Having widespread availability and being quite affordable, roofing shingles constitute one of the most popular types of roofing material in the United States and implicitly among Arkansas roofing products. Properly installed by expert roofers, shingles are resistant and durable, providing buildings with structural protection and with a beautiful aspect.
Asphalt Shingle Roofing
Asphalt shingles are still the most prevailing roofing material across the country due to the balance price-quality. They are affordable, durable, providing protection and being available in many styles and colors, suitable for any building. The upfront cost is low compared to the decent warranty typically offered – up to 15-20 years. Asphalt shingles are easy to install and although expert roofers will take the stress out of your roof installation, skilled homeowners can also do it as a DYI project. They are lightweight and will require no additional structural support.
As for the disadvantages, asphalt shingles have lower resistance to extreme weather temperatures than some of the other roofing materials, they require proper attic ventilation and regular maintenance, otherwise, they can get easily damaged.
Architectural Shingles
They provide to a building a high-end dimensional look similar of the one offered by cedar shakes, plus durability and resistance specific to asphalt shingles. Architectural shingles have a fiberglass base coated in asphalt, cut and stacked in layers that provide the tridimensional look and then coated with granules. They are heavier than asphalt shingles, thus more durable and less susceptible to damage caused by hail and strong winds. Architectural shingles come with 30-50 year warranty.
Wood Shakes
Wood shakes are still one of the most popular choices among the other Arkansas roofing products. People use them for their natural look that will allow your home to perfectly blend with the natural surroundings and also for using a sustainable natural resource instead of nonrenewable petroleum products. Wood shakes are typically made from cedar. The other advantages of this type of roofing material are the ability to withstand different weather conditions, the UV rays and insect infestation.
Metal Roofing
Metal is one of the most durable roofing materials; a metal roof lasts for a lifetime when properly installed. It can survive extreme weather conditions, it reflects the heat instead of absorbing it, it is resistant to fire, rot and insects, also providing maximum shedding of rain and snow. Some types of metal roofing are lightweight and can be applied on existing roofs without additional structural support. Expert roofers can install this roofing system quickly; it will require minimal maintenance.
Imitation materials: slate, and ceramic tiles
Natural slate and ceramic tiles used to be THE roofing materials: very strong, eco-friendly and very beautiful on any type of building, but also very heavy and requiring periodic maintenance. Today, there are synthetic materials that provide the same beautiful turn-of-the-century look, being durable but also lightweight comparing to real stone materials. They can be installed much quicker than the materials they imitate and there is no worry about the structural integrity of the building, since their weight is not an issue.