A roof is as important as a foundation to a building. While it might seem like just another building element, a roof delivers benefits such as protection of the people and properties in the building from weather conditions and provision of aesthetic pleasures, among others.
Yes, a roof is important but making a choice of which roof to have installed in your building is not as easy as it seems. This is because many things have to be put into consideration before an appropriate choice can be made. These factors include:
- Longevity
When choosing a roof, consider going for one that would last long. Not one that would require frequent maintenance, repair and/or replacement.
- Cost
Different roofing sheets have different prices. While some are relatively cheap, some are not. The difference in price could be as a result of the difference in brand, quality, or even production cost.
Generally, roofing sheets with better quality as well as those that last for long, tend to cost more than those with lower quality and those without the characteristic of longevity. It should also be noted that the fact that it is expensive does not mean that it is of good quality; the producer may only be selling the brand name.
Determine how much you want to pay for a roofing sheet. When making this decision, consider financial cost as well as other non-financial costs like aesthetics, resilience and material weight.
- Aesthetics
That a roof is a fundamental part of a building does not mean it should not offer non-structural benefits like aesthetic pleasures. When choosing a roof, opt for one that would aesthetically complement your home.
Does it complement your patio, doors, chimney structure, and windows? Ask this question before making a choice.
- Resilience
When picking a roof, it is important to go for a resilient. This is especially important if your building is in an area that is prone to natural disasters or is such an area that has the likelihood of being affected by these disasters.
You would want to pick a roof that has some resistance to tornadoes, storms, and/or hurricanes. You would also want to opt for a roof that would not cave in when hit by tree branches and other flying debris.
When living in an area that is prone to wildfires or has a possibility of being susceptible to wildfires, you should consider opting for roofing materials that would not serve as fuel to this fire, especially roofs made from wood.
While there is hardly any roof that would be resilient against a fire that engulfs a building, there are those that will not cause fire due to sparks or embers from a nearby fire.
- Material weight
As much as the bulk of the weight of a building is in the building itself, you don’t want to use roofing materials that would outweigh this building as heavy roofing materials could impact on the building’s structure. Opt for roofs that would compliment and not overburden your building’s structural weight.
- Local climatic condition
The climate of the area the building is located in should also be factored in when the choice of a roofing type is being made. If it rains a lot, you might want to opt for a sloping roof that allows the water runoff.
Humid conditions encourage the growth of mold, mildew, algae and other microbial communities on roofs whose material is conducive for this microbial growth. If in a place with cold climate, you might want to opt for roofs that will trap heat in the building.
- Maintenance requirements
When choosing the roofing type, consider maintenance requirements.
These requirements include possibility and frequency of leak damage, ease of repair of these damages, the type of material used, the availability of this roofing material when it is needed for repair and/or maintenance, the cost of the maintenance, and the accessibility of this roof to the technician who is to carry out this maintenance
- Building type
When choosing the roofing type, you need to consider if the building that needs the roof is a new one, an existing one that needs to have its roof replaced or it is a building that recently had an extension which also needs its roof.
If it is a new building, you can make a choice of roof based on the aforementioned points as well as other factors that will be mentioned later on in this article.
Also, if it is an existing building that needs to have its roof replaced, you would have to consider factors like already existing components like roof pitch and underlying roof structure.
- Local codes
Some states and communities have rules that apply to buildings located in them as well as the choice of building material permitted for use by inhabitants. When choosing which roofing type to use, you need to consider these and ensure you pick roofing types that do not contravene these codes.
Also, if you live in estates and other gated communities that have buildings with a similar look, you should consider choosing roofs that blend in with the rest.
Yes, you can be unique when choosing roofs, but try not to let yours contrast the already existing ones.
- Energy efficiency
Energy-efficient roofs are roofs that have high reflectivity and/or emissivity ability.
Reflectivity, in this case, means that in summer conditions when there is a lot of radiation from the sun, roof reflects a lot of this solar energy and keeps the building, especially the upper parts of a high rise building, less hot than otherwise. By doing this, it helps to control the warmth in the building, keep it cooler and cause electricity bills to be lesser as less electricity is needed to cool the room.
Emissivity, in this case, means that the roof can absorb some solar energy and later radiate this. By doing this, the building gets to stay warmer; a favorable condition during colder periods.
In this case, lesser energy is needed to warm up the house during cold periods.
Though these energy-efficient roofs might be initially expensive, in the long run, they help to save on recurring energy bills.
To Wrap It Up
The choice of what roof to install is as important as other choices needed to be made. The aforementioned factors, when carefully considered, can guide one’s choices.
