The Most Common Roof Types in Florida

While this may seem like a strange question, you need to occasionally ask yourself, “How’s my roof doing?” After all, not knowing could hurt you. For instance, the type of roof you have, its material, and its age all factor into decisions regarding your homeowner’s policy.

As a homeowner, you should know that every roof type has its own pros and cons. Having a general understanding of these things will help you find the best homeowner’s policy and handle any roofing issues that may occur. With this in mind, here are some of the most common types of roofing in Florida today.

Shingle Roof

This is one of the most popular roof types throughout the United States today. Many homeowners who have new roofs placed on their homes are choosing this style because it’s easily accessible, very affordable, attractive, and fairly easy to maintain. Unfortunately, shingle tiles are so lightweight that they can’t stand up to intense storm winds (e.g., hurricanes). They also quickly degrade, warp, and crack in hot climates.However, they’re the easiest type of roofing material to find and repair.

Clay Tiles

Many homes located in coastal areas have this beautiful and earthy roof type, and many other new roofs are being constructed from this material today. This is because they give a home a special Spanish contemporary feeling, albeit they’re a bit pricey. However, when well-maintained, they can last up to 50 years since they never rot, resist salt spray from ocean water, are resilient to elements (e.g., fire, wind, water),and are highly resistant to damage from insects. Unfortunately, when trees brush up against them, the tiles can crack or break easily.

Concrete

When properly maintained, this modern, highly durable roof type has a lifespan that’s very similar to clay. However, many new roofs aren’t being built with it because it’s slightly more costly than other roofs. It does provide good value (e.g., fire resilient, heavy rainproof) and looks quite attractive, though.

One thing you should know about concrete is that it’s coated with plastic or enamel, which can chip or degrade. Nevertheless, this roof type does handle strong hurricane-force winds well, which is why many new roofs are being built with it today.

Metal

When your new roof is made of metal, you won’t have a lot of maintenance, but you will have a lot of leeway when it comes to customizing your roof. This roof is very durable regardless of the weather. In fact, it can withstand winds up to 160mph. Additionally, considering the fact that metal reflects sunlight instead of absorbing it, metal roofing adds an additional layer of insulation to your home. However, metal roofing can be expensive and may need to be completely replaced depending on what type of physical damage debris and hail inflicts upon it.

Slate

Although these roofs aren’t very common in Florida,they are nice, customizable, and environmentally friendly; these roofs are like clay roofs in that they’re highly fire resistant but can crack under heavy weight or pressure.Since they’re manufactured from rock,they can be quite heavy, so you’ll need to check to ensure that your home can handle their weight prior to having one installed. You should also know that their repairs can be quite expensive since finding the same matching color of the original slate tiles may prove difficult.

What’s the right type of roof for your home?

At Avatar Roofing in Tampa, FL, we can help you decide what roof type is right for your home. Get in touch with us today so that we can get started on your new roof right away.