Roof Styles: A Focus on Composite Slate Polymer Tile

Mark Clement, practical contractor for The Old House Web and host of MyFixItUpLife radio show, discusses the predominant roofing styles of homes across the country. If you have an old house and need new roofing, you may want to use materials common to your region.

A Look at Roof Styles by Area

Wooden roofing materials–eastern white and western red cedar shakes and shingles–are among the most popular across the land. Natural and attractive, cedar has been used for hundreds of years. The egg crate style, three-tab, asphalt shingle also has been a mainstay, giving way to a modern version called the architectural shingle.

The most durable and oldest roofing materials in the land are the sod or thatch roofs that exist today only in Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts. In America’s Southwest and Southeast, homeowners prefer the interlocking terra cotta clay or concrete tiles that reflect Spanish colonial architecture. They’re heavy and durable.

For the country’s northern residents, quarried natural slate provides an elegant roof pattern. However, the stone is heavy, so homes must be able to handle the weight.

For the home roofing project in the video, Clement uses modern composite slate polymer tiles from DaVinci Roofscapes. They’re a good option if you want a strong product and to maintain your home’s original style.

These tiles have the durability and look of natural slate but without the weight. They have a 50-year warranty but likely will last much longer. According to the manufacturer, the composite tiles come in 19 colors, as well as an EcoBlend™ of colors designed to cut energy costs and meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) requirements. The polymers also are said to withstand curling, mold, insects, algae, and fading.

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