Reliability And Durability Using Rubber Roof Shingles
Not many people know that those homeowners with sloping roofs can enjoy the benefits of a rubber roof thanks because of the development of rubber roof shingles. The usage of rubber as a roofing material has caught on in a big way with owners of flat roofed homes and those with gently sloping roofs over the last 30 years or so.
What Are The Advantages of Rubber Roof Shingles
The first advantage of rubber roof shingles is the rubber roof shingles can be made from recycled tires, and are fully recyclable, making them an attractive choice for the environmentally conscious homeowner. The process start from the tires grounded into a fine powder and then remolded into the shape of a shingle. The rubber shingles also can then be dyed to a variety of different colors to simulate the appearance of wood, slate and other traditional roofing materials. The simulation is far more convincing than the equivalent plastic imitations of these materials, and the rubber is more durable and versatile as well. Rubber roof shingles is resistant to extremes of heat and cold, ultraviolet radiation, insects and mold. They were awarded an A fire rating by the American Society for Testing and Materials, or ASTM. They are not completely fireproof, however, as rubber is a flammable material, though coatings are available that add additional fireproofing to the original manufacturer’s specification.
Other of the advantages is the rubber roof shingles are also easy to install. They come in a standard 3-tab design that can be slotted together with ease, and can be walked on during installation without breaking.
The Disadvantages of Rubber Roof Shingles
Well, rubber roof shingles have only been on the construction market since 1993, which means that many roofers are not really familiar with them. So because of this reason, most of the service installation often charges more to install them. Sometimes the cost of installation rubber roof shingles is more than twice as much as traditional wood or slate shingles. And also because the long life expectancy can be up to a 100 years according to one manufacturer, you will want to make sure that you use top quality peripheral materials, such as bituminous membrane along all edges and heavy duty aluminum or copper for the flashing, which also adds to the cost of the material.
Then another disadvantage of rubber roof shingles is that you often get a new tire smell when they are first installed, due to them being made from recycled tires. This fades with time, however, and should not be noticeable after the first couple of days.
On the whole, the advantages of rubber roof shingles far outweigh the disadvantages, which are minor and easily fixed. For those people who can pay for the cost, they offer the attractiveness of wood or slate shingles combined with the near-indestructibility of rubber and these make them the choice for a new generation of traditional style roofs.
Reliability And Durability Using Rubber Roof Shingles
Technorati Tags: rubber roof shingles, rubber shingles, roofing materials, rubber roof
Tags: liquid rubber roof coating, rubber roof material, rubber roof shingles, rubber roof shingles installation