One of the most important aspects of any kind of home is the style of roofing you plan on having. The roofing style affects the value of your property, as well as the aesthetics and feel of the building. When working with multi-family housing buildings such as apartments, townhouses or condos, the roofing style is just as important.
Roofing Styles
Multi-family housing buildings offer a variety of ways that roofs are built, whether they’re flat or low slope roofs, steep tile roofs, or even flat foam roofing sections. Because of the assortment of styles, almost any material can be used on multi-family housing units.
- Spray polyurethane foam (SPF): is applied to the roof as a liquid (which immediately puffs up on application), and forms a seamless, protective barrier around the vents, pipes and other protrusions around the roof.
- Singly ply roofing (PVC or TPO): is comprised of an insulation layer, flashing layer, a single ply membrane made of plastic or rubber, and an adhesive layer.
- Modified bitumen (MB): is a style of asphalt with modifiers to give it a plastic or rubber-like feel on the roof for extra durability.
- Built-up roofing (BUR): consists of layers of material that are all laminated together.
- Asphalt shingles: are fire resistant and inexpensive materials made from fiberglass that is topped with mineral and asphalt granules.
- Slate roofing: offers a natural, durable, and fire and wind resistant option with reinforced frame.
- Metal roofing: typically made of steel, aluminum or copper, metal roofing is a great option for low or steep-slope roofs.
- Tile roofing: offer extreme durability and aesthetically-pleasing views for multi-housing buildings.
How to Choose
Choosing the best roofing style for your multi-family housing community can be more difficult than simply choosing the most affordable, durable, or aesthetically-pleasing material. There are a variety of factors you should be considering, such as the location of your building or the weather and climate conditions it will endure.
Asphalt shingles are prone to high damage as well in areas where storms, tornadoes and heavy winds are common. As affordable as asphalt shingles can be, cost effectiveness goes out the window if shingles need to be replaced often on a roof.
Clay tiles are most suitable for coastal and areas with high humidity and long hot days.
Metal roofing performs well in many areas and is very resistant to heavy storms.
Slate roofing is a great option for cold environments and is very resistant to storm damage.
Contact Us
Have you narrowed down the roofing style and material you’d like to use for your multi-family housing project? Contact Exterior Remodel & Design, Inc., to speak with one of our expert roofing professionals for more information on roofing options.