Homeowners should not wait until tragedy strikes to become educated on what is the safest choice in roofing options. A little homework now can save you thousands of dollars and heartache, and perhaps help prevent a catastrophe in your life. Wood shakes were once the choice for upscale homes in latter part of the 20th century – architects used them to differentiate custom homes from the standard tract homes that used composition asphalt shingles. Builders used them as an upgrade. Years ago, a wood roof could boast a longer life than the 20-year composition roofs available. Aesthetically, wood roofs blended in well with the surroundings of upper end neighborhoods.

Today, many local building departments no longer allow wood roofs because of their inherent fire damage. If you do decide you need a new roof, we would not recommend you re-roof with wood – bottom line is that wood shakes are a fire hazard, something that is painfully obvious from the California fires. Besides age and weather, the biggest threat to a wood shake roof, especially an older, brittle shake roof is foot traffic. Preservatives or oils are sprayed on by workmen who must walk on the roof to apply the material. Their footsteps risk cracking the shakes and increase the risk of a leaky roof.

Many builders have turned to the use of tile roofs, but if you haven’t checked the prices yet you’re in for a shock. Due to excessive weight of the tile, special framing may be needed to have it installed on your home. New framing can be a major expense, requiring engineering drawings and building inspections. And, the tile itself requires special installation that is particularly labor-intensive. All this can add up to a very expensive roof – up to 50% more than the cost of an asphalt roof.

Today, homeowners have many more options to get the look and feel of wood shake roofs with much better protection, less cost, and longer life. Asphalt shingles have improved greatly over the years in both looks and longevity.

Given all the drawbacks of wood and tile roofs, and the advantages of asphalt shingles, it is little wonder that asphalt shingles dominate the roofing market. Since 2000, asphalt shingles have grown from 76% to 85% of the market, while tile has fallen from 5% to just 3% (source: F.W. Dodge, 2006 Economic Forecast), and wood shakes are less than 2% of the remodeling market for roofing shingles.

Clearly, as savvy homeowners have become more knowledgeable about the risks associated with tile roofing, they have turned to asphalt shingles as the best and safest choice for protecting their biggest investment – their home. Asphalt shingles offers a wide range of colors and styles that make them easier to coordinate with other exterior colors, have natural look that emulates the look of natural materials such as wood, stone, or slate, provide a prestigious look that can increase the value of your home for as little as half the cost, and are easy to maintain and repair – won’t crack when walked on like wood, and easy to replace if damaged. There is less chance of damage from termites, carpenter ants, squirrels, wasps and birds, and are safer with less cracking or damage from hurricanes or earthquakes.

This article was provided by GAF Materials Corporation. As the largest manufacturer of roofing materials in North America, GAF Materials Corporation has a certification program for roofing contractors. These contractors are factory-certified by GAF and pledge to work on the homeowner’s roof as if it were their own. These professionals can present you with a plan in writing covering everything from pre-installation to the finished job. They use quality GAF materials backed by limited warranties that range from 20 years to lifetime. They also offer a unique warranty that even covers the contractor’s workmanship during the critical early years after installation and includes an inspection of your finished roof by GAF’s factory inspectors. GAF’s website contains a great deal of information about roofing problems and solutions, and also offers a free video on how to avoid roofing disasters (it can even be viewed on-line with a high-speed connection). So if you’re interested in learning more about roofing options or finding out which contractors in your neighborhood are factory-certified, visit www.gaf.com or call GAF toll free at 1-888-LEAK-SOS.