What Are Low-Cost Roofing Options?

If the roof on your house is allowing in moisture in several areas, you need to replace that roof immediately. A new roof is one of the most costly home improvement tasks. However, there are a few roofing materials that can minimize the costs as much as possible without sacrificing quality.

Asphalt Shingles

Asphalt is extremely popular due to its low cost and relative durability. Different grades or levels of asphalt shingles exist with the price going up alongside the quality. These shingles are available in a wide range of colors and tend to last for at least 15 years before needing replaced. Asphalt shingles are also fairly easy to install and can often be installed right over existing roofing.

The downsides? Asphalt can look as cheap as it costs. It's hard to get an elegant look from asphalt, unlike clay or slate. There's also the possibility of the shingles getting blown off in heavy windstorms even if nailed down properly. This isn't the most eco-friendly option, even when choosing the shingles that have an organic backing rather than fiberglass.

Rolled Roofing

Rolled roofing is essentially asphalt shingles redone to suit buildings with low and mostly flat roofs. The asphalt and backing material are rolled out across the roof and secured. But the key difference is that shingles offer multiple layers of protection due to how they are overlapped during installation. Rolled roofing only offers one layer and a backing material as protection.

This means that rolled roofing has a short lifespan that can be as low as five years. So this option is better for those only needing a short-term roofing solution until another material becomes affordable. In general, try to use rolled roofing only on garages.

Aluminum Roofing

Metal roofing has become more common over the past few decades. Aluminum roofing in particular is more expensive than asphalt but still far cheaper than clay or slate. This type of roof can also last up to 50 years without replacement, withstands the elements better than the sun scarring asphalt, is flame-resistant, and won't get caught in the wind. Metal roofing is also more eco-friendly.

The downsides? It is more expensive than asphalt in the short term, but its longer lifespan makes it a worthy investment. Some people also don't like the look of metal roofs, despite the fact that they do come in a variety of colors. Personal preference can be a deciding factor if there's enough money involved to have a choice between materials. Talk to your local contractor, such as J.D. Sanderson Inc., for more information.