Roofing shingles all overlap but what type do I choose?

[KayeTine]

I am getting ready to put a new roof on my home. There are so many types of shingles. They all seem to overlap in sections. How do I decide what type of shingle to use? I did some research that I want to share with you. Below are several types of shingles but I'm sure there are many types not listed. If you know of others, please add them to the comments below. In the end, I know I will call Barton Roof for more information and ideas specific to my home. But at least I will be a little more educated when I call.

Solar shingle

The first thing I want to look at are solar shingles. Energy savings and leaving a very small footprint is very important to me. Solar shingles or solar panels or solar modules, depending on where you look, typically look just like a regular asphalt shingle. They can be made to fit together well, are durable and are easy to install. The roof needs to have a pitch of 3/12 or more. They are comparatively expensive but they do have a long life.

Asphalt shingle

Asphalt singles are the most common roofing shingle in the U.S. They are easy to install and less expensive than most shingles. They are one of the fastest installations, sometimes removing an old roof and putting up the new one can be done in less than a day. However, oddly, they are virtually unused elsewhere except in the outhouses in Europe. They are made of bitumen covered with a ceramic grit that can come in many colors. You must have a slated roof.

Wood shingle

Wood shingles are made from tapered thin pieces of wood, like red cedar. The problem is that if the red cedar is young, the life expectancy of the wood shingle is much shorter than if the red cedar is older. With the older red cedar, the life of the wood shingle roof can be up to 30 years. Bolts of other hardwoods including white cedar can also be used. Wood shingles are sometimes used on walls as well. The early North American colonies used wood shingles for most of their roofs and Scandinavia used wood shingles more than anything else until the 1950s.

Shake

Shake shingle are made from logs that have been split. Shake shingles typically gives a rougher appearance and are used worldwide still. They require weatherproofing and more maintenance than a lot of other shingles.

Ceramic tile

Ceramic tile roofing is lovely, creating a beautiful roof that can last more than 100 years, however, it is very heavy, requiring a very strong support structurally and it comes with a very high price tag.

Slate

Slate is actually a rock made of clay or volcanic ash. It has a life expectancy of up to 400 years, but it comes with an enormous price tag. Australia, Bethesda, Wales and Spain produce the highest quality slate.

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Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_commercially_available_roofing_material