Are you losing energy through your roof and attic? If you’ve found that your energy usage keeps going up year by year, you may have an issue with the energy efficiency of your home. Your roof is often the most likely source of these issues; you just need to consider a few things before you start the repairs.

1. Determine Whether Your Roof Is the Main Culprit

Many things can cause a home to lose energy. Whether you feel cold throughout winter or warm throughout the summer, there are some easy ways to tell whether you’re losing energy primarily through your roof.

In the winter, look at your roof compared to your neighbor’s roofs. Does yours have less or more snow? If your snow melts very fast, it means that you’re losing a lot of heat energy through your roof. You will know if your roof has this problem because the lack of snow will be readily noticeable.

In the summer, you can call in a professional to look at your home through a heat gun, which will reveal the colder areas of your home. If your roof looks colder than the surrounding areas, that’s a bad thing, not a good thing. A cold roof means that all of the precious cold air from your AC somehow escapes your home through the roof instead of staying inside where it belongs.

Picking a material for a new roof can be a challenge. Many factors can come into play. You need to select a type of roof that is durable, energy efficient, and well-suited for your climate. Knowing each variable to consider can help you decide on the best roofing material for your needs.

Color Affects Energy Efficiency

Color and energy efficiency are directly linked. Dark colored roofing materials absorb heat. In warm weather climates, this heat absorption can cause the attic to become heated. In the middle of the summer, a dark roof can force the home’s HVAC system to work much harder than necessary to maintain a comfortable temperature.

Light colors reflect light, which can help keep the shingles (and the attic) relatively cool. Many homeowners shy away from installing white shingles. However, light gray, light green, and beige are all popular shingle colors that can simplify indoor temperature regulation.

You probably know by now how siding adds value to your home — it improves its appearance and energy efficiency. Advances in technology have led to so many material options, including vinyl, aluminum, and fiber cement. Of those, vinyl is probably the most popular, with aluminum being a close second.

That said, wood continues to be a favorite material in construction, including in siding. Find out if wood siding is a good idea for your house.

Woods for Siding

Manufacturers utilize different woods for the fabrication of siding.

Cedar is a very popular wood choice for siding because it offers gorgeous graining. A hardwood, cedar is also naturally resistant to rot and insect infestation because of oils found in the heartwood. Redwood features a similar profile and is also used for siding. Both redwood and cedar are considered luxury siding options.

Pine, spruce, and fir are considered affordable siding options. All three typically come in long boards for board-style siding. None are as hard as cedar or redwood. However, all three types of wood are easy to stain or paint.

Installing or replacing siding has many benefits. First, siding decreases the amount of maintenance you have to do since you won’t need to paint your house. At most you might power wash the siding every few years. Siding provides another level of insulation as well as providing a moisture barrier. That means the interior temperature of your house stays the same, lowering your utility bills.

In addition to the advantages listed, siding also boosts the beauty of your house and can even boost the value of your house. That’s important if you’re thinking of selling anytime in the near future.

Material

The first consideration you’re going to make is the material. The main materials for siding are wood, vinyl, and fiber cement.

Wood is the traditional material for siding. Wooden siding normally comes as shingles or clapboard. Similar to shingles, popular woods for siding are cedar and redwood. However, wood siding can also be made of fir, spruce, or pine. Wood siding either comes from the factory, already primed for painting or primed  and painted in the factory.

Vinyl is constructed of polyvinyl chloride. This siding comes in a wide variety of colors, and it’s typically textured to resemble wood. Contractors install the siding directly to the house but through slots in the panels. This installation allows the siding to shift slightly because it contracts and expands according to the weather.

Fiber cement consists of cement and wood pulp. Manufacturers pour it into molds that create long boards or shingles. Fiber cement typically resembles wood siding. You can buy pre-painted siding, or you can paint or stain the boards on site.

Durability

Every material type will have differing levels of durability. For example, the main disadvantage of wood siding is that it can warp or buckle. While some woods, such as cedar, are naturally resistant to insects, termites, and other wood-loving insects, for other types of woods insects can be a problem. That said, wood is resistant to impact and can last indefinitely if properly maintained.

In contrast, the main advantage for vinyl siding is that it’s also resistant to impact and is, in fact, extremely durable. It won’t rot or corrode. However, according to This Old House, it’s unknown how long vinyl will last because it’s relatively new. Of course, vinyl does fade over time. Nonetheless, vinyl siding never needs any painting and very little other maintenance.

Another example, fiber cement siding material, also has varying levels of durability. One disadvantage of fiber cement siding is that it can absorb water, which can cause it to rot over time. However, this is rare, especially with the right installation. Fiber cement is, in fact, very durable and requires little to no maintenance. You can repaint it, though, if it fades in the sun.

Appearance

When it comes to appearance, wood is almost always the preferred look. Wood is especially prized for certain house styles, such as Cape Cod and Saltbox. However, wood siding complements any style. There are two styles of wood siding: clapboard and plank. Clapboard is horizontal with overlapping joints, while plank siding is vertical with a fitted installation.

In the past, people didn’t like vinyl because it lacked the appearance of wood. While manufacturers have made great strides in the construction of vinyl siding, it does not completely resemble wood. What’s more, because the siding must be left a little loose to accommodate how it acts in the weather, contractors can’t install it tightly with the trim. Nonetheless, vinyl siding presents a neat and tidy appearance.

If you’d like the appearance of wood without the cost, fiber cement siding comes closest to resembling wood, especially it’s natural graining. Indeed, good quality fiber cement planks, shingles, or shakes are often indistinguishable from their natural wood counterparts.

When you’re choosing a siding for your house, you should consider these three material options and what it means about your house looks and potential future maintenance. When you’re ready to look at siding options and discuss the merits of the various materials, visit our experts at Newman Roofing & Remodeling.

If you are a homeowner looking to replace an aging or damaged asphalt roof, you should contact professional contractors to get the job done right. Because replacing the roof of your home is a major investment, there are a few important aspects to take into consideration before the project begins. After enlisting the services of a roofing contractor, mull over the following facets:

1. Will the New Roof Be Placed Over the Existing Roof?

If you haven’t replaced your roof in the past, there will currently be one existing layer. If your existing roof shingles are not severely damaged, you might consider having the new roof installed over your current one. This means there will be no need to strip the existing roof, saving you time and possibly a fair bit of money.Also, without stripping the old roofing materials, cleanup will be easier.

However, there is an advantage to removing your old roof before installing a new one. Your roof deck and flashing may need repairs, but without removing the old shingles, this is not possible. A complete inspection of all components can be performed once the old roof has been stripped. In addition, you may request rubber installation (shields) to prevent leakage.

If your budget will allow the extra work of a complete stripping of the old roof, you might want to choose this option. Ask your contractor for advice.

2. Roofing Materials: Should You Choose Fiberglass Shingles, or Will You Go Organic?

Choosing your roofing materials is an important decision. Assuming you’ve chosen asphalt, there is something to keep in mind. Not all asphalt shingles are created alike. If you are unfamiliar with roofing components, you need to consider fire resistance. The shingles will be rated as class A, B, or C, with A offering the most resistance to fire. What you need to consider is that fiberglass asphalt shingles are rated A for fire resistance; therefore, they will provide you with the best protection.

Regardless of the class you have chosen, you may also have a coating added to the shingles to guard against algae growth. This coating may consist of copper or zinc. Consider the coating if your region is typically humid and warm. As for aesthetics, you will have various color options, so this shouldn’t be a cause for concern.

3. How Important Is R-Value and What Does It Mean?

If you are unfamiliar with the terminology, R-value indicates how well your roof will prevent the transfer of heat. If your new roof has a high R-value, your home may be more energy efficient, possibly saving you money on energy costs.

If you live in a warm and sunny environment, ask your roofing contractor to install sun-reflective coatings and insulation. Also, ask the experts for R-value recommendations that would be suitable for your climate. R-30 or R-40 is considered standard for a roof.

4. What Time of Year Is Best to Install Your New Roof?

If you live in a cold and snowy region, you should probably not have your new roof installed during the winter months. The cold temperatures and accumulation of ice particles may cause the newly installed shingles to constrict and crack. That said, you might want to opt for early summer or late fall. The temperatures should be more moderate and contribute to a more successful job.

There is, however, something else to consider. During the summer and fall, the costs may be somewhat higher due to demand and busy times. If costs are your concern, you might want to consider having your new roof installed during early spring when roofing companies are not quite as busy. In any case, if your roof is in bad shape, don’t delay, and get the job done as soon as possible.