Roofing Options - Long Island, Nassau County, Suffolk County, Queens, New York (NY)
Roofing Options for the Long Island New York Area.
If you’re considering a new roof for your house, then you’re in
for some fun! Roofing options have blossomed handsomely since the
turn of the decade, affording the homeowner many interesting colors
and textures for roofing; options that were simply unavailable or
too impractical to consider before for your roof. What you’ll
find here is a quick overview of three of the most interesting
roofing options out there, and where to find more information.
Asphalt Roofing Shingles -
When I was a boy, children’s snow suits and asphalt roof singles had
a lot in common. They were both heavy and came in only two
colors -- dark green or black. Thankfully, things have changed
for the better. Today’s asphalt roof shingles afford lots of room
for creative choices, thanks to an explosion of available colors,
textures and patterns. You can still get the usual “3-tab” roof
design (the kind with the ubiquitous rectangular pattern), but don’t
stop looking there. For slightly more money you can get roof
shingles with irregular patterns cut along their bottom edges,
creating an attractive random pattern that’s reminiscent of cedar
shakes. An added benefit of this “no-tab” style of asphalt
roof shingle is the absence of the factory-made cuts that define the
3-tab roof design. In locations with lots of pine trees, these
cuts can trap fallen needles that eventually rot and speed
deterioration of the roof shingles. No cuts mean longer shingle life
in places like these.
Several manufacturers offer premium asphalt roof shingle patterns
that are made with a single base layer, capped by a second,
irregular layer that has random cut outs. This two-layer
approach adds texture to the roof by creating shadows. It
looks great, especially on houses with a large, steep roof that’s
visually prominent.
If your current asphalt roof shingling job is the very last one you
want to do for a while, you should consider using a super-durable
product. These are made of the usual mixture of asphalt and colored
granules, but include an extra measure fiberglass reinforcement.
The best of these come with a 35-year warranty. Typical asphalt roof
shingles have a 20 to 25 year life span.
Metal Roofing -
Metal roofing materials are the chameleons of the building supply
world. No other product has undergone as extensive a metamorphosis
since poplar acceptance, in this case more than 50 years ago.
What started out as dull, grey sheets of steel has now taken on
colorful, bullet-proof, factory-applied finishes, look-alike
textures and camouflage coatings. You can now get sheets of
metal roofing, for instance, that look like clay tile, but go up
fast and can be supported by any standard roof structure. Products
that include fine stone chips bonded to steel look something like
shakes or slate, but go on more quickly and boast warranties as long
as 50 years.
Old World-Style Tiles -
For centuries people have kept the rain off their heads with an
interlocking network of baked clay tiles. Modern versions of
this European roofing style are now also made of colored concrete,
offering greater strength, solidity and long life spans, plus all
the same good looks. Concrete tiles are also available in a shape
that mimics slate and cedar shakes, if you prefer. Concrete tile
roofing products are solid and impressive, but they can’t be safely
supported by all roof structures. Before you get too far into
the planning process, go into your attic (or hire someone to) and
measure the length, width and spacing of the angled wood members
called rafters or sketch the triangular pattern of wood members that
form the trusses, if that’s what you find there. With this
information a concrete tile sales representative will tell you if
this product is suitable for your roof.
Getting More Info -
The easiest way to get the latest information on availability and
pricing of roofing products in your area is at a large roofing or
building supply outlet near you. Few such places have roofing
materials on display, so you’ll have to ask for pamphlets.
Better-yet, ask to see their behind-the-counter catalogues.
These are typically three-ring binders provided by manufacturers for
use by retail sales people. They’re not meant for public
consumption, but few outlets will refuse you a look if you ask
nicely. Even if you intend to have a Long Island roofing contractor,
Such as New Roof Long Island, provide and apply your new roof, a
visit to a building supply yard is a good way to educate yourself
about the possibilities. Another great alternative to educate
yourself is by visiting
www.newrooflongisland.com.
Roofing Lingo:
This short list will give you a fighting chance when confronted
by roofing professionals who start throwing around the jargon.
Square: An unit of roof area equal to 100 square feet.
Valley: The trough-like intersection point between two
adjoining roof lines. For example: The intersection point between a
dormer and a main roof is a valley.
Peak: Just as it sounds. The pointy bit at the top of an
angled roof.
Fascia: The horizontal face that surrounds the edges of a
peaked roof.
Drip Edge: An aluminum or steel strip that surrounds the
perimeter of a roof and keeps moisture from seeping under roofing
materials and damaging the roof structure
For more information, contact New Roof Long Island, a professional
roofing contracting company..
We have over 30 years of roofing repair experience.
We can fix any of your roofing issues. Contact New
Roof Long Island Today!
We are partnered with the major roofing material companies and
will beat any roofing contractor quotes.
Get your price then call us for a free roofing estimate. We travel
across Nassau County, Suffolk County and Queens New York installing
new roofs and fixing old leaky roofs.
If you are looking to fix leaks in your current roof or if you want
a brand new roof, look no further. We will fix your current roof or
do a roof rip and install a new roof usually in 1 day with very
minimal mess! (commercial roofing may be longer)