A Brief Overview of the 4 Popular Roofing Materials Available in the Market in 2023

Building a new home or renovating an old one is a surely gives an exciting feeling yet is quite a strenuous process. The homeowner, with the help of his architect and engineering team, has to get a visual idea of how his/her house would look like and then decide on every detail including the outline of rooms, the furniture, the gardening space, the cushions, curtains, poolside amenities, etc. Roofing materials, inter alia, is one of the most important aspects of house building which have a huge role to play in the overall aesthetic sense, safety, and durability of the house.

Different Types of Roofing Materials Available in the Market

In order to suit the different climatic conditions and the requirements of the house, different types of roofing materials have come up in the global roofing materials market. Additionally, the growing pace of urbanization has led to an increase in demand for various types of roofing materials which has further propelled the global roofing materials market. Given below is a brief discussion on the different types of roofing materials:

1. Asphalt Composite Shingles

Probably the most popular roofing material in the United States of America, asphalt composite shingles are usually made from a mixture containing asphalt, fiberglass, and other mineral composites which give a certain texture, color, and shade gradient to the shingles. The primary reason behind the popularity of this type of roofing material is that these are suited to almost all types of weather and climatic conditions. Moreover, asphalt shingles are affordable and incur minimum maintenance costs which brings down the overall costing required for installation and upkeep. In the last few years, various companies have designed and developed recyclable asphalt shingles so as to address the rising environmental concerns associated with rapid urbanization.

2. Wood Roofing

Durability and energy efficiency are two crucial advantages of wood roofing which have made it a preferred choice for a huge number of residential and commercial projects. The wood used as roofing materials primarily comes from trees such as red cedar, pine, redwood, teak, etc. These woods are extremely sturdy and offer all-round protection to the house in almost all seasons. However, these roofing materials are quite expensive and require a lot of maintenance, especially in the rainy seasons which is why they are somewhat in less demand as compared to asphalt shingles.

3. Metal Roofing

Metal roofing has become popular mostly in recent years with aluminum and zinc becoming the top preferred choice due to the low maintenance costs involved in these materials. Metal roofing comes in two styles: shingles and sheets; metal shingles look similar to wooden or asphalt shingles and come in different colors and shades. The main advantage of metal sheets and shingles is that they are much more durable than their counterparts and are much lighter in weight as compared to wooden and asphalt roofing tiles. However, metal roofs make a lot of noise during rains or hailstorms which is why metal roofing materials require soundproofing.

4. Clay Tiles

If there was one competitor to asphalt shingles’ popularity as a roofing material, it is clay tiles. In fact, archeological studies have revealed that clay tiles were used as early as 3000 BC making them one of the oldest roofing materials ever used. In present times, clay tiles are the first choice in regions with hot and humid climate and strong winds. This is due to the ability of clay tiles to regulate temperatures inside the house which keeps the interiors cool despite the scorching heat outside. However, clay tiles need a sort of framework or additional structural support on which the installation can take place.

In Summary

The growing demands for renewable energy sources have led to a new type of roofing material known as solar roofing material. For this, shingles are manufactured using solar cells and are designed to act as solar collectors with each shingle generating around 35-40 watts of energy. Along with this, roofing materials which are recyclable in nature are slowly gaining ground in the market which is anticipated to push the growth of the roofing materials industry. All in all, the roofing materials industry is undergoing a subtle change and is predicted to help the market post stunning growth numbers in the years to come

About the Author(s)

Princy A. J

Princy holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the prestigious Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. University at Chennai, India. After a successful academic record, she pursued her passion for writing. A thorough professional and enthusiastic writer, she enjoys writing on various categories and advancements in the global industries. She plays an instrumental role in writing about current updates, news, blogs, and trends.