California’s Best Roof- At a Glance Comparison Chart

1-Additional clips, nails, and or wiring may be required in high wind locals.
2-Based on Dry weight, all except steel increase weight when weight!
 

OVERVIEW OF CONVENTIONAL ROOFING PRODUCTS
 

Wood Shake/Shingles

Unfortunately, the once enormously popular cedar shake/shingle, rightfully so for its natural beauty, is becoming an increasingly obsolete roofing material. The numerous performance shortcomings in demanding climates, environmental conservation concerns, and combustibleness are simply no longer practical or economical.

In decades past cedar shake was the norm and along with the high resin content of old growth forests these roofs were known to last 25 years easily and occasionally up to 50 years. These shakes hand split or milled were almost ¾ inches thick and with the high resin content resisted insects and rot fairly well. But old growth forest are for the most part protected and 2^nd growth forests do have the resin content or density of its predecessors so it has 1/3 the life span. Add to this the shingle, which is substantially thinner, tapered at the top and in metric proportions is a sliver compared to what it once was. But that same cedar shake look and longevity can easily be achieved with our Ironwood Shake profile which carries a lifetime warranty.

Wood shakes require extensive maintenance to keep its esthetic appearance as well as performance. Once algae, moss get a foothold then the deterioration accelerates hosting all sorts of creatures you might find in a compost pile. Some companies sell a service where they power wash the roof to clean off all the debris and recoat it with a preserver. Unfortunately, the best preserver was the resin content already in the wood shake/shingle that has now been expunged that much more, prematurely causing roof failure.  Our ironwood Shake Profile has a smooth finish, no granules or stone coat for dirt or debris to get a foothold, which makes it virtually maintenance and worry free.

Another popular recipe for wood shake/shingle roof failure, calls for low humidity or rainfall, dry winds with intense solar heat and UV rays. This combination of climatic elements creates a hostile environment that makes wood shakes/shingles highly susceptible to failure. Many of these same roofs are in hail prone regions, or in and around the forested or scrub areas that have historically been the source of many disastrous wildfires. Essentially, making a fragile pile of kindling sitting on the top of your house. Again, fire retardant coatings are sprayed to deter the combustible nature of wood roofs but these have been met with failure. Our Ironwood Shake profile is non combustible and non flammable with a class A fire rating so flying sparks or debris won’t ignite your roof.

The billions of dollars in insurance claims have driven the insurance industry to offer financial incentives to “get wood off the roof”. Some homeowners may be threatened with policy cancellation if wood is not off the roof by a certain date, or will surcharge until it’s replaced. Many homeowners understandably prefer the rustic look of wood shake/shingle roof with warped, curled or missing shakes, but at this point this ‘character” becomes an indicator of the impending end of the roof life. In most cases, individual shakes on an old cedar roof can easily be removed with one hand. The roof may not leak yet, but visualize the result of a significant hail, wind or fire event. Our Ironwood Shake Profile can realistically replace your existing wood shake/shingle with the same look and at the same time reduce your home owner’s insurance costs. See FAQS & References

Concrete/Clay Tiles

The composition and manufacturing process of concrete/clay tiles make the product porous resulting in moisture and water absorption. This absorption especially in areas of frost or freezing climate results in the tiles cracking and breaking apart. Before the homeowner is aware water has easily seeped thru these lesions causing extensive damage. The porous nature allows airborne pollution or dirt to accumulate causing ugly discoloration and even moss or small plant growth. With our European Tile profiles smooth durable finish it will not absorb moisture , discolor, fade, peel, crack, break or allow anything to grow on it making it virtually maintenance free and looking as good in the decades to come as it does now.

In hot climate regions concrete/clay tiles can be costly energy wise. The heat absorption of the tiles can be so extreme that the heat can be felt radiating down thru the ceiling of a home forcing continuous cooling. This type of material will take all night to cool down only to heat up again at sunrise. Our steel roofing system minimizes this process saving you energy dollars by first; reflecting the suns heat and UV rays away from your home and second; by dissipating the heat quickly with shade or a light breeze.

Another concern is the extreme weight these products have on the roof structure of a home, requiring extensive engineering and construction costs to accommodate it. The weight at 8-10 pounds a square foot can be as much as 15,000 lbs to 25,000 lbs on an average size home almost 6 large vehicles. Any fire, extreme winds like hurricanes, tornadoes or seismic activity could have detrimental effects to what’s underneath. Our steel roof products are 1/5 that weight at approx 1 pound a square foot, even less than asphalt/composite shingles per square foot but strong enough to walk on.

You can have that Mediterranean look, beauty and distinctiveness of clay tile with our European Tile profile in a variety of beautiful colors that will enhance any homes appearance without the detrimental characteristics associated with them. See FAQS & References

Composition/Laminate/Asphalt

Composition is probably the most common roofing material and most often the least expensive short term wise since it’s so easy to apply. There are two types of composition, the standard tab and the more costly laminate which may consist of 2-3 layers to give it a dimensional architectural look. But long term it will prove to be more costly than our steel products on a number of issues that are pertinent to most home owners.

The shingles are made from pieces of organic felt, wood fiber or fiberglass sheet mats that are saturated with oil based tar/asphalt to make it waterproof and coated with colored granules. The more expensive laminate shingle will have 2 or 3 of these layers for that look. With the cost of petroleum soaring inexpensive limestone filler is added to keep the weight up but unfortunately not the life expectancy.  If it weren’t for the protective layer of granules on these shingles, the product would fail quickly as the hotter the weather the shorter the shingle life expectancy.

The shingle begins to deteriorate as soon as it’s installed on your roof, it starts to harden and shrink which causes it to curl and the granules to flake off. Normal weathering will cause dissipation of oil and with contraction expansion cracking, blisters and small holes will appear. This can happen in as little as 5 years especially in areas of “thermal shock” where daytime temperatures can reach almost 100 degrees and fall to the 40’s and 50’s at night. Water and moisture retained on the shingle is the perfect environment for staining/discoloration, moss and algae and that’s where the real damage is done resulting in roof failure. As one composite/asphalt/laminate manufacturer bluntly put it” your roof never has a good day”.

Couple that poor performing roof with the deteriorating esthetic curbside appearance of your home and now it’s costing you money in more ways than one. If you stayed in your home for 50 years, you would on average have had to replace this roof product 3 times. With our steel roofing system, your roof will perform and look as good in the decades to come as it did the day it was put on without the maintenance or ugly degradation of these conventional roof products. See FAQS & References