Roofing Products

Product Types

General Roofing Information

ELEMENTS OF ROOF REPAIRS

Slate

If your roof is slate, chances are it has been there for a while. Among the various types of roofs, the distinctive slate roof is probably the longest lasting (easily 100 years). A Beautiful texture and as colorful as they are, slate tiles cost $1,000 per square, so expensive that they’re rarely installed as a new roof.
Maintaining a slippery slate roof is probably best left to an experienced roofer—slate is often installed on steep slopes, and walking on it can damage it.

Metal Roofing

Metal roofing has a special place in America’s history—probably our most famous roofs are the weathered-green copper roof on State Capitol buildings, Churches and Victorian homes. Copper makes a beautiful roof, but it’s not a metal often used on homes. At its core, most sheet metal roofing is aluminum, steel or of various alloys. It costs about $300 a square, but it’s quick and easy to install, and can last 50 years or more. Metal makes the lightest roof, so while other materials might require the expense of removing the old roof before re-roofing, metal can usually be installed on top.

METAL TILES: Granular-coated steel roofing tiles offer the all strength and durability of steel while having the appearance of shakes or an old-world tile roof.

Built-up Membrane

Flat roofs require very different techniques and materials. For many years the most common methods were built-up roofing, made of layers of roofing felt and molten asphalt, or membrane roofs with heat-sealed seams. Both methods use a risky mix of heat and flammable materials, and according to Shore, safety and insurance concerns are making adhesive-sealed membrane roofs—which cost about $300 a square—more popular.

CONCRETE TILES: Pre-cast tiles are made from Portland cement, water and aggregates. They’re heavy, at about 10 lbs. per sq. ft.

Alternative Products

There are many other roofing products to choose from. Among these are imitation slate, some made of recycled rubber or plastics. Recycled plastics are also used for some imitation cedar shakes, such as those from Ontario-based Enviroshake, which feature a longer lifespan than real cedar, and are mold and insect-resistant.

METAL ROOF: Modern metal roofing comes in all shapes and sizes. Roofs can be made from steel panels (as shown) or with metal shingles or tiles

Do it Yourself?

Can you install your own roof? Some materials, such as fiberglass asphalt shingles, are more suited to a "do-it-yourselfer" then others, such as slate. Most of the work—but certainly not all—requires brawn more than brains. For the larger areas—the “field” of the roof—the labor required is considerable: there’s lots of heavy lifting and repetitive nailing. There's also the shingle line course pattern to consider and how to go around objects such a plumbing and air vents. The roofer’s skills come into play at the edges, where the flashing needs to be properly designed and installed to be effective. Some cities require a building inspection so if you do it yourself, do your research.
You’ll need a period of clear weather, and you should be prepared to protect the unfinished roof if the weather doesn’t hold. It’s not just the roof that needs protection—always consider your own safety. Without precautions, the right equipment and experience, you risk a potentially fatal fall.
Shore, who laughingly admits he’d prefer homeowners hire his roofers than try to do it themselves, has a tip: “The first time you install a roof, you’re likely to screw it up. Get some help from someone who already has some experience with roofing."

1. When a three-tab asphalt shingle was installed, four nails should have been hammered along its midline, just above the tab cutouts. Another four nails, hammered through the row above, secure the top of the shingle. Removing and replacing a damaged shingle requires removing its nails and the nails one row up. 2. Slip a cat’s paw, or small pry bar, under the damaged shingle to loosen nails (protect the shingle below with a scrap of wood), then wiggle them out. Similarly, loosen the nails on the row above. You won’t need to remove these completely, just enough to slide the damaged shingle out. 3. Trim the new shingle to match the size of the old and slide it into place. 4. Re-nail the shingle. To avoid leaks, try to get new nails into the old holes. If this is difficult, first seal the old holes with roofing cement. Since the nail heads are hidden under shingles, use scrap wood as a nailing block so as not to damage those shingles. 5. Cover the nail heads with a dab of roofing cement. Another dab will help hold the corners of each tab down. If needed, weight the shingles down overnight, but be sure that the weight won’t slide off and injure anyone.

Obviously, roofs are built differently across the country for good reason—although some fundamentals apply no matter where you live. If you’re considering a new roof for your house, your choice of roofing materials will probably be determined by two main variables: climate and budget. That said, aesthetics may also sway your decision—what looks right on your house and how much of your roof is visible from the ground.

Fiberglass Asphalt Shingles

Chances are, you’re reading this under a shingled roof. Most American residential roofs are protected by fiberglass asphalt shingles, including the familiar three-tab shingle and newer, thicker laminated shingles. A relatively inexpensive option, they’re priced at about $75 to $100 per square, not including labor. (A square is a standard roofing measurement, equal to 100 square feet). While they don’t last as long as some other roofing options—usually between 20 and 30 years—the lower cost of asphalt often makes it the best value.
Traditional asphalt shingles come in a wide variety of styles and colors, including versions with scalloped or irregular edges; three tabs or none; and color shading to suggest dimension. For high-wind areas, there are shingles that interlock, and for damp areas, there are shingles resistant to moss, mold or algae growth.
Shingles, like health care and vowel pronunciation, distinguish Americans from our Canadian neighbors. In Canada, asphalt shingles made with organic felt (a mat of wood and other cellulose fibers) dominate the market. In the U.S., almost all shingles use a fiberglass felt. With both types, the felt is impregnated with asphalt (a bituminous hydrocarbon usually obtained as a byproduct of oil refining) and embedded with colored mineral granules that prevent ultraviolet light damage.

ABOVE: Three-tab asphalt shingle. BELOW: Laminated asphalt shingle. As asphalt shingles age, they lose their granule covering and begin to break down. Eventually, they'll crack and curl and may need replacement.

Organic shingles, often made of deliberated wood fibers and asphalt, usually last between 15 and 30 years, and typically the heavier they are, the longer they last. Most organic shingles are more tear-resistant than fiberglass and remain more flexible in cold weather, key reasons they’re a Canadian favorite. According to Dowd, heavier organic shingles rated for 25 to 30 years are the best value for Canadian homeowners.

Fiberglass shingles are lighter and hold up better in heat. Although, they usually require an petroleum felt underlay and some become brittle in cold weather. Newer fiberglass shingles that address these problems aren’t yet very popular, but that may change within about five years, the demand will be driven partly by insurance companies that like fire resistance.

Laminated shingles, also called architectural shingles, are made of multiple layers of felt (organic, fiberglass or other mixtures) sandwiched for a more three-dimensional appearance. They give more visual texture to a roof, and come in various styles suggesting the look of slate, cedar shakes or other materials. They’re more expensive than three-tab shingles, at about $100 a square. And in part because they’re thicker than three-tab shingles, they’ll probably last longer. Some single-layer shingles are shaded with color to create the two-layer look of laminated shingles.

Cedar Shakes and Shingles

Homeowners choose cedar primarily for its natural good looks, although when properly installed and maintained, cedar has a surprisingly long lifespan—up to 25 years. Shakes cost about $300 a square. Like slate, high cost means cedar is normally used on steep-slope roofs, where it’s more visible from street level. They are not recommended in southern states where the heat during summer months make them curl. They are also a higher fire hazard in these areas due to electrical rain storms.

Hill Country Roofing
P.O. Box 704
Spiro, Oklahoma 74959

(830) 549-7678 Cell
(830) 303-6400 Office