shavings. These materials are glued together, then pressed and extruded to create sheets. As a final touch, particleboard is laminated or given a wood veneer for a better-looking appearance (as plain particleboard can be, well, plain-looking). The primary advantage of using particleboard for kitchen cabinets is that because it’s made from scrap materials, it’s very cheap. It’s also very lightweight. However, particleboard also tends to be on the lower end of the durability scale, especially when subjected to tension. Moreover, the material is prone to moisture damage and is not built to withstand sagging. Nonetheless, you can still find high-quality particleboards that are quite sturdy. Ask your kitchen cabinet maker to help you find the best ones. Are particleboard cabinets right for your kitchen? If your kitchen doesn’t see too much action and you don’t have any heavy equipment, particleboard cabinets and shelves will more than suffice. Stainless Steel Cabinets Finally, there’s stainless steel. Not many households opt for this material for kitchen cabinets. In fact, these are often seen only in industrial, professional-level kitchens. Nonetheless, stainless steel is an ideal material in the kitchen, both for cabinets and general usages like shelving and racks. It’s durable, doesn’t expand or contract, and resistant to most kinds of damage. Stainless steel can be difficult to clean, however, but it’s very hardy so it can withstand a lot of scrubbing and even harsh chemicals. This makes sterilizing a breeze. Nonetheless, you should also note that stainless steel cabinets tend to be expensive, sometimes costing even more than hardwood. Are stainless cabinets right for your kitchen? Do you consider yourself a chef in your own right? Do you often cook, not just for yourself but also for your family and friends? If you do, then stainless steel kitchen cabinets are perfect for you. Many of these materials, except perhaps for stainless steel, can be customized and combined with plenty of other materials, so the style isn’t the biggest issue. Therefore, in the end, choosing the right kitchen cabinet materials all boils down to two primary considerations: your budget and how often you’re going to use your kitchen. When you focus on these two, the decision will become simpler. Contact kitchens now for quality flat pack kitchens Read Also: Kitchen Renovations Must be Done at Regular Intervals 7 Tips for Getting Rid of Clutter in Your Home Top Secrets That Slash Your Kitchen Remodeling Bill in Half

Office Building Renovation: How Long?

Congratulations, you’ve finally acquired that office space you’ve always desired. This comes with a feeling of satisfaction and achievement. However, this is usually short-lived, especially when you need to start planning to renovate your new office building. You’ve just finished one tough part—searching for the perfect office space. Now, you are entering a new part—the stress and hassle of office building renovation. Most people tend to be overwhelmed with everything they need to do to make their new office space comfortable and attractive. However, this shouldn’t be hard for you. Setting a timeline for your office building renovation project can be the perfect place to start. But, this is still a challenge for most people since they don’t know how long office building renovation projects take. Related Resource: Best House Renovations For 2021 So, how long does an office building renovation take? Generally, it takes an average of 3 months to renovate an office. However, you should note that the time can be longer or shorter depending on different factors. With that said, let’s look at the top factors that can affect the timeline of your office renovation project. 1. The current condition of the office building The first thing you need to consider is the state of your office building. If it’s newly built, renovating will be much easier and faster. You won’t have many things to deal with except upgrading its interior design. However, if the renovation project includes an old office building, it may take longer because there are bound to be structural problems that need to be addressed. In general, expect renovations on old buildings to take from 3 months up to 6 months or more depending on the severity of faults in the structure. 2. Permits and licenses The last thing to consider is what you need to get a permit for renovation. In most cases, it’s going to take anywhere from a week up to two weeks before you can start renovating, depending on where your office building is located and how many permits you need. In the case of renovation projects that involve structural changes, it may even take longer as the entire planning process will require approvals from several government departments and relevant consultants. So, you should expect such office renovations to take months because, during this period, there needs to be time for paperwork and approvals before construction begins. However, once everything is approved and ready for construction, workers will only need a few days at most to complete the project as long as you have made all the preparations required. 3. The renovations you want to implement The next thing to consider is the renovation project itself. If you plan something minor like rearranging furniture and painting walls, expect it to be pretty quick within 2 months or less depending on how big your office is. However, if you’re planning more complicated renovations that involve structural changes in your office building, then you should go for 6 months or more because this kind of process normally takes longer due to the complexity involved in managing contractors who are replacing buildings rather than painting walls or moving furniture. 4. Designing the renovation plan The tenant build-outs experts from AFS General say that you will also need to think about your renovation strategy when planning renovations. If you are planning on managing everything by yourself without outside contractors, then expect it to take longer than if you work with a team of experts/a contractor who can handle every stage of the process for you. This is because managing individual tasks in office building renovations take time - one hour or two hours here and there add up to days over weeks which eventually increases the timeline for your project. So, keep in mind that unless you have enough time on your hands to manage tasks during an office renovation, it’s always better to get an expert or professional company to do it all for you to save time and get the job done faster. 5. The renovation process itself The other thing you should consider is the renovation process itself. If your office requires massive renovations, it’s always better to break down the steps into several stages so that there are no delays in production. For example, you may want to first remove essential equipment like desks and chairs before demolishing walls. This allows you to avoid having workers standing around at any given point during office renovation since everyone knows exactly what they need to do next without wasting time asking questions or looking for things they need. You should also have a detailed plan of how many days each task will take so that you keep track of progress throughout the renovation process. This way, you can always make sure that everything is progressing as expected and there are no hiccups in office renovation. 6. The contractor’s experience The last thing to keep in mind is the quality of work from your contractor or expert who will be doing renovations for you and whether they are a trusted company with a lot of experience with office renovation. If this is not your first time renovating an office building, then you may already have preferred contractors who know what they’re doing and can get the job done efficiently within a certain timeline. However, if your current contractor cannot complete the renovation process on time for some reason, it might be better to find another one so that you don’t waste any more time waiting around due to inexperienced workers taking longer than average to get the job done. Bottom Line Keep track of the number of days each task will take so that you keep on track with your project timeline. If you don’t have time to manage each stage of the process yourself, hire experts or professionals to do it for you since they have all the resources needed to complete tasks on time without hiccups or interruptions. Read Also: Kitchen Renovations Must be Done at Regular Intervals Avoid these 4 Mistakes during Multi Family Housing Renovation Top 5 Trending Home Renovation Ideas For Australian Families

7 Advantages of Hiring a Residential Cleaner

Keeping your home clean can seem like a never-ending task, especially when you consider the big cleaning jobs you have to do routinely. While most people are reluctant to even consider it, hiring a professional residential Cleaner has a broad range of advantages. Some of the perks of using professionals may be obvious, but you may not have considered a few of the other benefits listed here. 7 Advantages of Hiring a Residential Cleaner: 1. Free Up Your Time: Possibly one of the most obvious advantages of hiring a residential cleaner is that you will have that time to yourself. What could you be doing if you didn't have to dust, mop the floors, and vacuum the carpets? You might be able to devote that time to paying closer attention to your children or catching up with old friends. Many people get so caught up in their day-to-day chores that their social lives fall by the wayside. Hiring cleaners frees you up to reignite your social life. 2. Obtain a Professional Level of Clean: While you may do a good enough job at cleaning your home, you don't always feel up to the task. On those days, you won't get the same high level of cleanliness. Conversely, hiring professional cleaners will ensure every cleaning job is thorough and of the highest quality. The staff that cleaning companies hire are trained to provide a better quality of service, ensuring you'll be satisfied with each visit. 3. Get Those Big Jobs Out of the Way: Imagine you want the exterior of your home rinsed of dirt and debris, or you want the cobwebs removed from the garage. Handling that by yourself will be difficult and time-consuming. However, professional services, such as JCEco Blasting GC Pressure Cleaning, can do the work far more efficiently. In addition to the years of experience, they have in performing similar work, they also have the industrial equipment to do the job more quickly. 4. Save Money: Believe it or not, you can actually save some money by hiring a residential cleaner. While you do have to pay the cleaning service, the fee is small in comparison to the expenses you would otherwise incur. In addition to the cleaning supplies you're continuously having to buy, you would also have to buy or lease the equipment. On the other hand, professional cleaners have their own equipment and supplies, which are far superior to anything you might buy in a department store or hardware store. The industrial machines they use will do a much more thorough cleaning job. 5. You Can Make Special Requests: Everyone's health and environmental concerns are different, so residential cleaner keeps a wide range of products stocked. If you have children or pets, you may want to ensure non-caustic substances are used to clean your floors. Alternatively, you may maintain an eco-friendly household. In that case, you can request that your cleaners only use green cleaning substances. Professional cleaners will meet whatever special requests you may have to ensure you’re satisfied with their service. 6. Your Home Will Be Cleaner: The professional cleaners you hire won't just clean better. They will also clean areas of your home that you probably ignore, getting deeper into corners, crevices, and tight spots. Since they have a wide range of tools and equipment, they will have the resources to get into those hard-to-reach areas. After one thorough cleaning, you may find yourself wondering how you ever managed without them. 7. You're Free to Organize Your Household in Other Ways: While professionals are cleaning your home, you have more time to concentrate on preparing more nutritious meals or reorganizing the stacks of papers your family left laying around the home. There are probably dozens of chores you set aside for a rainy day because you normally don't have the time. Now you do. You can paint the spare bedroom, plant that vegetable garden, or accomplish other tasks you have always wanted to tackle. You'll be amazed by how much more you can accomplish with a little extra help. Now that you've had an opportunity to learn what residential cleaners can do for you, it may be time to reconsider your opinion on hiring them. They may make your life easier in ways you had not previously considered. Considering how busy other aspects of your life keep you, hiring a little help may be a blessing. Read Also: 7 Benefits Of A Clean And Decluttered Workspace 5 Tips On Effectively Picking A Tile Floor Cleaning Machine

Close Look at Top 5 Roofing Materials – Pros and Cons

1. Asphalt shingles

Pros

Cons

2. Clay and concrete tiles

Pros

Cons

3. Metal roof

Pros

Cons

4. Slate

Pros

Cons

5. Wood shingles and shake

Pros

Cons

Avoid these 4 Mistakes during Multi Family Housing Renovation

3 Tips on How To Plan The Best Cheap and Fabulous DIY Bedroom Makeover

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Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

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Related

How to Choose the Right Kitchen Cabinet Materials for Your Project

Office Building Renovation: How Long?

7 Advantages of Hiring a Residential Cleaner

Close Look at Top 5 Roofing Materials – Pros and Cons

1. Asphalt shingles

Pros

Cons

2. Clay and concrete tiles

Pros

Cons

3. Metal roof

Pros

Cons

4. Slate

Pros

Cons

5. Wood shingles and shake

Pros

Cons

Share this Article

Avoid these 4 Mistakes during Multi Family Housing Renovation

3 Tips on How To Plan The Best Cheap and Fabulous DIY Bedroom Makeover

Tags

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

Leave a Reply

Popular

Follow Us

Recent

Related