There are plenty of choices when it comes to roofing materials and your choice will also depend on a variety of factors such as your location and personal taste.

Asphalt Composition Shingles

A top favorite among many people considering roofing reconstruction , asphalt composition shingles have a longer life, cost less and have fire resistant properties. In fact, most manufacturer’s will offer you a 30 year warranty with this type of roofing material. A varied form of asphalt shingles called architectural shingles are thicker and more textured than composition shingles. Finally, this roofing material is faster to set up than others.

Wood Shake

Mainly cut from cedar and also sometimes from pine, wood shake is another very popular roofing material. Its popularity is based on the fact that although it is an organic material that can last for years if you maintain it properly. This means you will not have to redo your roof for about 30 to 50 years once you lay down wood shake roofing. Even if this roofing material does weather with age, it gives a variegated, mottled appearance that actually adds aesthetic value.

Metal Roofing

While used rarely in most developed countries, metal roofing has gained much popularity as a building material. This may be because the lay down process with this material is more complex as compared to others like wood shake and asphalt composition shingles; for metal roofing you would need to sift through lists of roofers to find one that specializes in this type of roofing.

Copper does look more fancy but because it is so expensive most home owners simply do not wish to invest in it. A more economical choice is that of galvanized sheets. One advantage of metal roofing that definitely deserves mention is its long life; once you get through the initial trouble and expense of having it laid down you will not have to think about roofing for the next 50 to 75 years at all.

Slate Roofing

Anybody who is considering slate roofing is probably looking to have that “slate look” on their roof; but its not as simple as it sounds. Slate roofing materials are heavy, slippery and difficult to handle which means that you just cannot lay it down on your own. If you do want that “slate look” condier rubber slate or composition slate roofing materials.

Composition Slate

If you are looking for ways to go green with your roofing needs, composition slate is the perfect idea for you. Composition slate is essentially recycled post-industrial synthetic material which means that it passes through economically friendly processes and conserves environmental resources. It has not become a popular or common choice yet but it has become the roofing material of choice for a considerable number of roofers, builders and homeowners.

Ceramic Roofing

Also popularly known as the half barrel because of its shape, this Spanish style red tile roof has been around for quite some time. Other materials have dominated over time in terms weight and fire resistant properties.