Roofing Material of the Month: Bourbon Shingles

Whether you’re building your first home or remodeling your old one, roofing materials are an important part of the process. In this article, we’ll look at one popular option – bourbon roofing shingles – and what makes them so great for both older and new homes alike. We’ll also touch on the benefits of working with roofers during your home-building or remodeling project, no matter what kind of material you use on your roof.

What are they?
They’re called bourbon shingles because they’re made with a bourbon barrel extract. So, what’s in that extract? The manufacturer doesn’t say. But I bet it isn’t bourbon—the amount is probably negligible. Here are my guesses about what it might be: Oak extract. Wood flour. Isopropyl alcohol (to help it dry faster). A few other chemicals (to help bind things together and make up for volume loss from evaporation). None of these should have any negative effect on humans or animals (or plants), but if you’re curious/paranoid, you can contact an industrial chemist and ask him to run a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis on your roofing shingles before laying them down. I bet he will decline.

How do they compare to other materials?
Compared to asphalt, metal, and slate roofing materials, bourbon shingles actually have a fairly short lifespan. The good news is that they don’t require any additional maintenance during their lifetime. Asphalt roofs will need to be re-shingled occasionally to ensure longevity; metal roofs tend to corrode in certain climates and thus require painting every few years; and slate roofs are expensive (though beautiful) and will degrade over time.

What do they cost?
You may ask yourself, How much are bourbon shingles? Well, you’re in luck because we’ve got your answer right here. We typically don’t cover prices of our roofing materials on our website, but bourbon is an exception to that rule! Check out these numbers on average costs for bourbon barrel asphalt shingles $49-$59 per square, depending on how many bottles make up a single square (usually 2-4). For example, a 400 sq. ft. two-story home will run you $1604 – $2048; including labor and cost of supplies like fasteners and metal flashing. That’s only around five bucks per square foot… not bad at all!

Where can you buy them?
You can buy bourbon shingles from any qualified roofer. A quick search on google helps you find a qualified roofer. For example if you are located in Dallas, PA type into google “roofing companies near dallas, PA”. Creating a search like this one will help you find the best contractor nearby. Furthermore these types of roof are easy to install and come in a variety of sizes and colors. While they’re not cheap, you can be sure that your house will look amazing with these shingles on top! Not only do they make your house look good, but they also help insulate it, keeping it cool in summer and warm in winter! Before you decide which type of roofing material to choose for your home, give bourbon shingles a second look! Your friends will thank you.

Who should install them?
Bourbon Shingles are designed to be installed by an experienced and licensed roofer. Though homeowners can install these shingles themselves, it is a dangerous and extremely complex process. If you’re looking for new roofing materials, talk to your local roofer. Your roofer will have a wealth of knowledge on all types of shingle materials, including bourbon shingles.

Alternative Roofing Materials

About three quarters of American homes are covered by composition asphalt shingles. They are cheap and easy to install but they have some drawbacks, primarily that they are bad for the environment and have a shorter life span than other roofing materials. If you do pick composition shingles, you had better be ready to pony up the cash for a succession of Denver roof repairs.

Even older than the asphalt shingle style are wood shake shingles. They last even longer than composition shingles. Wood is a more natural and softer look. Although they are made from trees, they are friendly in that they decompose unlike petroleum products. If well maintained they will last a long time, but wood shake is always a fire hazard.

Metal roofs are popular with those trying to save money on energy bills. Metal roofs make you save money on air conditioning bills because they reflect money in hot environments. If you choose a painted roof, you need to have periodic painting maintenance. However metal roofs last a long time, and do not need Denver roof repairs very often. Metal also does a good job of protecting your home from weather.

An older and environmentally friendly roofing material is tile. Tile is made of clay or sometimes concrete. These are naturally fire resistant materials. Clay is just earth, so it has no problems with decomposition. The main drawbacks of tile and concrete is that these are heavy, brittle materials. They provide good protection, but are liable to break and need a solid roof to support the heavy weight of these roofing materials.

Flat roofs have completely different roofing materials. Some are basically a giant asphalt shingle. It uses hot asphalt inlaid with stone. These are not very friendly because they use a large amount of smelly tar, which is a risk to installers as well as the environment.

Eco roofs that use soil on the top are very good for carbon consumption and global warming. They can basically have a garden on your roof that also provides insulation. Engineered rubber roofing is made of recycled materials but may be hard to find from your Denver roof repairs company.

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Types of Roofing Materials That You Can Settle For

There are many determinants of the kind of material you use for your roof. Previously, the only options that were available were concrete tiles, clay tiles, slate, and asphalt shingles. However, presently, there are so many alternatives that you can go for when you want to replace or install a new roof.

If you want to install a new roof or replace one that is already in existence, there are some materials that you can consider. They include:

Solar tiles

This is an advanced roofing option that is integrated into shingles that are already in existence. This is an amazing option since they also help you in offsetting the costs of energy with that of solar energy. They cost much more than the typical solar options that are common.

Asphalt shingles

These are very common today and they are quite effective in almost all conditions. There is a wide variety of quality that you can choose from. There are some standards that can help you in knowing the quality of the shingles before you purchase. The upfront costs of the roof are not that high and may need to be replaced some 20 years later. For those who live in areas that are prone to hail, impact resistant shingles are the best option.

Metal roofing

This is available in the form of vertical panels or even shingles that look like shake, tiles, or slate. This kind of roofing can still be intact after 60 years. Metal sloughs off rain and snow and does not burn. Metal is also able to resist the high winds. Since its lightweight, it can be installed over other already existing roofs. The only issue that you may have with it is the noise, especially when there are rain storms. Such a roof can also dent when there is hail. The cost depends on the style and type of metal used to make them.

Stone coated steel

These are usually interlocking panels that look like clay, slate or shingles. They can resist the damage which is brought about by rains. They can also resist strong winds, freeze thaw cycles, and hail and so on. This means that they are the best option if you are in an area that is wet and windy. They are also the best in areas that have a risk of wildfires. Some of the coated steel options have a lifetime guarantee.

Slate

This is a kind of roof that is very durable. It can be intact for over 100 years. It doesn’t burn and it is waterproof too. The other great thing is that it doesn’t get fungus or mold. It is an effective option in climates that are wet. However, it is very expensive. It is also heavy and can be broken quite easily if you happen to step on it. It is therefore not a good option for people living in areas prone to hail.

Rubber slate

Rubber slate has a natural look and can be easily cut using a knife so as to fit the intricate roofs. This can remain intact for a century. However, they can be damaged by walking on them or installation of satellite dishes. This means that they are also not ideal for areas that get hail storms. It may be hard to find qualified professionals to install them.

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