How to Choose the Right Roofing Material for Your Home
Choosing the right roofing material for your home can be difficult. And knowing who to trust can feel harder than it should. There are asphalt shingles, designer shingles, real slate, synthetic slate, wood shake, and metal, and every option comes with its own price tag, lifespan, and look. Since 1914, American Roofing and Metal has helped Kentucky and Ohio homeowners work through exactly this decision, and today that guidance comes from a fifth generation family owned company that still cares deeply for the communities it continues to serve. This guide walks through the main types of roofing systems to choose from, what they actually cost over time, and how the roofing material you choose can either add to your property value or hurt your property value.
The Main Types of Residential Roofing Materials
Most residential roofing material questions come down to five options: three tab shingles, dimensional shingles, designer shingles, slate (real or synthetic), and metal. Three tab shingles are on their way out of the market entirely, so for practical purposes homeowners today are really choosing between dimensional shingles, a designer shingle with a slate or wood look, true slate, or standing seam metal. Each one solves a different problem, and the right one for your home depends on your budget, how long you plan to stay in the house, and how much you value long term curb appeal.
Asphalt Shingles Are Still the Most Common Residential Roof Material
Asphalt shingles remain the default choice for most homes, and for good reason. They are the most affordable option upfront and they cover the vast majority of roof replacements in our region.
Dimensional Shingles Have Replaced Three Tab
If you are comparing shingle types, dimensional shingles (sometimes called three dimensional or laminated shingles) are what our sales team recommends almost universally now. A three tab shingle is a single flat sheet with slits cut into it. A dimensional shingle is two layers laminated together, which gives it more depth, a stronger wind rating, and better resistance to algae growth. Three tab shingles are being phased out by manufacturers, so dimensional has become the standard.
How Long Do Shingles Actually Last
Shingle warranties used to be simple. You bought a 20, 25, 30, or 35 year shingle and that number told you what to expect. Manufacturers have since moved to a different model, and most shingle warranties today are written to cover manufacturer defects for 50 years as long as the original homeowner owns the property, with one rollover of coverage if the home is sold. That is a warranty term, not a lifespan estimate. In real world conditions, a well installed dimensional shingle holding up for 30 years is considered a strong result. Every roof in our climate will eventually show some algae staining as well, typically within 15 to 20 years, simply because of regional humidity. That is a maintenance item, not a defect.
Class 4 Impact Resistant Shingles and Insurance Savings
If hail is a concern for your property, ask about class 4 impact resistant shingles. Class 4 is the highest impact rating under the UL 2218 standard, meaning the product has been tested to withstand impacts comparable to a two and a half inch hailstone without cracking. Homeowners who install a class 4 rated roofing material and provide the proper documentation to their insurance carrier can often qualify for a reduced premium, since the insurer is taking on less risk of a hail related claim.
Designer Shingles Bring a Slate or Wood Look at a Shingle Price
For homeowners who want more visual character than a standard shingle but are not ready for the cost of real slate, designer shingles are worth a look. A product like GAF’s Grand Manor in the Black Pearl colorway is built to mimic the deep shadow lines and texture of a slate roof while installing like a standard asphalt shingle. It is a popular middle ground, and it is one of the more common material questions our residential team receives from homeowners doing their own research online.
Real Slate Roofing Is a Long Term Investment in Curb Appeal and Value
Slate is in a category of its own. It is officially rated for 65 years, but most slate roofs in service today are approaching or exceeding 100 years old. Nothing replicates the depth and texture of real slate, and homeowners considering it are usually thinking as much about resale value as they are about the roof itself. You can see in the images below the visual depth and beauty of slate.
That value cuts both ways. George, our VP of residential sales, watched a customer, a homeowner on a multi million dollar property, choose to replace an aging real slate roof with an asphalt slate look shingle instead of paying to restore the slate. He sold the home about a year later and lost an estimated $500,000 dollars in property value compared to what a restored slate roof would have supported. Materials that read as premium to a buyer, including real slate, synthetic slate, tile, and metal, tend to protect or add to a home’s resale value. Downgrading away from one of those materials can work against you at the closing table.
Metal Roofing Costs More Upfront and Less Over Time
Cost is almost always the first question homeowners ask about metal roofing, and it is a fair one. As a rough reference, a project that would run about $5,000 dollars in asphalt shingles typically runs $12,000 to $15,000 dollars in metal. The tradeoff is lifespan. A metal roof is generally expected to outlast about four asphalt shingle roof cycles, which means the homeowner is paying more upfront in exchange for decades of avoided future roof replacements, along with the same property value benefit that comes with slate and tile.
How We Help You Choose the Right Roofing Material and Color
Once you have a material in mind, choosing a color is its own decision, and it is one our team walks through with every homeowner. After an estimate goes out, we send our customer to the manufacturers website to look through color options. We recommend the homeowner narrows the choice down to no more than their top three colors. From there we drop off physical sample boards, since color can look different on a screen than it does in daylight against your siding and brick. If a homeowner is still torn between two options, we can point them to nearby homes where that material and color are already installed. On rare occasions when a decision is still difficult, we will install a small test patch of two or three shingle options directly on the roof so you can see the real material in the real light before committing.
Color choice matters more than most homeowners expect. Our team has seen homeowners choose a shade that clashed with their brick against our recommendation, only to call back years later ready to redo it. We would rather walk you through that decision up front, because we genuinely love what we do, and we want you to love your roof for years to come.
Ready to Choose Your Roofing Material?
Choosing a roofing material is a decision that will sit on top of your home for decades, and it deserves more than a guess. If you are planning a roof replacement and want a straight answer on which material fits your budget, your home’s style, and how long you plan to stay, our residential team is ready to walk through it with you. We provide free roof inspections and estimates. Call 855-671-7663 or visit americanroofingonline.com to schedule your free estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions About Residential Roofing Materials
Asphalt shingles, specifically dimensional shingles, are the most common residential roofing material in our service area. Three tab shingles have largely been phased out by manufacturers in favor of the thicker, better rated dimensional style.
Manufacturer warranties are now typically written around 50 years of defect coverage for the original homeowner, but that is a warranty term rather than a lifespan estimate. In real world conditions, 30 years is considered a strong result for a well installed dimensional shingle.
Class 4 is the highest hail impact rating under the UL 2218 testing standard. A class 4 shingle is built to resist cracking from impacts comparable to a two and a half inch hailstone.
In many cases, yes. Homeowners who install a class 4 rated roofing material and provide documentation of that rating to their insurance carrier can often qualify for a reduced premium.
Generally, yes. Premium materials like real slate, synthetic slate, tile, and metal tend to protect or increase resale value, while downgrading away from one of those materials to a standard asphalt shingle can work against a home’s resale value.
Our team recommends narrowing your options to three colors from the manufacturers online colors, then reviewing physical sample boards in daylight against your home’s siding and brick. We can also point you to nearby completed homes with the material and color you are considering.
