Planning Your New Roof

Roofs are designed as a durable part of your home intended to last for decades as your first protection against the weather. They absorb some damage over time due to the roof’s very nature and function but have a well thought out plan which allows for relatively simple maintenance and repairs when needed. However, the time will come when the roof needs to be replaced and when that happens a decision needs to be made quickly so the replacement can happen before further damage to your home occurs so it’s important to be prepared ahead of time with a knowledge of what is available and what your new roof to be.

Materials

Roofing materials for the typical house with a pitched roof are generally limited to asphalt shingles, metal roofing, or cedar shakes. Asphalt shingles are a great price effective option which is generally considered the standard for American homes. Metal roofing with added new technology are becoming a popular option as well for their eco-friendly design of recyclable material in modular systems with little waste which add insulation to the house. Cedar shakes are a timeless classic which provide a look of class and elegance to the home and last essentially forever with proper care and maintenance over time.

Styles to Match Your Home

Any of the roofing materials can be styled differently to suit your tastes and match your house. Asphalt shingles and metal roofing come in a variety of colors and have different design shapes to form line patterns on your roof. Cedar shakes can be stained and finished to provide a lighter or darker appearance in order to suit the age and general appearance of the home while reflecting the personality of the owner. The three can be mixed and matched to add accents to particular home features or to bring each of their distinct advantages to different portions of the house.

Planning Tools

With internet technology, plenty of websites offer home design tools specific toward roofing needs. Using the Keyprime Design Center or a similar tool, you can upload a picture of your house and see exactly how different roofing styles are going to appear on the home. You can tinker with different colors to visualize how well each will match the rest of your home and develop a plan as to what you’d like to do when it comes time for a full roof replacement.