The roofing industry has changed quite a lot over the years. These days, homeowners are rarely opting for the standard, 3-tab shingles that were so popular a few decades ago. Instead, they are going with architectural shingles, and in some cases, with even more eco-friendly options like green roofing or slate. Whether you're shopping around for a new roof or are thinking of having repairs made to your current roof, it pays to be educated. Learn the basics on this blog, where we discuss roofing in the modern world. We explore various roofing materials, roofing techniques, and how to find the right roofer.
The time will eventually come when you need to have a roof replacement done. If you need to have your shingles replaced, you want to get the most from this investment. Therefore, there may be improvements and upgrades that you want to do when having the new roofing installed. The following information will help you choose the best improvements and upgrades for your roofing replacement project.
Using Durable, Leak-Resistant Underlayments
The underlayment of modern roofs is often referred to as roof decking. These are the slats, plywood, or other sheathings that conventional asphalt shingles are installed on. Today, there are several options to upgrade your roof decking underlayment, including:
- Plywood with thermal backing
- Rigid insulated sheathing designed for roof decking
- Thin sheathing to retrofit old slat decking materials
These are some of the options to update your roof decking underlayment. Many of these materials are also designed to improve the efficiency of your home. If your home has old slat-like decking, the thinner sheathing materials can be used to upgrade the roof and hide imperfections.
Addressing Problems with the Roof Design
There are also problems with the roof design that may need to be addressed. The issues with older roof design may be due to wear and problem areas where water traps have developed. Therefore, you may want to have some changes made to address these issues and prevent the wear of the new roofing materials.
Using the Right Moisture Barrier
The moisture barrier that is used when installing asphalt shingles is often a felt paper material, which is vulnerable to leaks and wear. Felt paper is also not very efficient. Therefore, you may want to consider some alternatives to these asphalt materials. Today, there are synthetic leak-resistant moisture barriers, as well as rubber reinforcements that can be installed on your roof.
Upgrading Your Old Asphalt Shingle Roofing
You also want to consider upgrading your old asphalt shingle roofing materials. Today, there are a lot of options for shingles and alternatives to update the roof of your home. Some of the options for roofing materials that you may want to use for your replacement include:
- Premium architectural shingles
- Synthetic shakes and tile roofing
- Metal roofing systems
The different options can be used to upgrade your roof with more durable roofing materials.
These are improvements and upgrades to consider for your roof replacement project. Contact a roofing service to have your roof inspected and get an estimate on replacing the worn shingles.