Many homeowners are burdened with unwelcome house guests every year. It’s not the kind of guests that you’re thinking of, however, as this guest doesn’t enter the home. It invites itself to sit on your roof and causes unsightly discoloration. It’s algae and it effects a lot of homeowners, particularly those who live in areas of high humidity. Algae, however, doesn’t discriminate against those who don’t live in highly humid climates. It will attach to any roof and can be carried through wind, squirrels, birds, etc.

The Copper Concept

The concept behind algae resistant roof shingles is actually quite simple. Copper, which is a main ingredient in this new innovation of shingles, stops algae before it attaches to your home. Homeowners can now purchase shingles that have copper built directly into the colored granules. The copper isn’t visible, but it’s presence is certainly felt by unsuspecting algae as it is unable to survive on your roof‘s surface. With use of these new products, your entire roof becomes an unwelcoming host to algae. Expectedly, these shingles will cost a few extra bucks, but are well worth the extra cost when you factor the expense of algae removal. The copper or zinc present in algae resistant shingles are activated further by rain, which distributes the algae fighting components even further along the roof’s surface. Rain generally promotes moisture on the roof, which serves as a breeding ground for algae. Thankfully, that’s no longer the case thanks to algae resistant roof shingles.

Manufacturers Of Algae Resistant Roof Shingles

Many of today’s top shingle manufacturers offer algae resistant roof shingles, which can be installed by a local roofing contractor. They have access to a wide variety of products, including shingles with attractive colors to compliment your home. A roofing contractor normally gets a discount on these items and, in turn, may be able to pass that savings onto the customer. In many cases, warranties are even offered to cover algae resistant shingles. Always choose a company that stands behind their product.

Locating A Professional

A professional roofing contractor in your area will be able to order, and install, your choice of algae resistant roof shingles. After locating the perfect contractor, ask them for a quote and an expected timeframe. It may be a good idea to get several quotes from different contractors before making a final decision. Knowing that your roof is protected, from unwanted algae, will give you a greater peace of mind and allow your home to remain beautiful and fungus-free.

The world is full of copper lovers, and lovers of the copper roof are by no means an exception. There are essentially two different types of copper roof you can buy, there is the solid copper roof that consists solely of sheet copper on your roof. It is very resilient to weathering and will protect your house for decades but it is incredibly costly, as you can imagine. On the other hand, copper roof shingles are made by attached sheets of copper around standard asphalt shingles. All in all, the cost is likely to work out less than a slate roof but once the copper roof shingles have aged and been weathered they will take on the magnificent green look that only copper can create.

Can I use copper roof shingles?

One of the advantages that copper roof shingles offer over other forms of long lasting roofs, especially the solid copper roof, is that the shingles are actually surprisingly light and most roofs and structures can usually cope with the load admirably. As long as you are prepared to pay approximately $4 per square foot (compared to $1 for standard asphalt but up to $15 for solid copper) there is unlikely to be any good reason why you can not use copper roof shingles on your roof.

What kind of life can I expect from copper roof shingles? This is something of a confusing issue. Asphalt roof shingles will normally only last 20 years, but covered in copper sheeting the life of the asphalt shingles can easily be extended to between 30 and 40 years. However, the copper sheet itself will last an average of about 150 years. Obviously the copper roof shingles themselves will only last as long as the asphalt roof shingles that are found underneath the copper.

The cost of copper roof shingles.

Copper roof shingles are by no means a cheap alternative to other styles of roofing but if you like the look of copper and you want a longer life than asphalt shingles can offer then copper roof shingles are an excellent option. The copper sheet doesn’t an excellent job of protecting the asphalt shingles underneath effectively giving them an extended life of around 30 to 40 years. The copper sheeting also protects the shingles from most general wear and tear meaning that with good, regular maintenance you won’t need to have repairs done too often. On a yearly basis copper roof shingles do work out cheap but not overall and not for the initial installation.

Standard asphalt roof shingles usually cost around $1 per square foot, whereas solid copper roofing will set you back around $15 per square foot. Copper roof shingles are available at approximately $4 to $5 per square foot so they are 4 times more expensive than asphalt but considerably cheaper than a full solid copper roof. However, you are undoubtedly paying for the attractive looks of a copper roof but for less money than covering the entire roof in an expensive metal.

Choose cooper dormer vents for your home to add tasteful sophistication, value and protective performance.

Copper dormer vents are one of the easiest ways to provide proper ventilation to your roofing system. The general rule of thumb of adequate ventilation is, "more is better." Copper dormer vents add classic sophistication other materials can't match.

A favorite design of copper dormer vents is louvered. A louvered design is both beautiful and functional. Louver vents are manufactured in a variety of shapes including triangular, rectangular, and round. They can be customized to meet the architectural requirements of the structure and style of your home.

That's one of the benefits of choosing copper dormer vents. You can't simply go down to your local home improvement center and pick them up. Most copper dormer vents are custom built to meet the exact specifications of your home. This type of detailed craftsmanship adds elegant beauty and value to your home.

Copper Dormer Vents

Copper has been used in building for hundreds and hundreds of years. Adding copper dormer vents will give your home the ventilated protection it needs to help preserve the life of your roof. Your copper dormer vents left untreated will weather to a different color. This weathering effect is admired and cherished by many.

While copper is more expensive than other materials, copper dormer vents offer a look that can't be imitated. The unique qualities of copper have allowed this metal to be used for thousands of years for a variety of purposes. Many believe it was one of the first metals used by man.

Copper dormer vents can be either venting or non-venting. If you are using copper dormer vents as a non-venting additional to complement the style of your home, the design can be even more creative.