Innovative Roofing Materials Offer a Combination of Style, Durability, and Energy Efficiency

New roofing materials offer the right amount of stylishness, durability and energy efficiency. Solar roof tiles that convert sunlight’s energy, for example, or cool roof coatings that reflect the sun’s heat, both can transform home restoration projects in ways that not only make a stylish statement but also benefit our climate.

Storm shutters mitigate extremely harsh conditions, and can increase your property value and resale value. Most can frame great views and help lower your air-conditioning costs.

Solar Tiles

Solar shingles (also called solar tiles ), which look like plain roofing shingles, do double duty — capping your roof and saving energy, too. More electricity can be gathered from systems built with solar shingles or tiles than users can consume for immediate use, so electricity will be stored and used when the sun is not shining. For an average-sized, North American home, electricity costs can be reduced by around 90 per cent while becoming essentially energy-independent.

Whereas ordinary solar panels are clunky, bolted-on items that often clash with the lines of a roof structure, solar shingles slip into your home’s design so that, from the sidewalk and street, they tend to be less noticeable – and attractive – than standard photovoltaics.

Solar shingles are also more durable than standard shingles. Some manufacturers tout wind capacities up to 130 mph, and many designs integrate so well with surrounding shingles that the risk of hail or debris damage is minimised.

Additionally, a solar shingle wouldn’t have to be angled at a certain pitch to follow the sun throughout the day, thus making it potentially more energy-efficient than a traditional solar panel. More upfront cost could result in a smaller ROI, but the appeal could rely purely on aesthetics One solar shingle option is GAF Energy’s Timberline Solar Shingle. According to GAF, this type of solar shingle can be laid out in regular roofing patterns without the need for a solar installation speciality, and shouldn’t need a specialist installer.

Cool Roofs

Cool roofs reflect sunlight rather than absorb it and can lower a building’s energy bills and peak power demand, thereby mitigating the urban heat island effect. For example, roofs that reflect more than 80 per cent of solar energy costs 10 per cent less to run annually; such cool roofs also avoid smog formation by reducing local air temperatures and consequently reducing air-conditioning demand and greenhouse-gas emissions, meanwhile making work and home environments comfortable for people indoors.

These materials are available for low- or steep-sloping roofs of commercial, industrial and residential buildings, in the form of membranes, shingles and coatings. Membranes attach to the roof surface through chemical adhesives or mechanical attachment and reflective pigments on the surfaces of shingles or tiles will keep roofing surfaces cooler. EPDM membranes and single-ply thermoplastic membranes can be eligible for rebates offered by your local utility company.

Energy-Efficient Shingles

With environmental sustainability at the fore, both homeowners and contractors alike are looking for technologies that can make our homes more energy efficient. One way to accomplish this goal is to select roofing materials featuring reflective pigment technology. By enabling them to deflect much of the solar radiation transfer, buildings can maintain a cooler interior during those scorching summer heat waves.

Composite shingles are yet another green roofing structure based on recycled material. They are created using emulated materials plastic polymers, which is similar to slate or cedar roof shingles. Composite shingles are made with plastic polymers that are super resistant to fire. They can stand against wind and weather damage. These composite shingles are fire-wind- and weather-resistant material and they gives the best fire-wind- and weather-proof.

One of the most common and least expensive residential roof options is asphalt shingle, often the choice for high-volume tract housing, with shingles becoming more common as a roofing material every year. These are the classic dark shingles that can be very affordable and are very durable: according to the National Roofing Contractors Association, most asphalt shingles are engineered to last for 20 to 30 years. Today, most of these are also manufactured with textured, solar-reflective coatings that help keep the house cool in sunny climates. A cedar roof can be naturally insulating as well, better cooling houses in the hot climates of the American Southwest and Southeast, or even in coastal climates like Houston. It can also help preheat houses in cool climates, as northern New Englanders are fond of pointing out.

Self-Healing Shingles

Among these beautiful and durable roof shingles are brands known for elegance, durability and self-heal properties that repair minor scratches and dents without additional repair help.

Asphalt shingles are one of the most widely used affordable and versatile roofing materials for homes on the market. It offers endless options to customise and transform your roof into the perfect stylistic fit for your home. It is available in two main varieties: three-tab shingles and architectural shingles, the latter having thicker layers, giving them a heritage look like an architecturally apt and cohesive slate roof or shake roof. Asphalt shingles are available in an array of matching colours to provide an authentic aesthetic and curb appeal to your home.

Cool roof shingles have a reflective granular coating that helps them withstand high temperatures by reflecting more solar radiation and lowering energy costs, while blocking UV rays to prevent degradation. By helping to minimise temperature extremes Cool roof shingles are the best option for areas with extreme weather conditions.