How To Choose The Right Roofing For Your Home

How To Choose The Right Roofing For Your Home

Make sure you choose the best roof for your home

When it comes to buying a new roof for your home there are many decisions to make, from the materials you choose to whether you need to employ roofing contractors to carry out the project for you.

The choice of materials to use for your new roof is vast: Natural materials such as slate, traditional roof tiles manufactured from clay, to man made products such as GRP, bitumen or concrete roof tiles can all be used to create a roof, and each has its own merits and will have a different impact on the design and appearance of your home.

When it comes to choosing the materials for your roof, here are some of the things you should ask yourself:

How long will the roof last?

Durability is extremely important. Installing a new roof is costly, even if you go for the cheapest options, therefore it is essential that you trust the roof will last a long time. 

Broadly clay and slate products will look better for longer and have a longer service life – for only a small price premium over concrete products.

Damaged roof from harsh weather

How much does it cost?

Price, of course, is a major factor when deciding which roofing materials to choose.

Roofing materials vary greatly when it comes to cost, so make sure you know exactly how much you will be paying out for your new roof before you decide on the materials.

The price differential between clay and concrete products has narrowed significantly in recent years meaning that clay roofing products can be purchased for a very similar price to concrete, however as clay roof tiles look better, lasts longer and add value to the property many people feel that this is a wise and worthwhile investment.

Everyone has their own budget that they need to will work to, so make sure that you stick to that, and that there are no hidden costs you haven’t considered before you start work. Calculating costs before you begin means you don’t end up paying out more than you can afford. 

How durable are these materials? What are the installation costs such as labour and scaffolding? 

Your new roof should last a long time. However if unexpected, violent weather occurs you need to know that your roof will stand up to it. If you live in an area with a high risk of adverse weather, take this into consideration when choosing your roofing materials.

Slate and roof tiles available at About Roofing Supplies

Will the end result look the way I want it to on my home?

Of course you want to be pleased with the end result. Make sure you choose a material that complements the style of your home, and the buildings that surround it.

You can order free roof tile and roof slate samples from our website – we encourage customers to take advantage of this service, particularly because colour reproduction of roof tiles and roofing slates on websites and in brochures is never 100% accurate, and there is no substitute for actually seeing and holding a physical roof tile or slate in the colour that you are interested in purchasing.

Which supplier should I use?

Make sure you do your research before selecting a supplier and go with a reputable, experienced supplier who understands the products and can offer help and advice.

Whilst price is an important factor, make sure that your supplier has experienced staff and are authorized manufacturer’s distributors – many sellers give the impression on their websites of being stockists, but in reality simply pass the order onto an authorized distributor such as us.

Leading roof tile suppliers include Sandtoft, Marley, Tudor roof tiles, Keymer and Redland.

We stock and supply natural slates from industry leader SSQ, whilst our man-made slates are supplied by Cedral.

Alternatively our GRP range is supplied by Cure It, whilst out felt range is manufactured by industry leader Chesterfelt.

Do I need planning permission and what are the local regulations?

Make sure that you know what the rules and regulations that apply to building a new roof on your home in your area are before you start.

Find out whether you need planning permission and whether there are any local regulations in place that might restrict what you do, this means you won’t run into any trouble further down the line.

You also need to take into consideration your existing roof, in particular the roof pitch, as this may mean that some materials are not suitable and can be ruled out in the first instance.

Which tiles should i use?

To assist you with your choice we have broken down the pro’s and cons of the most common roof tile types:

  • Concrete tiles are a popular choice. They are very durable and will last a long time. They are cost effective and quickly and easily laid. Some are manufactured to resemble more expensive clay tiles giving your home a similar look for less. 

Shop Concrete roof tiles

  • Clay roof tiles are eco-friendly as they are made from natural materials. Clay is long-lasting and stylish design-wise, with a wide range of styles to choose from, and is seen as a very desirable feature – hence most “new build” properties have clay roof tiles as feature conscious buyers are actively seeking features such as these on modern, as well as traditional properties.  

Shop Clay roof tiles

  • Eternit Thrutone slates are man-made from fibre and cement. These tiles are popular due to their low price and high durability, and are easy to install. Eternit tiles are among the most lightweight of all the tiles and therefore can be used on a frame that cannot withstand the greater weight of slate, concrete or clay tiles.

Shop Man made roof slates

  • Natural Slate are a traditional roofing material and has been used for many centuries. they are made from natural materials and therefore eco friendly, with a graphite irregular appearance.

Shop Natural roof slates

By carefully considering the the factors above and doing thorough research you should be able to make an informed choice about the type of roof that will work best for you and your home, and hopefully be delighted with the finished result. 

Pricing & availability

To discuss pricing and the availability of roofing materials, please call us on 01737 763008 or email us here.

Where can I find roofing materials near me?

You can view and order roofing products in any of our branches listed below or we can deliver nationwide:

Dorking, Surrey branch

Redhill, Surrey branch

Esher, Surrey branch

East Grinstead, West Sussex branch

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