There are a variety of quality roofing materials out there to choose from for your roof. Will you choose concrete or clay tiles, asphalt or cedar shingles, a metal roof or maybe even slate? Factors, such as price of materials, cost for installation, the finished look that you want, your home's own style and size, as well as how complicated the design of the roof is, all weigh into the decision making process.

To determine which material is right for your roof, consider:

• 1) What is the cost for materials?
• 2) How much will installation be for this roofing material?
• 3) Is any maintenance required? Cedar roofs should be cleared of leaves that would interfere with drying.
• 4) How long will the roof last? What is the longevity of the material?
• 5) How long is the material warranted for? The best roofing warranties are transferable and are not prorated.
• 6) Will the roof be easy to repair? Wood and asphalt shingles are the easiest to repair.
• 7) Am I living in a wet climate? Will my roof be shaded? If so, wood shingles are probably not your best choice.
• 8) Does my home have sufficient structural strength to support this roofing material? Extra framing support will be needed for clay or concrete roof tiles.
• 9) What kind of roof would best suit the style of my house?
• 10) In order to match the proportions of my home, which roofing shingle would be best?
• 11) Does my roof have a complex design? If this is the case, clay tiles would not be suitable. Metal roofs are difficult to install on complex roofs. Wood, slate and asphalt shingles are all perfect for complicated roofs.
• 12) Is my home in a high risk area for fire? If so, wood shingles are probably not your best choice.
• 13) Do I live in an area that is prone to high winds and hurricanes?
• 14) What colors are available? Note that light-colored roofs can lower the amount of air-conditioning that your home consumes.

Asphalt Shingles:

• Can be walked on for repairs
• Repairs are easily made
• Great variety in color & design

• Maintenance Free
• Good for complicated installations
• Widely available
• Reasonably priced

Cedar Shingles / Wood Shingles:

• Installation and material is more costly than asphalt shingles
• Can last 30 to 40 years when properly installed

• Color will fade to gray
• Repairs are easily made
• Good for complicated installations

Metal Roofs:

• Installation and material can be costly
• Repairs are very challenging
• Wind & Fire-resistant

• Maintenance Free
• Great variety in color and metals
• Harder to install on complicated roofs

Slate Roofs:

• Extensive longevity
• Installation and material is very costly
• Repairs require staging

• Maintenance Free
• Fire resistant
• Good for complicated installations

Tile Roofs:

• Extensive longevity
• Installation and material is very costly
• Repairs and installation are quite difficult

• Maintenance Free
• Fire & wind-resistant
• Not good for complicated roofs
• Not for cold climates

Inspecting a Roof:

Stay Off the Roof - It is generally not a good idea to get up on your roof to inspect it. Why? Basically for two reasons. First, roofs are dangerous because they are high, steep and you could slip and fall. Metal roofs are especially slippery. Other roofs can be slick too - particularly when they are wet or are covered in leaves, snow or ice. Second, many roofing materials shouldn't be walked on because this can damage them. Even flat roofs can be damaged by by patio furniture and foot traffic. To enjoy a rooftop deck you will need to have decking properly installed.

To inspect your roof you can either look at it through binoculars from the ground, or use a ladder for an up close look. From inside your attic you can also look for water stains that would indicate that your roof is leaking. Getting a professional opinion is a good idea as well. Roofing contractors from Renovation Experts can inspect your roof for you to properly diagnose its status. However, before you do that, here are some things that you can look for if you have an asphalt or a wood shingled roof:

Inspecting Asphalt Shingles:

To see if a roof with asphalt shingles needs to be replaced look for shingles that are rounded from wear, cupped or have flipped up or dog-eared edges. The same goes for shingles that are worn or shingles that have lost a large amount of gravel granules. If there is just one layer of shingles on the roof you can shingle over top of them. However, two layers of shingles is the limit. If your roof already has two layers it will need to be stripped before reroofing.

Inspecting Cedar Shingles:

A properly installed wood roof should last for 30 to 40 years, or in some cases even longer. To determine if your cedar shingled roof needs to be reroofed look at the ends of the wood shingles to see if they are split or cupped. Make sure you inspect the side of the roof that faces south as it receives the most exposure to the sun and therefore weathers more quickly. If there is a significant amount of moss check the attic to see if moisture is leaking through.