Your roof is one of the most important parts of your home. It protects you from the elements and keeps you secure. But as a homeowner, you should know all of your options when it comes to your humble abode. Some people don’t even know rubber roofing exists, much less the benefits that it has over traditional asphalt shingles. So, let’s take a look at the good, bad, and ugly of rubber roofing so you can decide if it’s the right choice for you and your home.
Why Should I Choose Rubber?
As you can obviously see from the name, rubber roofing is made from rubber. But, its specific materials are much more complex than that. The materials are more eco-friendly than their asphalt counterparts. Some popular materials are recycled tires, sawdust, and slate dust. However, these materials make rubber roofing more expensive than asphalt roofing. Asphalt shingles are usually around $100 a square, while rubber roofing often goes for at least $300 to $400 a square. But by paying that premium first, you’re going to save yourself a lot of stress, headaches, and cash in the future.
In the long run, the benefits of rubber roofing will be clear as day. Asphalt roofing usually lasts about 15 to 20 years. Rubber roofing, on the other hand, will last about 30 to 50 years. If you’re looking for optimum longevity, you can repaint your rubber roofing every ten years or so to help extend its livelihood. Throughout the lifespan of your asphalt roofing, you’re probably going to have to put a lot of effort into the maintenance. You’ll deal with a lot more cracks and leaking than you would have with rubber roofing. Rubber roofing is incredibly durable, waterproof, and weather-resistant. Even if you do have a problem with your rubber roofing, it’s an easy fix. All you’d need is some liquid rubber or a heavy-duty rubber repair tape to get your roof in check. It’s fast and simple which gives you more time in your lovely house and less dealing with a leaky roof.
How to Install Rubber Roofing
The process of installing rubber roofing is quite easy compared to other roofing options. Installing a huge rubber roll is the most cost-effective and beneficial method to installing your rubber roofing. After acquiring the roll, you have a couple of options. You can either strip your current roof down to the plywood base, on installing it on top of your current shingles. Most manufacturers won’t honor your warranty if you apply it on top of your current roof, but it’s up to you whether you want to go one way or the other.
We suggest hiring a professional and experienced roofing contractor, but if you’re roofing your home yourself, you’re going to have an easier time handling rubber than you would with other substances like slate or cedar. Rubber is a lot lighter, so it’ll take less effort to carry around. Make sure to cut the roofing for your specific roof and keep in mind the vents, chimneys, and antennas that are in your home. Sweep your roof to get rid of all that dirt and debris that’s lying around. You surely don’t want all of yesterday’s gunk to get on tomorrow’s fresh rubber roofing. After that, apply the adhesive all throughout your roof. If you see any air bubbles forming, get rid of them. Once you’ve finished all your hard work, wait about half an hour for the adhesive to set. Then, do a final look over and make any adjustments as needed.
Just as you put the roofing on your home, it’s already saving you money. Since you can put up your roofing with only a few layers, that means that there are going to be fewer seams. Fewer seams mean fewer cracks and fewer cracks mean fewer leaks. This all means more money saved! The rubber material reflects the sun and heats away from your home, so you’re definitely going to save some money on cooling costs. On the flip-side, it also traps heat inside during the cold winter months. The material is also fire-resistant. When you look at the benefits, having rubber roofing just makes sense. But, having a rubber roof is not all sunshine and rainbows.
Cons of Rubber Roofing
When the benefits are weighed against the cons of rubber roofing, the benefits definitely do reign supreme. However, that doesn’t mean cons don’t exist and that they aren’t worth talking about. Rubber roofing isn’t as popular as asphalt roofing, so you might have a hard time finding a roofer that is skilled in rubber roofing. Not having your rubber roofing installed correctly can lead to problems down the road. Since there aren’t many professionals that know about this recent phenomenon, they might try and make you pay a pretty penny for your rubber roof. As mentioned earlier, the price is one of the biggest cons when it comes to this type of roofing. It’s a big investment in the house in all aspects when it comes to labor and materials alike.
Piping throughout the house can be a major threat to the integrity of your roofing. You are definitely going to have to keep an eye on these areas because it’s likely that there may be cracks in the future. Due to the rubber material and its unlikeliness to crack, you may have a hard time seeking out the source if you end up having a slight problem in the future. It might be like finding a needle in a haystack.
Choosing your roofing shouldn’t have to be a hard decision. Using rubber in roofing is a recent discovery that has brought an easier homeowner experience to people all over the world. The extra couple hundred dollars that you pay at price certainly pays off as time goes by. The money that you save in maintenance fees is going to pay for the roofs themselves and then some. When you’re choosing your roofing, be sure to think about the long-term and not just the right now. Your future self will thank you, along with your wallet.
