Austin, the capital of Texas, is a great and very special city in many ways, one of the features that make it so special being its capricious climate. Located in a transition zone between arid and humid regions, the city gets mild, short winters and long, very hot and often very dry summers and mild, pleasant springs and winters.
When local building owners look for materials to be used on their roofs, the climate that dominates the city is surely among the most important factors to have in mind, but the process should include the weighing of other aspects as well. Here are some of the criteria that you should use when picking the material for your next roof as well as some options that have been time-tested and proved very efficient.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Your Roofing Materials
Besides resistance to the types of extreme weather that can affect your city, roofing Austin experienced contractors substantiate that the other aspects to have in mind while browsing roofing materials include price, durability, aesthetics and energetic performance.
When it comes to pricing, roofing materials show dramatic differences. You also need to know that material prices can vary from one supplier to the other and they are higher in peak periods, such as in spring, but lower when the weather reduces the number of ongoing roofing projects, so shopping around and picking the best period to buy your materials are very important.
Roofing materials are different in terms of their lifespan as well – standard asphalt shingles can stay on your building for around 20 years, metal roofs are warranted for 40 years, while clay and cement tiles can offer a durability of up to a century.
Each roofing material is different in terms of thermal performance as well, some options, such as clay, offering better insulation, while others, such as standard asphalt shingles, are materials that need a little help in the form of insulation to prevent energy exchange.
The Materials that Work Best in Austin
Here are your best options:
- Clay and cement tiles – these tile types are heavy and not the cheapest option, but their durability, their classic charm, their superior resistance to the elements, including heat and storms, make the choice a really good one;
- Metal – the range of metal roofing materials is incredibly wide, allowing you to choose from numerous different alloys, styles and shapes. The most common alloys are aluminum, corrugated steel, stainless steel, copper and zinc-coated varieties, while the most common styles include large sheets, shingles and tiles;
- Impact-resistant shingles – these special shingle varieties are extensively tested before they reach the store to check for their resistance to being hit by hail as well as to high winds. The material is among the most expensive asphalt shingle varieties, but still cheap compared to other materials. Impact-resistant shingles are lightweight and they come in a wide range of colors and textures, so no matter what style your building features, you will surely find the impact-resistant shingles that match it.