Roofing Buying Guide for 2023
How do you know when you need a new roof?
When your roof is over ten years old, it is a good idea to start thinking about replacing it. Roofs in Texas tend to wear out much quicker for several reasons, including severe weather and UV ray degradation. It would be best if you had your roof inspected to check for damages. However, some roofs may last much longer.
Another way to tell is if your roof requires repairs more often. Repairs like missing shingles or leaks might indicate your roof’s life span is nearly over. Repairs like replacing worn pipe jacks are common after several years, but they are not a good indicator of roof quality.
When we inspect older roofs, we focus on the brittleness of the shingle and look for hail damage and granule loss.
When a shingle gets brittle, it will easily break in high winds if lifted, and brittle shingles are also much more acceptable to hail damage.
Shingle roofs with granule loss are easy to spot. Roofs missing granules have dark spots. The granules help protect the shingle from UV rays and also add shingle strength against hailstones.
Considering Your Roof Options
When considering your roof options, you have plenty of choices. Although laminated shingle roofs are the most common roof covering in Texas, many great options are longer lasting that you can choose.
Standing Seam Metal Roofs
Standing seam metal roofs are one of the longest-lasting roof materials available, and they will last for 50 or more years when adequately maintained. These metal roofs are lightweight and make a handsome roof for many styles of homes. Standing seam roofs will hold up to huge hailstones without leaking.
However, many homeowner’s insurance policies will provide a Class IV discount but will make you sign a cosmetic waiver. This means that no matter how dented the metal becomes, they will not replace it unless there are penetrations. Be sure to check with your insurance company before deciding on a metal roof.
Clay or Concrete Tile
Clay and concrete tile is another strong roof covering that will last longer than your basic asphalt shingle. Tile roofs are heavy; concrete tile is much heavier than clay tile, so you may need additional framing support for the added weight.
Tile roofs are the perfect roof for Mediterranean-style homes and fit the look of many other home designs.
Natural Slate Roof Tiles
Natural slate roof tiles are gorgeous, durable, and considered to be eco-friendly. Slate tile takes little mechanical processing to create and, therefore, produces a small amount of carbon waste per roof compared to the processing of most other roof coverings.
Slate tile may also allow you to get the Class IV discount; to be sure, you will need to check with your insurance company. Slate roofs have lasted over 100 years in areas that are usually very hard on roofing materials.
Impressed Metal Roofs
Impressed metal roofs are fantastic options for nearly any home. Impressed metal roofs are more robust than standing seam roofs due to their rigid profile. This roofing material is offered in several shapes to mimic tile, slate, shake, and shingles.
Stone-coated steel is an impressed metal roof that is granulated. Stone coating adds strength to the panel that adds resistance to denting from hailstones.
Other Asphalt Shingle Options
If you like asphalt shingles but want a better shingle than the average 30-year laminated shingle, there are several options for your home.
High-impact shingles look the same as the typical laminated shingle but are thicker and are Class IV rated to resist large hailstones. All major brands of asphalt shingles offer high-impact shingle options. We recommend Owens Corning, GAF, CertainTeed, and Atlas brands of high-impact shingles.
You can also look into luxury shingles that mimic the slate and wood shake style. Often these shingles are also Class IV rated. We like the look of CertainTeed Belmont shingle, Owens Corning Berkshire and Woodmoor, GAF Camelot II, and Atlas StormMaster Shake. Any of these luxury shingle options will add a beautiful look to your home.
What are the Costs of All the Different Roof Options?
The costs of all the different roof options vary widely, even within the individual roof systems. For example, the cost of slate material has an extensive range based on the color, thickness, and region the slate was quarried. We will give you the best current price range for each system, but if you have an idea of the exact material you want, reach out to us, and we can give you a solid estimate.
Slate Roofs Costs – $1150 – $2700 per Square (100 SF)
Clay Tile Roofs Costs – $1000 – $1800 per Square
Concrete Tile Roof Costs – $800 – $1300 per Square
Standing Seam Metal Roofs Costs – $700 – $1200 per Square
Impressed Metal Roof Costs – $650 – $1100 per Square
Luxury Asphalt Shingle Roof Costs $450 – $650 per Square
Understanding the Basic Roof Components
When you are getting estimates from several companies, it is important to compare more than just the price. Your estimate should be detailed enough to show you all the components that the roofing company is installing on your home. This is the only way to be sure that each company quoting your roof is doing the same work.
The basic roof components
- Drip Edge – goes on the edge of the roof to keep water from running behind your fascia.
- Underlayment – traditionally, asphalt felt paper was used, but synthetic underlayment is a much better choice since it does not degrade as quickly.
- Starter Shingles – the first course of shingles that start at the eave of the roof.
- Ice and Water Barrier – used in the north at the eaves to prevent ice damming; however, it is used in Texas in valleys and around chimneys and skylights.
- Field Shingles – the primary roof covering
- Hip and Ridge Shingles – these shingles cover all the seams at the ridgelines and hip lines
- Pipe Jack – houses have vent pipes that come out of the top of the roof for all drain pipes; pipe jacks are the flashing used to keep these vents from leaking
- Attic vents – attic ventilation is critical; it allows the attic temperature to be controlled to prevent overheating and moisture issues. Box vents, ridge vents, power vents, and solar vents are all types of attic vents.
How to Choose Your Roofing Company
Knowing how to choose your roofing company is essential to having a good roof replacement experience. Many roofing companies, frankly, are just not honest and reliable.
When you choose a roofing company, you should research them online to look for reviews, online presence, and social media accounts.
Reading reviews are beneficial but beware of a company that has many recent reviews. This is not normal and may indicate that the reviews were bought and are not honest.
Legitimate companies have an online presence in this day and age. If the company you are looking at does not have an online presence, this may mean they are a fly-by-night company or possibly just lost in the past.
Social media accounts will give you reviews and insight into the company’s work. Additionally, it is an excellent way to take a peek at the company culture.
Doing your due diligence is a great way to prevent being scammed and have a great experience when getting your roof replaced.
