What types of Roofs are found on your typical home
Well, there is a large array of roofs out there. Some of the more common roofs found in our area are the following:
Gable Roof - A gable roof typically ends in an upside down 'v'. The roof basically will come to a peak or triangle on the front or side of the roof. A gable roof tends to be one of the most if not THE most common type of roof within the United States. The reason a gable roof is so popular is due to the ease of development, and the low cost compared to other roofs such as a Barrel Arched or Pyramidal roofs.
What are roofs covered with
A majority of roofs are covered with asphalt shingles. Asphalt shingles are typically three or more layers of asphalt, and a fiberglas® mat core.
What is a shingle
A shingle is typically a rectangular piece of asphalt. This is the typical type of shingle found on the top of a majority of the homes in the united states.
As of recent, we have seen some homes that are no longer using the popular asphalt shingle, and are now using terra cotta roof tiles. Those are the roofs that have the 'clay' colored / rounded roofs. These types of roofs are commonly found in the southern states of the United States of America. The reason you will commonly see these down south is due to the weather. They are lighter in color which makes them cooler, which in turn makes the home slightly cooler. They are very durable, but they tend to be a bit more expensive than your traditional roofs.
New Ideas and Innovations in Roofing
In the past 5 to 10 years, there has been a large amount of talk of energy and how to save energy and also how to help save the earth from it's impending doom (no, not 2012. more along the lines of global warming). Warmer air = warmer water. Warmer water = problem. Warm air is typically caused by the way the sun interacts with the earth. Another way warm air is caused is by body heat. The more people in a given space, the more likely it will cause the temperature to rise in a confined space.
Same rules apply in outdoor spaces. Most people take for granted that the heat outside is from the sun (which is true), but most people don't realize in an area like manhattan, the heat of the air is also raised by the buildings and the humans in the immediate area. If there was a way to cool down the air, why not?
One new situation that has been arrising has been the fact of whitewashing a roof. A black roof tends to absorb the heat which in turn will pass through the building and the air arround it. Turning that black roof white will allow the rays of the sun to bounce off the roof and back into the atmosphere, and potentially cool down areas by a few degrees.
It may be a theory, but it definitely makes some sense.
There are many roofing companies, but we have a few suggestions for you. Click on the following link and follow the links to find roofers in your area to help you out!
For more information on some of our roofing info, check us out at the following sites.
