Clay Tile Roof Staggered Cedar Shake Roof Tapersawn Cedar Shake Roof Concrete Tile Roof Roof Areas Asphalt Shingle Roof
Heavy Cedar Shake Roof Staggered Concrete Tile Roof Z Bar Wall Flashing Concrete Tile and Primary Wall Flashing Slate Roof Rake Wall Z Bar Flashing


Roofing Materials

 

We recommend choosing your Roof Covering Material first, if possible, or at least decide on one or two types of roof covering materials that you might be interested in before obtaining proposals from Contractors.

If you see a roof in your travels that you are interested in, take a photo of the roof and show it to someone at a roofing supply company who can help you identify the roof covering material.  Try and get a closer picture of the roof showing some of the details of the roof covering if you can.

One way to familiarize yourself with the types of roofing materials available is to use the internet.  We recommend visiting Roofing Material Manufacturers Associations' websites, some of which are listed below in no particular order for:  

Asphalt Shingles visit the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association's web page:   https://www.asphaltroofing.org/gallery/

Cedar Shakes and Shingles visit the Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau:   https://www.cedarbureau.org/

Clay and Concrete Tile visit the Tile Roofing Industry Alliance web page:       https://tileroofing.org/gallery/concrete-tile/

Metal Roofing visit the Metal Roofing Alliance web page:    https://www.metalroofing.com/gallery/

Composite Roofing materials do not appear to have a manufacturers' association so you're left with searching for the individual companies and there are several.  Basically they are newer roofing products made from combining different materials in different ways.  Beware that some of these new roof covering alternatives to the main four types of Steep-Sloped Roof Covering materials listed above may not be "Approved" by a third party materials testing company as required by the ICC Building Codes.

 

Types of Roofing Materials:

The three most widely used roofing materials installed on Steep-Sloped roofs are Asphalt Shingles, Cedar Shakes and Shingles (although to a far lesser degree in recent years), and Concrete Roof Tile.  Somewhat less used roofing materials are: Clay tile; Metal roofing, both metal standing seam and metal panels; and Alternative Roofing Materials made of various other materials other than asphalt, wood, or concrete.  For now this website will focus on the three main types of roofing materials: Asphalt Shingles, Cedar Shakes and Shingles, and Concrete Roof Tile. 

Below are links to the three most widely used Steep-Sloped roofing materials.  Here you will find information about what they are made of and the various types, styles and textures they are available in.  You will also get a better idea of their true life expectancy, their advantages and disadvantages without the hype from the manufacturers or salesmen, plus a lot more.

Asphalt Shingles

Cedar Shakes and Shingles

Concrete Roof Tile

 

Visit our Roof Inspection Services web page and the many other web pages throughout this website to find
answers to your roofing questions and solutions to your roofing problems.

 

Page Revised/Updated 2/27/2023