Choosing the Best Residential Roof Design for Your Home

Your house roof is not just a protective element that keeps rain and snow from getting inside. Not only will the roof determine the appearance of your house, but it will also influence your energy costs, which you will probably notice only when problems appear. Regardless of whether you are planning to construct a new house or renovate an old one, the correct residential roof design will play an essential role for you and provide you with a lot of benefits in the future.

Let us now discuss in detail what factors you should consider when designing the roof of your future house, so you do not feel confused during the discussion with your roofer.

Why Roof Design Is About More Than Just Looks

Many homeowners begin with their minds focused entirely on color and shingle type. This makes sense, because it is what will be most visually apparent to them. However, an effective roof design must also withstand the weather, serve as protection for the underlying structure, and accommodate the geometry of your building. Visual and functional aspects go hand-in-hand, and neither should be considered in isolation from the other.

It goes without saying that companies such as Greenlee Roofing, which have worked extensively with residential roofing clients in Central Oregon, give considerable weight to this consideration. They have taken the roof design process, making it system-based rather than paint-by-numbers-based. It is a mindset to be encouraged regardless of where one goes for roofing services.

Start With Color, But Think Past the Swatch

Choosing a roof color seems to be all the fun, and indeed it is. However, a couple of important issues to consider before choosing one are as follows:

• Is it compatible with your siding, trims, and eaves? No matter how fancy a roof material is, if it doesn’t harmonize with your exterior elements, it just won’t work.
• Should you take snowmelt into consideration? Darker roofs absorb more energy and therefore clear snow faster in colder climates than light colors.
• Are there any restrictions from a homeowners association? Sometimes it makes sense to make sure that you can choose this particular color.

These three questions come up quite often in discussions of actual homeowners and are a great way to narrow down the choice.

The Parts of a Roof You Don't See (But Should Care About)

This is when people become shocked. It isn't just the shingles that are nailed onto the plywood; there are several elements involved in creating a barrier from the outside world. Here is what to inquire about from your contractor in regard to your residential roof design:

• Underlayment membrane – Self-sealing material applied in those places of the roof where leaks are more likely to occur: valleys, flashing points, and low-slope areas.
• Ice and water shield – Extra protection of the roof in its most vulnerable parts to prolong its life expectancy.
• Pipe flashing—In order for you to have working plumbing, vent pipes have to come through the roof; flashings protect these openings from leakage.
• Drip edge – Steel element installed along your eaves and rake edges to protect fascia boards and the edge of your roof deck from water.
• Synthetic underlayment—Modern alternative for traditional felt paper with increased tear resistance and better safety for roofing professionals.
• Roof to wall flashing – Pre-finished aluminum flashing installation with hidden fasteners to reduce the number of nail heads that may cause a leak.

Not all of these materials can be seen from the driveway, however.

Shingles vs. Metal: Two Very Different Looks

Now that all the basics have been covered, what’s left is to make things even more exciting by choosing the type of material and finish for your home.

There are several reasons that made asphalt shingles the best option when it comes to roofing. These include its cost-effectiveness, variety of colors, and capability to be used in any weather condition. Some of the most common colors of roof shingles are brown, gray, and black.

Another popular trend today is metal roof installations. Homeowners choose this option mainly due to its longevity and versatility of styles available—metal roofs are great for contemporary or rustic looks depending on the color. Usually, these are more bold and distinctive tones, such as matte black, graphite, charcoal grey, dark bronze, copper, and forest green. In addition, metal roofs cope better with snow, storms, and other adverse climatic factors than asphalt shingles, which is very important for the northern regions of America.

There is no right answer here, as it all depends on many factors, including financial capabilities and climate zone.

Questions to Ask Before You Commit

In order to ensure that everything about the design works out just right, you might want to ask your roofer some of the following questions before signing your name to it:

• Which type of underlayment and flashing will be included in this particular design?
• Will the design hold up well to snow, wind, and rain in my climate?
• Do I need to be concerned with any restrictions imposed by my HOA or building codes?
• What is the life expectancy of the proposed materials?
• Can I see a sample of the real thing—the exact shingle or metal color?

Any roofer that can patiently answer all of these questions and give you enough time to think about it is most likely doing his best.

Conclusion

Residential roof design selection is not just a choice of an aesthetically pleasing option from a catalogue. This is a combination of a colour, a material, its structure, and other climate-related factors that have to be compatible. Take your time, do not hesitate to ask any questions, and do not be scared of entering into technical issues, since this is when you make your valuable choice.

Firms such as Greenlee Roofing offer this approach as a policy of non-pressure education, which should be the only way of making a choice of this kind. If you opt for the traditional asphalt shingles or metal finishes, it does not really matter what the outcome will be.