When considering exterior maintenance on a house, many homeowner’s often overlook the most important part of their home’s exteriors … the roof. Why? Out of sight, out of mind. We simply don’t SEE the roof of our house as much as we see the siding, windows, trim, and doors. And even though we know the condition of the roof is important, it is easy to forget the constant abuse a roof receives; direct sunlight, pounding rain, hail, snow, and UV rays to just name a few. While most homeowners have heard of asphalt shingles, slate shingles, cedar-shake shingles and so on … very few have heard of the newest industry standard … composite roofing.
What Is a Composite Roof?
A composite roof is exactly what its name implies. It is a shingle composed of multiple materials that are usually layered and bonded in some fashion. They may be referred to simply as asphalt shingles because they are usually coated with asphalt granules for protection against the elements, however their actual composition could be any combination of fiberglass, wood, recycled paper, plastic, or other materials.
How Does Its Appearance Differ From a Conventional Shingle Roof?
A composite roof can create basically any roof style you might desire. It can portray the look of wood shingles, a slate roof, cedar-shake shingles … whatever your preference. Composite roof shingles come in a variety of colors and shapes, including dimensional shingles, so you’ll have plenty of styles to choose from. And yet with all this variety, installation of a composite roof is easy and economical because the ‘shingles’ actually come in long rectangles called a 3-tab style which overlap and interlock with one another to give the appearance of individual shingles.
What are the Benefits of a Composite Roof?
The advantages of a composite roof are many. Composite roofing is manufactured to withstand hurricane force winds, to resist and impede fire, and in some cases resist special regional climate conditions such as salt-air, algae growth, or snow adherence. Because the materials are generally synthetic, the shingles are built for durability and longevity. This is backed by the fact that most manufacturers offer 30-50 year or even lifetime warranties guaranteeing your new roof.
What Kind of Maintenance Does a Composite Roof Need?
A composite roof is practically maintenance-free. Basically the only condition you need to be concerned with is the growth of moss if you live in a particularly humid area. Moss growth can result in damaged shingles and obstructed water flow. To mitigate the possibility of moss growth, remove any leaves and limbs from the roof and cut back trees to avoid having too much shade over the roof area. However, if moss growth does occur, call a roofing contractor and they can apply a chemical solution to your roof. Do not power wash a composite roof (or any roof) as it causes unnecessary wear.
Will My Composite Roof Need Repair or Replacement?
Composite Roofs are usually guaranteed for the lifetime of the home, so repairs are generally not expected. However, as a responsible homeowner you should still inspect the roof periodically. If you notice a smoothing of the shingle granules, you may need to have a particular section of the roof replaced. This is a quick and easy process due to the construction of composite roofs. As long as the original installation was done correctly by a trained and experienced professional, your new composite roof should give you a lifetime of maintenance-free and worry-free protection.
Here at American Windows & Siding of VA, Inc., we enjoy helping people. If you have any questions about roof replacement, composite roofing, asphalt shingles, new roof systems, or any other roofing questions, … feel free to contact us anytime and we’ll do our best to answer all your questions!
