Castle Rock Roofing Resource

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What is Composite Tile?

In a sea of homes roofed with asphalt shingles, you want your home to stand out. There is nothing wrong with a typical asphalt shingle roof, 75 percent of US homes are roofed asphalt shingles for a reason, but you may not want your home to be like all the others. There are several different options for roofing materials other than shingles, including the popular composite tile.

If you are debating roofing your house with composite tile, you want to know as much about composite tile as possible to make an informed decision. Let’s get a closer look at composite tile including what it is, and the unique benefits and drawbacks of this material.

What is Composite Tile?

A composite tile is a synthetic form of roof covering manufactured to resemble roofing materials such as slate, traditional tile, or wood shakes. Composite tile is used in situations where a homeowner wants the look of a more traditional roofing material, but not all the negative attributes associated with these traditional materials such as the extreme difficulty to repair clay tiles or the fire dangers of wood shakes. There are dozens of different cuts, colors, textures, and thicknesses to choose from when looking at composite tile so you can get the look you want for your home.

Advantages of Composite Tile

Mimics traditional roofing materials like tile, shake, and slate. 

Often impact-resistant

May be manufactured from recycled materials 

Much more durable and easier to work with than real slate, tile, or shakes 

Lightweight 

Large variety of color, texture, depth, and cut 

Carry Class-A fire ratings 

Backed by strong warranties

Disadvantages of Composite Tile

More expensive than typical asphalt shingles May not be an exact replication of traditional roofing materials

Deciding on Composite Tile

Even if you’ve decided that you want composite tile installed on your roof, you still need to pick what type of composite to install. Luckily you don’t have to do that alone. Call on local and reputable roofers in your area to find a roofer that can help you out with composite tile. Their expertise means you will get a composite tile that matches your home will protect your home and will look great while doing it.

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Should You Install Heat Cable on a Roof?

Homes in the colder portions of the United States may need stronger protection or different products compared to homes in more temperate climates. The freezing temperatures, ice, and driving snow and rain found in these parts of the country can do a number to all parts of your home, including your roof. 

Roofs in colder climates are more susceptible to frozen gutters, ice dams, and other cold weather issues that can damage your roofing system, so you want to make sure your bases are covered. Luckily there’s a simple product available at every home improvement store that can benefit your roof during these cold times known as heat cable. Let’s review what heat cable is and how it can help your roof this winter. 

Should You Install Heat Cable on Your Roof?

What is Heat Cable?

Heat cable is cable or conduit that is heated with an electrical charges and delivers that heat to different portions of your roof or gutters. Heat cable is useful in roofing applications where your roof and gutters seem to suffer ice dams or icicles even when the roof is ventilated. 

Benefits of Heat Cable 

Reduce the chances of ice dams and icicles forming on your roof 

Reduce the chances of gutters becoming clogged with ice and frozen precipitation 

Types of Heat Cable 

Self-Regulating Heat Cable – Self-regulating heat cable is manufactured to never rise above a certain temperature. The heat cable will not stay at a determined temperature, the self-regulating means that the cable won’t overheat and burn itself out. You can find temperature controls to install with self-regulating heat cable. 

Constant Wattage Heat Cable – As the name implies constant-wattage heat cables always run at the same amount of watts and cannot control their temperature. Constant wattage heat cables must be installed with a temperature control. 

Heat Cable vs. Heat Tape 

You may hear the terms heat cable and heat tape used, but when it comes to your roof or gutters, heat cable is what you’re looking for. 

If you think that if you need heat cable to help keep your roof healthy during the colder months, you should contact your reputable local roofer. Ask if they deal in heat cable to figure out what they can do for you.

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Roofing Material: Brava

You’ve done the research, you’ve read the materials, and if you’ve decided you want composite tile on your roof. That’s a great decision! Composite tile is the best way to get the look of slate, shake, or tile without all the drawbacks of these traditional roofing materials.

But now you have another issue, what brand of composite tile should you go with? There are many different brands available for composite tile so you want to choose something that will both look great and serve your home well, so what should you choose? We aren’t in the business of promoting one brand over another, but we are in the business of giving you the information to make the right decision for your roof. In this article we want to explore Brava composite tile including what it is, what styles are available, and some of the unique benefits and drawbacks of Brava tile.

What is Brava Tile?

Brava is one of the most popular brands of composite tile available in the United States. Brava produces a variety of composite roofing tile styles that can mimic the look of wood shake, Spanish and other types of tile, slate, and more. With Brava you get the look and feel of these premium roofing materials without some of the negative factors like heavy weight, or difficult installation.

Types of Brava Tile Available

Brava has several types of composite tile available and can help you out with:

Spanish barrel tile

Multiple styles of slate

Cedar shake

Benefits of Brava Tile

There are many benefits to choosing Brava tile for your next roofing project such as:

Wide variety. You can choose from multiple styles of shingles and tiles with Brava tile.

Strong warranties. All Brava materials come with a 50 year warranty.

Class-4 Impact resistance. All Brava products have passed UL 2218 testing and are certified as Class 4 impact-resistant. Class 4 certification may lower your insurance premium.

Compliant to Miami-Dade County code.

All Brava tiles are made from recycled materials.

Class A fire rating.

Suitable for a variety of climates

Despite all of these great benefits, this is really only scratching the surface of what Brava tile can do for you and your home. If you’re ready to take a look at some Brava samples or get your own Brava reroof started, call on your local roofer to see what they and Brava can do for you.

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Roofing Material: DECRA

When it comes to choosing the right materials for your roof, there are seemingly infinite options! Homes can be roofed with a variety of materials and each of those materials have their own unique benefits and advantages. The only real way to pick the right material for your home is by looking at the individual merits of different types of materials.

We can’t get into the nitty gritty of all the residential roofing materials available out there but we can pick one unique option to give you an idea about its benefits. You may not yet have heard about DECRA stone-coated metal roofing, but many homeowners across the country are now taking advantage of this material. Let’s get in depth with DECRA to let you know what it is, and the unique advantages of DECRA.

What is DECRA Tile?

DECRA is a brand of stone-coated metal roofing that’s quickly becoming popular in the United States. DECRA was founded by Louis Jacob Fisher when he realized he could combine the special properties of metal roofing with a stone coating to strengthen it even further. Mr. Fisher took this idea and started DECRA in New Zealand in 1957 to manufacture a strong, long-lasting, and great looking roofing options.

Benefits of DECRA

DECRA has many unique benefits not found in many other traditional roofing materials. Let’s review some of the unique benefits and advantages.

Strong: DECRA is steel coated with crushed stone, how can you find a stronger material?! The combination of steel and crushed stone make DECRA one of the toughest residential roofing materials currently available on the market.

Variety: DECRA comes in several different styles, thicknesses, cuts, and colors so you can be certain to find a form of DECRA that works with your home. You can use DECRA to imitate wood shakes, Spanish tile, and a variety of other traditional roofing materials.

Longevity: While most residential roofing materials last for 20 to 30 years, DECRA can last 50 years and beyond. Just check out their warranties!

Insurance Discounts: All DECRA materials are certified as Class 4 impact-resistant and Class A fire rated. These certifications may be able to secure discounts on your homeowner insurance premiums.

There are several great benefits to choosing DECRA for your next roofing job. If you want a roofing material that is looks great, is extremely strong, and will last decades, you should consider stone-coated DECRA for your next roof replacement.

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7 Benefits of Composite Tile for Roofs

Approximately 75% of homes in the United States are roofed with asphalt shingles. Asphalt shingles are a great overall material choice, but sometimes you don’t want your home to look like all the others on your block. If you’re looking for a material that will look great, protect your home, last for years, and stand out from your neighbors you should consider composite tile.

Composite tile may be increasing in popularity, but it’s still a relatively unknown material to many homeowners. To help you decide for or against composite tile on your home, let’s look at 7 unique benefits of composite tile.

7 Benefits of Composite Tile

Beauty: Wood shakes, slate, and tile can give your home a beautiful, striking appearance, but those materials also have many drawbacks. You can avoid the drawbacks of these premium roofing materials but still get the stark beauty by choosing composite tile.

Variety: There are multiple colors, styles, depths, and textures available for composite tile. You can use composite tile as to imitate wood shakes, slate, clay or concrete tile, and other non-asphalt roofing materials.

Strength: Composite tile is often stronger than the material it is imitating and many composite tile materials are rated as Class 4 impact-resistant, and for Class A fire resistance.

Insurance Discounts: Materials certified as Class 4 may get you a discount off of your insurance premiums.

Longevity: Asphalt tiles are usually certified from 20 to 30 years but many composite tiles come with warranties upwards of 50 years. If you want this to be the last roof you ever put on, you might want to consider composite tile.

Sustainability: Most composite tile, regardless of style, are manufactured from recycled materials and many manufacturers use 100% recycled materials making composite tile a sustainable roofing solution.

Lightweight: Despite their strength, composite tile are often much lighter than the materials they are imitating. If you want slate on your home but don’t want to reinforce your roof, you should consider composite tile.

With all of these great benefits, it’s easy to see why composite tile is becoming a popular new material. If you’re thinking about roofing your home with composite tile, make a call to your local and reputable roofing company. Your roofers Castle Rock, CO experts can discuss with you the unique benefits of composite tile on your own home so you’re matched with the best composite materials out there.

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Does Cold Weather Affect Your Roof?

With winter approaching, funny things are going to start happening in and around your home. The extreme cold, snow, and ice that comes along with the winter months will do their best to damage all portions of your home, including your roof.

Your home’s roof is put to its greatest tests during winter, and you need to make sure your home is read. So how exactly do the colder temperatures affect your roof, and is there anything you can do to secure your roof before the cold? Let’s answer both of those questions by reviewing the more common winter roofing issues and how to mitigate the chances of the cold damaging your beautiful roof and home.

How Does Cold Weather Affect Your Roof?

Ice Dams

Ice dams are caused when snow and ice pile up on the eaves or valleys of the roof, and will not allow proper snowmelt. As the season and cold progresses these large dams of ice will expand and contract, unleashing havoc on your roof life including damaging gutters, flashing, and causing leaks. If you walk outside and see large icicles coming off your eaves, it may be pretty, but it’s bad for your home. If you had ice dams last season, chances are they’ll be back.

Leaks

You could have a very minor leak in your roof all through summer or fall but it may not present symptoms until winter. The rising and falling temperature and the expanding and contracting of any ice around problem areas will expand even tiny leaks into big issues. If you notice a leak developing before winter, get a roofer to it before the cold turns it into a larger problem.

Get Your Roof Inspected Before Winter

The best way to get these potential issues taken care of is by having your roof inspected before the cold of winter hits. Your roofer can fight ice dams with a combination of ventilation or heat tape and diagnose and patch any leaks before they become a big issue for you and your home.

Just make the call to your local Parker roofers to have them give you a free inspection, and fix any issues before they turn into major headaches. With a great roofer on your side, your roof will be ready for whatever winter throws at it.