How to Buy Roofing

With many types of roofing materials available for your new home or addition, you'll want to shop around to decide what type of roof meets your design and budget.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Slate-shingled Roofs
• Asphalt-shingled Roofs

1. Calculate the square footage of the roof area. This is the surface area of the roof itself, not the square footage of the living space below (this varies with roof slope, but will usually be 110 to 130 percent of the living space of the top floor).

2. Consider what type of roofing material you want to use. This decision is based on design and budget considerations. Asphalt shingles are the least expensive. Upscale homes sometimes have wood or slate roofing.

3. Go to several home centers and compare the roofing materials. Asphalt shingles are generally graded by the length of the guarantee offered by the manufacturer (typically 20 to 50 years). Higher-end asphalt shingles have a longer guarantee and a heavier, more dimensional appearance. Wood and slate roofing offer a smaller range of choices. If you're installing a slate roof, you'll need to choose between manufactured and natural slate and select a color.

4. Consult with your roofing contractor before ordering material. Make sure that the contractor has experience with the material you've chosen and that you're familiar with the installation costs (these can vary considerably with different materials).

5. Order the amount of roofing required.

Tips & Warnings

• Roofing is generally measured by the "square," which is equal to 100 square feet of coverage.
• Low-end asphalt shingles are generally very flat in appearance and have guarantees of approximately 20 years. High-end asphalt shingles have guarantees of 40 years or more and are much thicker and more dimensional in appearance. Expect to spend $40 to $100 per square for asphalt roofing.
• There is little variation in wood shingles beyond the choice to stain them a color. Wood shingles require significant ongoing maintenance - a serious consideration for home owners contemplating this selection. Wood roofing material generally costs in excess of $100 per square.
• Slate roofing is very expensive, with material costs generally starting at $200 per square for manufactured products. Natural slate is even more expensive.
• If you want to install slate on an existing roof, you should have an architect or engineer check out the structure to make sure the house can carry the added weight.

[daberelay]

on 4/4/2008 I'm obviously joking, but roofs can be also virtually bought (see http://www.roofarena.com for instance...)

than you need not worry about materails - right ;-)

on 11/22/2005 It is very important that the roofing contracter is fully insured, it is very important to check with the Better Business Bureau. Remember it's the service after the sale that counts.