What Is The Best Roofing Type For The Midwest

Q: What Is the Best Roofing Type for The Midwest?

Asphalt shingles are the best types of roofing for the Midwest. Timeless designs, protective features and affordability all highlight the reliability of asphalt shingle roofs.

Your home or business deserves reliable roofing to protect what matters most to you. Unpredictable weather, wear and damage can occur naturally, but the right roofing can preserve your most valuable assets. Before you shop for quality roofing for your Midwestern building, know that a few factors can lead you toward the most energy and cost-efficient option on the market. Your new roof can provide safety, visual aesthetics and durability with ease.

Consider our guide to Midwestern roofing to see which options are most efficient for your building.

Factors That Impact What Material Is Best

Your priorities, whether style or affordability, can help you discover the best roofing available for your home. These factors also determine which material is best for your home or business.

The following factors determine the most impressive roofing material on the market today:

Life span: Roof materials vary in life spans, which can determine how long you can optimize your roof before needing repairs or a replacement.
Cost: Budgeting is an essential factor in shopping for the perfect roofing material. Some roofs are costlier than others upfront but offer longer life spans. Other materials may have more affordable installation while requiring more frequent repairs or maintenance. As you search for a roof you love, watch for any hidden costs that may incur from upkeep, replacements and repairs over time.
Visual aesthetics: Installing or replacing a roof lets you choose the materials and colors that fit your home’s exterior. Whether you want your roof to blend in or stand out, you have several options to help maximize your property’s aesthetic after installation.
Durability: Roofing materials have different durability levels than their counterparts. While you shop for your new roof, pay close attention to the materials’ resistance to leaks, weather damage and decay. The more durability your new roof offers, the more money you can save on annual maintenance costs.

Types of Roofing Materials for the Midwest

Roofs for Midwestern housing come in all shapes, sizes and colors. With so many options in front of you, you might need help figuring out where to start for your new home or business. These top options have numerous advantages and disadvantages to make your decision easier:

Shingles

Asphalt shingles could be the best roof shingles for your new home or roof replacement project. Thanks to the high-quality roofing material that GAF offers in each asphalt shingle roof, you can never go wrong with this installation for your home or business.

Benefits of installing shingles include:

Affordability: Compared to metal and wood roofs, asphalt shingles are one of the most cost-efficient options available!
Versatile styles: Asphalt shingles come in a wide variety of colors that fit any style of house’s exterior. You and your neighbors can easily admire the coordinated colors of your roof, siding and windows that pull your home’s aesthetic together.
Energy-efficient: Your roof can consist of solar-reflecting colors that keep your home cooler year-round. Lighter asphalt colors deflect the heat of the sun’s rays, which helps you save on cooling costs year-round.
Protective: Dampness from rain and other natural disasters can cause algae buildup, contributing to roof decay. On the bright side, asphalt shingles from GAF contain a blend of weather-grade copper-lined granules to eliminate algae growth and deflect water damage.

While asphalt shingles offer so many impressive benefits, there are a few factors to consider before deciding:

Maintenance checkups: Most asphalt shingles show signs of curled or cracked areas due to prolonged weather damage. These signs can result in more frequent maintenance when you own your home. However, the watertight sealants and weather-grade copper-lined granules in each GAF asphalt shingle roof minimize water and algae damage without regularly scheduled checkups.
Life span: Some asphalt shingles are known to have shorter lives compared to other roofing materials. Maintaining a shingle roof properly can prevent this short life span. The protective features that prevent water leaks, cracks and holes can increase your roof’s quality, thanks to GAF’s impressive roofing technology.

Metal

A metal roof’s tough exterior offers several benefits to homes and businesses across the Midwest. With a sleek finish and a reflective surface, you can see the pros of installing this material from across your property. The following list can help you determine whether this option works best for your roofing needs.

The following advantages make this option suitable for any home in the Midwest:

Eco-friendly: The reflectivity of metal roofing deflects solar heat. This small factor can save you on heating and cooling costs while your family enjoys a comfortable, temperature-controlled home.
ROI: One of the most impressive characteristics of installing a metal roof is its cost-to-value. Homeowners can expect a return on investment (ROI) ranging from 70% to 87% when placing their house on the market.
Resistance: Metal roofs are impressively durable. If you have your eye on this material for your roof, rest assured that your new roof is mildew- and fire-resistant and less likely to show damage from wind and hail.

Potential drawbacks of installing a metal roof include:

Costly repairs: Although metal roofs are durable, damage can occur to the surface, as with any material. Repairing a metal roof is a complex and costlier process that is often better to replace than patch up.
Expensive: Metal roofs are a larger investment compared to other roof materials. Conventional residential roofs, like asphalt shingles, are one of the most affordable roofing options when repairing damages.
Lack of style: Most homeowners enjoy the versatility of asphalt shingles due to their wide range of hues. While metal roofs also come in various colors, the sleek surface can cause the roof to stand out more than the siding.

Wood

The unmatched beauty of wooden roofs makes this option a serious competitor for the best roof for Midwestern homes. A bohemian, rustic style and impressive eco-friendly factors are an excellent choice for many homes nationwide. With a pleasing aesthetic, there are also a few wood roof pros and cons to consider before finalizing your decision.

Advantages of installing a wood roof include:

ROI: Wood roofing material has an ROI ranging from 75% to 80%. While this option is a more significant upfront investment, the cost-to-value gives you a higher return on your initial installation cost if you sell your home.
Simple installation: Wood roofs are relatively easy to install, meaning you can enjoy your home’s new look quicker than most roofing options.

With impressive installation benefits comes a few disadvantages to consider before deciding on your roof’s material:

Annual maintenance: Wood roofs require annual maintenance since wood absorbs moisture and may crack more easily than other roofing materials. More frequent upkeep appointments can increase the costs of maintaining these roofs.
Shorter life spans: The fragile surface of wood roofs can also impact the life span you can expect from this option. Without annual maintenance, you can typically enjoy a wood roof for a few decades before needing extensive repairs or a complete replacement.
Expensive: Compared to asphalt shingles, wood roofing material costs more to install and maintain over time.