subject: Durability Of Roof And Siding [print this page] When choosing the material you want to install in your house, consider the life span of the products and look carefully on the manufactures procedures for installation and maintenance. In the roofing side, there are materials that are extremely durable and guarantee to last 50 years or more, while other need to be replaced in as few as 12 years or earlier.
The life span of some products can be shorten by different weather conditions, installation and maintenance. Some other influences that can shorten the life span of your roofing products can be your geographic location. Salt air along the coasts has been notoriously damaging to wood siding products, roofs and siding material are at risk of blowing off in areas subject to high wind. The way you care for the exterior of your house also impacts the longevity of the products. If you immediately take care of the roof and siding repairs, regularly paint your wood siding, and follow the manufactures guideline for each product, the life span of the material will be longer.
The most durable roofing products are slate, concrete, and clay. They are heavier than other materials, and most of the time they have a life time warranty. Another long lasting material is metal roofing. Despite that a roof metal is very light weight they are remarkably durable. The warranty of this products may vary from product to product and from the manufacturer, but warranties of 50 years or more are becoming standard. The downside of all this long life products is that the cost is considerable higher than the standard asphalt shingle roofs.
Since wood shakes are available in different grades, their durability also varies. The top-quality shakes carry a 50-year warranty, while the lowest quality can last up to 30 years. The life span of asphalt shingles also widely varies. This life span should be a minimum of 20 year of warranty and the architectural shingles, which are the thicker, high-end , and on the high value side of shingles carry warranty that can last up to 50 years. The material with the shortest life span is the rolling roof. A rolling roof can last between 6 and 12 years.
On siding, brick is the brick is considerable the most durable product and it may carry a warranty for more than 100 years. Stucco and stone siding are also durable and they carry a 50 year warranty. Standards warranties for fiber cement siding are 50 years. Asphalt shingles and vinyl siding are a popular combination due to low cost and good durability. Both products can last 20 to 50 years.
