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Roo Roofing Blog

DIY & HOME OWNER TIPS

19
Jul

What to Consider When Choosing a New Roof

new-roofWhether you’re looking into choosing a new roof because your current one is suffering notable damage or you simply want to start afresh, it’s important to take a few factors into consideration before doing so.

Getting a new roof is pointless if you don’t take the time out to think what type would be best for you. The type you choose can depend on a number of points of concern, including the likes of your current roof frame and environmental factors.


How strong is your roof frame?

It doesn’t matter whether you want a specific roof material being used in your new roof, it simply won’t be if your current roof frame cannot support. As you know, roofs don’t magically sit at their angles without any support, but are rather kept upheld thanks to some type of roof framing, be it a wooden or steel frame.

Whatever roof you currently have was built and installed in respect to fortitude that the roof frame had. So if your roof frame isn’t exactly suited to handle extreme weights, then a heavier type of concrete tile roofing may not be possible. Instead, you may need to opt for something more lightweight such as metal roofing akin to the likes of Colorbond.

Of course, if your roofing frame isn’t strong enough, you can always set out to have it reinforced so that it could support a heavier roof if you so please. Just keep in mind that this will lead to higher costs and other factors such as the framing throughout the rest of your house may also come into play.


Where do you live?

Where you actually live is another factor worth taking into consideration. For example, if you live in a humid climate, you’ll probably want to invest in a roofing solution that helps reduce the amount of heat that builds up in your home. But if you live in an area where temperatures don’t face any particular extremes in heat, humidity or chill factor, this may not be of concern.

Along with the hot versus cold aspect, there are also other environmental factors such as if you live in a place known for heavy rainfall, snowing or if your home is located by the sea. Naturally, if you experience a lot of rain, you’ll want a roof that is designed to allow rain easily run off and via your gutters - you won’t want build up.

As for sea breeze, you’ll want a roofing solution that is resistant to the type of damage that sand could otherwise cause, such as a slow scratching away at the facade the more sand hits up against your roof. There are sand-resistant roofing solutions available and they’re very common within Australia.


Dangers

Taking it a step beyond typical environmental factors such as temperature and rain, there’s also the need to account for the dangers your home could face. Some of these may be more extreme environmental dangers such as violent storms and cyclones, while others may be man-made dangers such as someone starting a bushfire.

Depending on where you’re located, you may face treacherous storm seasons every year. For this, you’ll want to make sure you invest in a roof that is capable of taking a battering and withstanding strong winds. If you live in an area (rural or suburban) where you’re surrounded by bushland or dried-up foliage, bushfires can become a real danger, and you’ll want a roof that is fire resistant.

Many roofs these days, especially in Australia, are built to be fire resistant. However, if the roof you’re investing in isn’t inherently fire resistant, you should check to see if you can have a fire retardant paint or coating applied to it. Of course, combating fire dangers does go beyond your roof and you need to ensure you take additional measures to make your home as fire resistant as possible.


Cost

The last factor we’re going to note is that of cost. We all have a limit on how much we can spend, so it’s important to take the time out to assess what you’re most likely able to afford. Of those you can afford, look at the pros and cons of each roofing option and choose the one that will best cater to your needs.


At Roo Roofing, we offer a number of roofing options including tiled terracotta and metal Colorbond roofing solutions. To find out more about the roof choices we provide, call us on 1300 734 148.