Why New Construction Roofing Choices Are Critical

One of the biggest and most visible features of any new construction project is the roof. New construction roofing is critical to every job for a variety of reasons, but these five are the most important ones.

Slope

The slope of a roof will significantly affect its long-term performance. If you live in a region that receives heavy rain or snow, the slope is the main thing that encourages precipitation to get off of the roof. You want a roof with a sufficient slope to handle the environmental conditions in your region.

Bear in mind, though, that the slope also affects the long-term maintainability of the roof. A new construction roof installation with a steep slope imposes later costs when it comes time to re-roof the house. Even if you don't expect to own the house at that point, future buyers will look into the eventual cost of re-roofing the house. Try not to impose any more slope on the building's roof than the environment can justify.

Complexity

Every new construction roof installation will vary in complexity. Features like skylights, dormers, and chimneys all make a project more complex. This adds time and costs to the work. Once more, it also negatively affects the maintainability of the house since these features require more attention during re-roofing, replacement, and repair jobs.

Materials Choices

Your choice of materials will always be a balancing act. More expensive materials cost more upfront but last longer in most cases. A contractor can help you make sense of the available options and which ones meet your goals.

Aesthetics

The roof is one of the defining features of a house, especially when you view the building from the outside. You need to make choices about roofing features that read a certain way. If you want a simpler and more modern design, you'll likely avoid complex features. Traditional and contemporary homes, conversely, will usually have eaves, valleys, gables, and dormers.

Your personal taste will play a major role. However, you should choose a design that makes sense for the house. Putting a cottage-style roof on a modernist home, for example, might be conversation-worthy in a less desirable way.

Energy Efficiency

Finally, the design of a roof dictates how the house will perform in terms of energy efficiency. You want the roof to provide sufficient airflow to reduce problems with heat and humidity during the summer. Likewise, the roofing materials should have high enough insulation value to curb heating costs in the winter.

Reach out to a local roofer if you need help with new construction roofing.