The ideal time to upgrade your roofing system is when you are already in need of roof replacement. For some homeowners, upgrades to their roofs may mean a new type of shingle material. Other homeowners may want to look at something like solar roofing systems. These systems offer a chance to reduce electricity consumption and offer a suitable backup power resource during power outages. If you are considering solar roofing systems, here are a few of the types available.
Solar Shingles
Solar shingles replace traditional shingles during your roof replacement. The solar shingles can be placed over the entire roof or mixed in with different non-solar shingles. The solar shingles work the same as other solar options. This means they connect to your home and work as a power source. There is usually a switch that will allow you to switch between the solar power captured by the solar shingles and the electricity you already have in your home. Shingles offer a no-drilling option for roof replacement and can give the appearance of normal roofing shingles.
Solar Tiles
Solar tiles are similar to solar shingles. The tiles may be smaller than solar shingles, but still provide the same type of solar power for the home. Tiles are often suggested as a replacement for solar shingles and traditional shingles. Like the solar shingles, the tiles can be placed over the entire roof or used throughout the roof mixed with other shingle or roofing tile materials. In some areas, your roofing contractor may use the term solar tile and solar shingle interchangeably due to their being only slight differences between the two options.
Solar Panels
Solar panels are the most common form of solar roofing. The panels are drilled into the roof decking and are placed slightly above the actual roofing shingles. If you choose a solar panel option, then you will also need to choose a regular roofing shingle system. This means you need to choose a roofing system that will work with the solar panels being drilled into the roof itself. Asphalt shingles and metal roofing are both suitable options.
If you are ready to move forward with a solar roofing system as part of your roof replacement, contact your roofing contractor. They can discuss the options available to you and how the installation process will work. You can also discuss any further upgrades you want to make during the roof replacement such as skylights or ventilation options.
Reach out to a company like Supreme Roofing LLC to learn more.
When you have something you like inside a jar, you probably put a lid on it — right? In a way, you can think of your house in the same manner. You like and value the items inside, along with the inside of the house itself. So, it only makes sense that you would protect the interior of your home with a lid. That lid is your roof.
Keep that perspective in mind as you read this blog. Learning more about roofing will feel more interesting if you remember what a roof does: it protects the inside of the home and the people who live in it.