Flat roofing/slate roofing/Tile roofing

Selecting The Right Roof For You

Choosing the right roof for your home is an important decision. As well as the aesthetic choice, you need to think about the different properties various roofing materials offer. Below is an introductory guide to different types of roofing.

Slate Tiles

Due to the fact that the UK was a large producer of slate, many old houses in the country are topped in slate tiles. The UK still produces some of the best quality slate in the world, although it comes with a price tag to match. While other countries export slate for cheaper, slating your roof is still a relatively expensive option. Other than its classic beauty, the benefits of slate tiling include its longevity, lasting 100 -150 years, as well as being one of the most fire resistant roofing materials. Due to its longevity, it doesn't contribute much to the staggering figure of 5% of UK land fills being clogged with roofing waste. The downsides of slate include it being very heavy, meaning some structures may struggle to take the weight of a slate roof. Slate is fragile and can break if an unqualified person walks across the roof. With slate, it's imperative to ensure the person installing and repairing the roof is a slating specialist, like SS Roofing.

Clay Tiles

Clay tiles are widely used on property in the UK due to their attractive appearance and low maintenance feature. Clay also has a great track record in being able to effectively insulate buildings, reducing your heating bill and damage to the environment, while also being fire resistant for safety purposes. Usually used for both moderate and steep sloping roofs, clay tiles can withstand weather and climatic effects well, meaning they tend to last a long time before needing to be replaced. A negative aspect of clay tiling is that their manufacture is not particularly environmentally friendly as they require a great deal of energy to produce.

Cedar Shingle

Cedar shingles have huge aesthetic appeal and are also a natural insulator, reducing your energy costs and carbon footprint. Although they are more expensive to install than their main competitor, asphalt shingles, their conservation of a property's air temperature is a huge benefit. Cedar shingles are tougher than they look too, with cedar being widely regarded as one of the world's strongest woods. It can also be treated to become more fire, fungus and moss resistant.

Flat Roofing

There are a number of options available if you opt for a flat roof. GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic) flat roofs tend to be largely resistant to damage and especially so once they have been cured. Another type of flat roofing is felt, which doesn't have as long a life span as GRP, but is certainly a great deal cheaper. Although the patch repairs can sometimes look messy, a benefit of felt roofing is that it is easy and cost efficient to service.

If your looking for a roofing contractor you can trust to install or make repairs to your roof, look no further than SS Roofing Specialists. Please don't hesitate to get in touch.