Choose the Best Roofing Shingles for your Roof
The secret to a beautiful home is not as big as you might think. For a beautiful home, all you have to do is stop and take a good look at your property before you dive straight in and start renovating, restoring, revitalizing. The same secret applies to commercial properties; for a professional appearance, getting a good look at the building is the first step, in choosing the best shingles for your new roof or roof replacement.
Looking at your home, the walls, the roof, and the unique architectural details, will help you to understand your property a little better. It will give you an insight into what works well, what is enhancing your exterior, and what should be removed and replaced for optimum curb appeal.
One feature of any property in Chicago, IL that should be given great consideration is the roof. It’s the job of the roof to protect the interior of your home, but it also has a major impact on the look of the outside of your property. The shingles that you choose for your roof are going to completely alter the look of the building, for the better or for the worse.
All you have to do is take a quick walk around your Chicago neighborhood, with your eyes on the shingles, to see just how beautiful the right shingles look, and how severely damaged or bad shingles harm the exterior of a property.
So, how do you go about choosing the best shingles for your roof? The process isn’t as difficult as you might think! Here’s our five-step guide to choosing the perfect new shingles for your roof…
Step One: Get a Good Look at the Neighborhood
New shingles will restore the look of residential and commercial buildings, but for the best restoration, you need to get a good idea of what shingle styles are currently in use in your Chicago neighborhood.
The perfect shingle choice will enhance your home or commercial building and create a cohesion with the neighboring properties – making your property stand out for all the right reasons. Some neighborhoods have bold colored shingles, whilst others are subtler, so checking around will create a rough guide to what you should and shouldn’t choose.
There may also be restrictions over what shingles you can and can’t use, so it’s worth doing your research before you jump into the renovation project.
Step Two: Have a Look at the Types of Shingle Material
Shingles come in a range of different types, each of which can bring something different to your home or workplace. If you have light colored walls then a bold clay shingle type may work best, while bright and colorful walls may benefit more from a subtler type of asphalt shingle – understanding the style of your property will really come in handy here.
You’ll have a lot of materials to choose from when picking shingles, including:
- Asphalt Shingles
- Slate Shingles
- Clay Tile Shingles
- Wooden Shingles
- Metal Shingles
Each material will feature a vast assortment of very different shingle types. Asphalt shingles, for example, come in types like 3-tab, hip and ridge, and architectural; 3-tab shingles are rectangular and very cost effective, hip and ridge shingles deliver a unique ridged edge, and architectural shingles create a much more traditional look that replicates the classic roof shingle aesthetic.
Step Three: Consider the Shingle Style Options and Roof Protection
Once you have an idea of material in mind, you can start looking at the different styles available, and the unique features of the shingle. Depending on your shingle choice, you may have a lot of variation in style to choose from here, or you may be quite limited.
Style and protection should go hand in hand. Residential and commercial roofs should always be strong and well-maintained, with quality materials that enhance the structure of the roof or provide additional protection against fire, the weather, and problems like algae.
Here are some of the most important things to take into consideration when choosing a shingle style:
- Cost – There is a big variance in the cost of different shingle materials and styles. Asphalt is one of the most affordable shingle options, while a clay shingle is likely to cost you much more. Different shingle styles, like 3-tab vs architectural, will also alter the overall cost.
- Longevity – Nobody wants to have to replace the shingles on their roof on a regular basis, so looking at the longevity of your shingle choice is very important. Some styles of shingle are designed to last much longer than others.
- Appearance – The appearance of your shingle will shape the look of your home. Shingles can create different dimensional looks, they are available in a range of shapes and architectural designs, and you can blend styles to create unique looks.
- Weather Protection – Wind, rain, and snow can all take its toll on your roof, so your shingles have to be able to stand up to the weather. Choosing a shingle that will stay strong even in bad weather is important for the look of your home and the safety of the interior of your property.
- Algae Protection – There are few things that can impact the look of shingles more than the growth of algae – something that you want to prevent if you want to keep your roof looking great. Choosing a shingle that is resistant to the growth of algae can mean all the difference between a beautiful roof and a discolored roof.
- Fire Protection – It’s important for any shingle that you choose to have fire protection. This is especially vital for those shingle materials that are very prone to burning quickly, like wood. For optimum safety, a shingle that has been given a Class A fire rating is ideal.
Step Four: Pick Your Preferred Shingle Color
With a material and style in mind, you can move onto picking the color of your shingle – arguably the choice that is going to have the most impact on your Chicago home or commercial property. As you would expect from the range of materials and styles available, you also have a lot of choice for the color of your shingles.
Inspecting the existing materials in use around your neighborhood will have given you the first insight into what colors will create a cohesion with your property’s surroundings, but there are other ways to make sure that you achieve the perfect look:
- Factor in the color of your home – Your favorite color may not be the one that works best with the color of your walls, it’s important to get the perfect pairing.
- Consider architectural detailing – You want to accentuate the look of your home or workplace with your shingle choice, so make sure that you pay attention to all those little details that make your home unique.
- Think about the shape of your roof – If you’ve seen a beautiful shingle design on a low-pitched roof but your property has a high-pitched roof, the design may not transfer as well as you might like.
- Consider mixing colors together – There is no reason why you can’t create your own shingle combination with different shades of shingles – making your home stand out just a little more.
- Think traditional vs modern – Shingles can enhance the traditional style of a property and the modern style of a property, but to avoid a mismatched home, it’s important to think about the look you want to achieve first.
- Match your shingles with your siding – If you have siding on your property then you can achieve a great result by using the siding design as inspiration for your shingles. A perfect match can create brilliant property cohesion and even make your home look bigger.
Choosing a shingle color can be a lot of fun, but you may find that it’s one of the hardest challenges that you’ll face in the design process. From modern asphalt shingles in black and gray to classic clay shingles in shades is terracotta, there are an extensive number of directions that you can go in to re-design the exterior of your property.
Step Five: Speak to the Experts
Whether you’re designing the perfect roof for a commercial property in Chicagoland or an elegant roof for a residential property, calling in the roofing experts is going to be one of your best bets for a guaranteed perfect shingle choice.
A roofing contractor will be able to give you advice on the materials available, the best choice for your neighborhood, and which shingle will both enhance and protect your roof – making the design process much easier for you!
While you improve your property with new shingles, you can also get your chosen roofing contractor to assess the condition of your roof and make any needed repairs to the structure. Upgrading your shingles could be a project that improves your residential or commercial roof significantly.
The right shingle will turn your property into something truly special by enhancing the best features of the building and creating the perfect design and color cohesion. With the best roofing contractor in Chicago by your side, you can master the secret to a beautiful home.
Apex Exteriors are the service to call in the Chicago, IL area for advice on all shingle renovations, and residential and commercial roofing projects. Our roofing experts will help you to make the right choice for your home or workplace and make sure that your shingle choice will improve the curb appeal of your property for many years to come.
Last Updated on December 27, 2018 by ApexRoofingServices
