While building modern homes, people often forget to consider the roof. As the roof offers shelter and protection, everyone focuses on the roof’s functionalities and durability. Meanwhile, they forget to consider its aesthetic value.
Thus, even the most chic homes may not look put together after significant investments. So, you shouldn’t make this mistake. Instead, choose roofs that will match the overall appearance.
So, here are all the modern roofing materials and designs you must consider for your home!
Top 5 Modern Roofing Materials & Designs
1. Metal Roofing: Sleek Modern Home Roofing Materials
Metal roofing is highly popular among property owners and contractors. They look sleek and are sustainable. The most popular metal roofing materials are copper (for its aesthetic looks and longevity), steel (for being strong and cost-efficient), and aluminum (for being corrosion-resistant).
Pros
- Durability: Metal roofs are famous for their long lifespan of around 40 to 70 years with regular maintenance. This is perfect as it’s a great long-term investment, and you won’t have to change the roof any time soon.
- Weather Resistance: Metal roofs can resist extreme weather conditions, including scorching heat, high winds, snow, and hail. So you don’t have to worry about repairs.
- Energy Efficiency: The properties of metal roofs don’t make them energy efficient. However, you can apply a weather-resistant coating on it, which can reflect sunlight and reduce cooling expenses throughout the summer.
Design Inspiration
You can use metal roofs in modern, minimalist, and industrial-styled homes for a hint of sophistication and elegance. It offers great flexibility in design. Pick ones in suitable colors like silver, copper, or matte black shades and finishes.
2. Asphalt Shingles: Versatile Modern Home Roofing Materials
The next most popular roofing material is asphalt shingles. This is because it is easy to install, affordable, and suits different home aesthetics. Evaluated at USD 6612 million in 2023, asphalt shingles market size is expected to reach USD 8550 million in 2030.
It is generally made of fiberglass mat with a coating of granular asphalt and minerals.
Pros
- Cost-Efficient: Asphalt shingles are extremely inexpensive among the top roofing materials. They are great for property owners on a tight budget.
- Versatility: Although affordable, you don’t have to compromise with style if you pick asphalt shingles. Instead, the material suits every type of architectural style, whether modern or traditional.
- Repairable: If asphalt shingles get damaged, there’s no need to redo the entire roof. Instead, every damaged shingle can be replaced individually. This further saves money and time!
Design Inspiration
Asphalt shingles are found in diverse colors and tones: earthy tones, greys, and bright yellows, greens, and blues. To build a modern home, you can specifically use dimensional or architectural shingles. They create depth and texture to the roof, making it more attractive.
3. Clay and Concrete Tiles: Elegant Modern Roofing Materials
Clay and concrete tiles are the next most standard modern roof design types. While a great option for Mediterranean and Spanish-styled homes, they are popular among modern homes as well.
Clay tiles are made of earthen clay sculpted into interlocked or rolled shapes, followed by firing to harden them. It’s available both in glazed and unglazed. Concrete tiles are made and installed in a similar way. They are a more affordable alternative to clay ones.
Pros
- Durability: Clay and concrete tiles are heavy and durable, with a life expectancy of 50 to 100 years. It’s best for winds of up to 150 miles per hour.
- Low Maintenance: Clay and concrete tiles can resist mold, rot, and insects/ These don’t need excess maintenance to last for years.
- Insulation: Clay and concrete tiles resist hot weather, fires, and environments with salty air. They keep the indoors cool during the summers.
Design Inspiration
For modern homes, you can go for contemporary-styled, flatter, and sleeker clay and concrete tiles. Choose options in black, grey, and dark green. For a minimalist architectural style, ask for tiles with smooth finishes.
4. Slate Roofing: Luxurious Modern Roofing Materials
If you want to add a luxurious yet natural look to a home, a slate roof is one of the excellent modern roof design types. It is sourced from natural stone and available in deep gray, green, black, purple, red, and other mottled hues.
Pros
- Durability: It can last 50 to 200 years or more with regular maintenance. Thus, it can last for at least a generation!
- Cost-Efficient: While it needs a reinforced home structure for its weight and expert labor, slate roofing saves money for regular repairs and upgrades.
- Resistance: Slate is fire and water-resistant. It won’t burn down or let water infiltrate a home,
- Appeal: Being a natural material, it has great appeal in the market.
- Environment-Friendly: Slate is naturally available and requires minimal processing to prepare for construction. You can also reuse old discarded slate tiles and get them for a better deal, ensuring minimal impact on the environment.
Design Inspiration
Although slate roofs are popular among traditional homes, they can be paired with modern home designs as well. It goes well with glass accents, wooden facades, and steel structures. This balances out both natural and industrial aesthetics.
For a minimalist home, monochromatic, dark slate tiles are the best!
5. Green Roofing: Eco-Friendly Modern Roofing Materials
Green roofs or living roofs include layering of soil on a waterproof membrane to grow vegetation. You can grow grass or build a small aesthetic garden with shrubs and native plants.
Pros
- Aesthetics: It offers a unique appearance that goes hand-in-hand with biophilic and eco-conscious designs.
- Thermal Insulation: Green roofs offer natural insulation and reduce HVAC expenses.
- Environmental Benefits: These roofs absorb rainwater, the plants filter pollutants, and they boost biodiversity.
Design Inspiration
Green roofs suit flat or slightly sloped roofs. It adds a hint of nature to the urban cityscape. Native plants are best for low maintenance. Experiment with plant layouts to express different preferences and styles of property owners.
Conclusion
Now that you’re aware of the top roofing options for modern home aesthetics, it’s time to compare your options. Understand which of them will look the best on your project.
However, if you’re uncertain and need some professional guidance, contact us at LA Roofing Materials. We can connect you with experienced contractors to help you with your roofing project!