If you are going to maintain or improve a home, you will look at every space of the property. Everything will receive attention, from generic features like the kitchen and bathroom to the minute details like artwork and storage solutions. Homeowners will strategize and build a budget around those aspects of their project, ensuring they can enjoy an improved or well-maintained home. However, there is one feature that most homeowners will likely forget about when considering those renovations, and it is one they rarely think about because it is not within eye level.
The roof has one purpose: to protect the home. It is often the most durable and reliable part of the house, which is a sort of double-edged sword. While homeowners might not have to worry about it as much as other home maintenance needs, they might end up neglecting or ignoring it until signs of damage are either already alarming or visible. If you want to ensure you improve your home to the fullest, you must take a look at the roof if it needs inspection. However, why stop there when you can also make improvements to it? Here are a few trends you can perform on your roof today.
1. Eco-Friendly Roofing
When you look at a roof today from the ground, you might not notice anything different. Besides the material and color used or the roof gutter style, every roof today will look the same. However, you will find that modern roofing designs are significantly different from those about 10 years ago. You will start to understand the different designs of a roof today, allowing you to make significant changes. This can bode well with structural renovations like adding a new wing or expanding an existing room. You will be able to experiment with combination roof designs to further make your home structurally sound.
However, one change you might consider is making your roof today eco-friendly. Most homes, especially the aging ones, might have the traditional asphalt-based or PVC material. While they are affordable, they can do a lot of harm to the environment. Fortunately, you can make the switch to eco-friendly materials like metal, clay, and recycled materials. If you want to make the roof into a usable space, you can also invest in creating green roofs. However, roofing services might be necessary to accomplish the roof replacement, ensuring you can make the improvement project as safe and efficient as possible.
2. Luxury Shingles
The term shingles is synonymous with a roof. They are overlapping tiles that serve as the primary feature of your roof, covering nearly every space of the area to create an aesthetic pattern. Shingles will be laid strategically to ensure that whatever hits the area, like rainwater or falling branches, will roll down to the gutters or the outdoor area. When you perform a roof repair, it will most likely be about replacing a few sections of shingles. However, you might want to make luxury upgrades if you are already considering changing the existing shingles entirely.
Luxury shingles are available if you want to upgrade your roof today. You can utilize dimensional shingles, which offer a thinner layer but can contribute heavily to the property’s curb appeal better than traditional asphalt shingles. Moreover, you will find that while they look more luxurious, they tend to be more affordable than the classic option. You can also opt for luxury asphalt shingles. Luxury asphalt shingles offer the same durable protection but are bigger and bolder. They create a 3-D effect that will make your property stand out in your neighborhood. Those are only a few types of luxury shingles to consider, but they might be enough to give your home a completely new look.
3. Metal Roofs
Of course, you might end up requiring roofing replacements when you notice repair needs. This gives you an opportunity to consider other durable options for your roof today, allowing you to avoid further worries with what you currently have. It might be a more expensive project than initially anticipated, but it can remove the constant maintenance tasks and expensive labor fees you have to take for a compromised roof. There are many replacement options to consider, but metal roofing might be your best choice.
Metal roofs are sturdy, reliable, and strong, capable of beating the protective features you get from traditional asphalt roofs. They can withstand severe weather, such as heavy rain, layers of snow, and even strong winds. Moreover, metal roofs often have longer life spans, making your investment in the replacement worth it. You can choose from many metal elements like zinc, copper, aluminum, or steel. Most even have a combination of them all. However, pursuing the replacement will require you to get metal roofing services to ensure it gets installed safely and efficiently.
4. Architectural Roof Designs
Adding a new room to your home will require you to make roofing adjustments, especially when what you had planned affects the uppermost floor. As a result, you might have to consider architectural roof designs. A roof today will still follow the house’s structure. Oftentimes, you find attics have a dormer-type roof to accommodate the attic window. Cross-gabled roofs are often popular for homes with extended features like porches and garages. Architectural roof designs can be fun to think about, but they rarely cross homeowners’ minds. However, your chosen roof design can contribute heavily to curb appeal, boosting your property’s value and making design changes worth it.
You must consult a roofing contractor to help you find the most suitable roof design for your desired home improvements. The expert can recommend the right type, ensuring you do not have to worry about structural integrity and protection for your home. A roofing contractor also knows how your roof today can become up to modern standards, ensuring that your home feels like a contemporary property that will attract onlookers and even potential homebuyers.
5. Varying Roof Colors
If there is one thing that can make a roof stand out, it is the color. Most homes do not pay attention to the roof’s paint job, allowing the feature to rock the dull gray color that most traditional asphalt roofs have. It can be a missed opportunity, especially when your home siding and garden look vibrant and lively with color. As a result, giving your roof a paint job might be ideal.
You can start by working with a designer to help you identify the colors that can match the rest of your property’s color. There are plenty of real estate photos which you can draw inspiration from, but you must ensure it will be harmonious with the home siding. If possible, you can also opt for varying colors, creating patterns or sections that can make your roof more interesting and aesthetic. Bright colors might not be ideal when choosing the varying color route. Then, you can contact roof companies to help you execute the color change. Varying colors can give life to your property, boosting its appeal to both homeowners and potential homebuyers.
6. Low-Maintenance Roofs
While most roofs have low-maintenance features because of their durability, you must be part of the improvement process to ensure it. There are plenty of aspects to consider, especially when the roof already has decades in terms of its lifespan. Changes will be necessary by then, and your top priority is to ensure that it remains a low-maintenance feature. To do that, you must consult residential roofers.
Residential roofers can ensure that roofs will require little to no maintenance for the first few years. They will focus on getting quality materials, especially shingles. They will also prioritize proper ventilation, preventing heat and moisture from seeping into the attic or other spaces on your top floor. Moreover, residential roofers can take care of the gutters, which are vital parts of the roof. They can add gutter guards to the system, ensuring you won’t have an issue with the drainage system. Being low maintenance is a key benefit of a roof today, ensuring that home improvements will receive reliable protection for decades.
7. Strong Weather Resistance
The enemy of the roof will always be the weather. Its main purpose is to shield the property and the household members from harsh weather. While they can withstand multiple storms, it might only take one natural disaster to wreak havoc on your roof, which could compromise your property’s structure and safety. Hail, heavy snow, and thunder can all damage your roof, so it is vital to learn as much as possible about how you can ensure your roof is weather-resistant.
Roofing companies are aware of the dangers that harsh weather can bring, requiring them to take into account the property’s location when renovating a roof today. After every weather-related event hits your home, you must have it inspected by roofing companies. They can check for damaged shingles and flashings, replacing them with durable roofing products that can withstand the next climate attack. Gutters will also require protection, with roofers removing dead leaves, branches, and other debris that might be weighing down sections of the gutter or clogging the drain. Those steps ensure that the roof will be more weather-resistant for the next harsh weather event.
8. Synthetic Roofing
When it comes to roofing, most homeowners rely on natural materials for durability. Roof installation will often be made from materials like asphalt, metal, and clay. However, the costs and compromise with sustainability for the environment might want to make you consider other options. Fortunately, you can opt for synthetic roofing to ensure you avoid those two issues.
Synthetic roofing often involves recycled materials pressed into tiles or shingles. Stale materials like laminate and fiberglass are the most common items used for the synthetic roof. While they might not be as durable as traditional roofing materials, they still offer protection and durability for about 40-50 years. Moreover, it is a more lightweight option, ensuring that your property will not be susceptible to cave-ins. Synthetic roof installation will require you to seek specialized roofers, ensuring the project for sustainability will be executed correctly.
9. Green Roofs
Creativity is the most underrated element of a roof today. You might be drawn to focus more on functionality than aesthetics, but it doesn’t mean you can’t experiment with new or peculiar initiatives. One of them is pursuing a green roof. If you are an eco-friendliness advocate and have a passion for greenery, a green roof might be an attractive home improvement project you want to pursue.
A green roof is possible when you have a flat roof, ensuring you can add soil evenly and avoid the threat of your mini gardens sliding down. You can add roof coating to get started with applying the garden bed. Of course, weight considerations will be necessary. You must ensure that the soil is only around six inches deep. Unfortunately, this might limit your plant selection to shallow-rooted options. Roofing companies specializing in green roofs can provide you with good designs when they assess if your roof is capable of handling the project. However, a green roof will ensure that your curb appeal will be at its highest peak.
10. Roof Pressure Washing
Of course, the roof can be reliable enough not to require maintenance tasks for decades, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do something to keep it well-maintained. Like every other home feature, the roof can benefit from cleaning. Of course, rainwater does not count, especially since it brings along dead leaves and debris. Pressure washing can be a good idea to clean the roof, even if you are only spraying from the ground. If you want to ensure proper roof washing, consider hiring roofers for the task. A clean roof is a well-maintained roof, making it necessary to perform it at least three times a year.
Roofs require special attention, even if homeowners might forget about them. Eventually, you will reach a point where your roof will require maintenance or replacement. If that time comes, you must be prepared for it. These trends will help ensure you make the right choice when your roof needs enhancement. While it might take time, you can ensure that your roof will no longer be a problem again.