When you’re in your forever home, you start to think about your roofing options a little differently. Your roof has to serve a structural purpose – it protects your home from all of the elements, which in a four season environment like Wilmington means sweltering summer sun and freezing winter winds. It also has an aesthetic job. Your roof should enhance and augment the appearance of your home.
What are the best roofing options for the high end home? We have to admit to a certain fondness for slate roofing. Not only is slate roofing the traditional choice for the best New England homes, it’s environmentally friendly, extremely long lasting, and undoubtedly upscale.
Other benefits of slate roofing include incredible fire protection. While asphalt roofing shingles burn quickly in a house fire, slate roofing tiles do not. Because they’re made of stone, they’re fire proof.
And slate roofs are gorgeous. The distinctive steely-blue color of slate roof tiles can be seen and appreciated from across the neighborhood. Slate roofing is appropriate with any style home, from the stately, classic and traditional through the modern, quirky, and creative.
There are some drawbacks to slate roofs. First and foremost is the expense. Slate roofs are not necessarily expensive in and of themselves, but making sure the house is structurally prepared to support the weight of a stone roof can be pricey. Additionally, choosing a slate roof means choosing a lifetime of slate roof maintenance. While it’s not difficult to find a Wilmington roofing contractor who repairs slate roofs, it is an ongoing commitment as tiles continually split, crack, or come out of position.
For these reasons, some homeowners prefer to move forward with high quality asphalt shingles. The best asphalt shingles deliver the desired high end look, and provide top performance for many decades.