Guide for choosing the right roofing type for your residential or commercial building.

July 17, 2023 | Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Roof is the most important thing in the building, since it saves us from the rain, wind, snow and other disasters. In this article we help you to understand which roof style- is right for your residential or commercial building. We have extreme weather conditions in the Edmonton region. We mainly serve 4 types of roofing solution in Edmonton and surrounding areas.

Types of roofing

  1. Cedar Roof
  2. Metal Roof
  3. Rubber Roof
  4. Asphalt Shingle Roof

Cedar Roof

Cedar is one of the most popular materials for wooden roofing in Edmonton along other roofing types, with red and white cedar being preferred for different reasons. Both kinds can be treated to be fire-retardant and other chemical preservatives can be used. Red cedar roof is costly compared to white cedar due to the natural preservative(tannic acid)  it contains. People also prefer red cedar due to its red color.

White cedar is considered as a good choice for investment. It contains natural decay resistance.

Silvery white cedar is also considered a wise investment and an attractive choice, with natural decay resistance. White cedar will not splinter under stress.

Cedar shake roofs life is about 30-35 years, depending on installation quality, material used in installation, regular maintenance etc. Cedar roofs are undoubtedly strong enough compared to other roofs in front of wind resistance. 

Metal Roof

Metal roofing is popular for commercial properties in Edmonton region. The benefit of the metal roof is, it is affordable and durable. The roofing can be fixed on steep and slat rooflines. Metal roofing is fire resistance and energy efficient. We can use metal roofing in many colors, styles, materials and finishes. Asphalt roofing prices will vary depending on product and labour costs. Assuming you are considering a mid-range shingle installed by a licensed contractor, a residential metal roof will cost about 3+ times more than asphalt.

There are different types of metal roofing available. 

Steel Shingle: G90 (0.90 ounce of Zinc coating per square foot of steel surface) is most popular. G110 and G115 performs well against acid rain. 

Aluminum shingle: Aluminum is used for rust free application, 

Standing Seam Metal: galvanized steel and solid aluminum with PVDF coatings, 

Exotic Metal Roofing: costly but last long because it is made from copper or zinc. Copper and zinc are rust free, this property makes it last long for years. 

Cons of the metal roofing: 

  • Generate noise during rainy season
  • Difficult to repair if it gets damaged.

Rubber Roofing:

“Rubber” roofing refers to a single-ply synthetic membrane made from either rubber, plastic polymers or both. This combination means that the roof is incredibly strong but still flexible enough to not be easily damaged. The drawback of rubber is negligible compared to other roofing materials. The cost and benefits of the rubber will vary depending on the style and roofing membrane used. There mainly three types of rubber roofing materials

  1. Rubber Shingles: Rubber shingles are particularly beneficial if you own a flat or low-sloped roof. Rubber shingles are the popular choice for appearance.
  2. EPDM: Ethylene propylene diene terpolymer is typically the most popular material for rubber roofs. It has the longest lifespan and lowest rubber roofing cost. This makes it perfect for a new roof installation.
  3. TPO: Thermoplastic polyolefin is particularly beneficial because of its better energy-efficient savings compared to other rubber materials. It reflects sunlight and UV radiation. It is damage protected. Life of TPO is 15 to 20 years.
  4. PVC: Polyvinyl chloride, the third type of available material, is easily the strongest of the three as the seams are welded shut instead of glued or taped. From the last 50 years PVC is in practice to be used in rubber roofing. 

Benefits of rubber roofing

  • Fire resisting
  • Low repair cost
  • Less maintenance 
  • Recyclable

Asphalt Shingle Roof

Asphalt roof shingles are the most popular roofing material used on homes across Canada. They are designed to protect a home through decades of weathering with minimal upkeep, and are available in hundreds of colors and styles.

There are two main categories of asphalt shingles: 

  1. Organic Shingles: These are the oldest type of asphalt roofing tiles. Asphalt consists of a cellular fibre substrate (recycled paper) impregnated with asphalt and compressed under high pressure. They are easier to install compared to fiberglass. Due to the heaviness of them it has more resistance to the strong winds.
  2. Fibreglass Shingles: Fiberglass shingles have layers of glass fiber instead of paper. Fiberglass shingles are light in weight compared to the organic shingles, because it uses less asphalt during the manufacturing process. It is less expensive, more heat resistance. Fiberglass shingles end less likely to lift, problem solved in this newly developed roofing.

Asphalt shingles are wind resistance. The combination of the nail and adhesive provides resistance against 100 to 220 km/h wind, depending on the quality of the shingles.

Contact us for all your roofing requirements

Best Top Roofing is a roofing company based in Edmonton, Alberta’s capital region, specializing in the new roof, reroof, and roof repair and roof maintenance. Since 2010, Best Top Roofing has served the communities of Edmonton, Beaumont, Leduc, Calmar, Devon, Lamont, Wetaskiwin, Sherwood Park, Ft. Saskatchewan, Bruderheim, St. Albert, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Edson Palmondon, Morinville, Gibbons, Red Water, Two Hills, Tofield and Calgary. 

We provide roof installation, roof replacement, Emergency roof repair, roof repair, and roof management services to homeowners, tenants and or businesses.

Call us on: 780-710-9990 

Contact us

Disclaimer: This is general purpose information only. Roofing services involve a lot of other terms, parameters, material, conditions and situations that affect roofing services and pricing. Please contact our office for case by case discussion.