Benefits of Asphalt Roof

9 Benefits of Asphalt Roof Coating over other Roof Types

Last Updated: 2022-02-16By

If you are thinking of replacing the roof covering, then you should opt for the best material. One of the most popular materials in America is the asphalt roof. The asphalt roof is the best in terms of price-quality ratio, it will keep the temperature of your home, it looks very stylish, and has many colors. This roof is easy to install, very easy to maintain, and is only part of the benefits of asphalt roof coating.

To understand in detail the advantages of this coating, the Remodel on Point team has selected for you a detailed analysis of its nine qualities.

  • Versatility
  • Lots of styles
  • Low price
  • Fire resistance
  • Energy efficiency
  • Moss and mildew resistant
  • Easy installation process
  • Lightweight coating
  • Roof repair processes are very simple

When choosing which material to use for your roof, be sure to pay attention to these properties. Understanding what features the coverage has, it will be easier for you to make a decision and understand what difficulties you will not have to face in the future.

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Universal for all Types of Roofs

Asphalt roofs are a very flexible material and this is their undoubted advantage over other types of coverings. An asphalt roof can be easily used on houses with roofs of any complexity. It doesn’t matter if there are a lot of corners and curves in the shape of a roof, the asphalt pavement will do the job.

Due to its versatility, asphalt pavement is not demanding on the slope of the roof. This implies that you can use this material on virtually all types of homes in America. This is quite convenient because most materials have their limitations.

Variety of Styles and Colors

Another benefit of asphalt roof coating is its appearance. There are many styles of this coating and an even wider range of colors. This allows each homeowner to choose what they like.

In addition to their exceptional style, asphalt roofing material can mimic the appearance of other roofing materials made of wood, slate, and others. In addition to the beautiful appearance, this coating will not have the disadvantages of these beautiful materials.

Choosing the right roof shades can give your home a more sophisticated color. This can affect his perception, and he will look much more luxurious and more expensive. This feature can greatly add value to a home when it is sold.

Low Price of Asphalt Roof

Asphalt roofs have many advantages, but it is because of their affordability that they have gained such rapid popularity. Of all the materials for the roof, asphalt has the lowest cost, on average it fluctuates around $ 6 – $ 8 per sq. ft.

If we compare this cost with other types of coatings, then, for example, for an average house with a roof of 1500 sq. ft. The cost of an asphalt roof will be $ 3000 – $ 5000 cheaper than competitors. Undoubtedly, this value for money is one of the most important benefits of asphalt roof coating.

Nowadays, many manufacturers are producing their types of asphalt roofing. Because of this competition, new varieties of material are constantly emerging that are better than the previous ones. This has a positive effect on the development of asphalt roofs, keeping their costs low.

Fire Resistance

Asphalt roofs have very high fire resistance. This is confirmed by numerous tests for which this coating was awarded the highest class “A”. If a fire suddenly breaks out and there is a fire on the asphalt roof, she will be able to hold it back for up to two hours, preventing the fire from getting inside the house.

For such a long time, most fires have already been extinguished, therefore this roof covering is considered very reliable. Safety is never superfluous and it is very pleasant that such an inexpensive material has so many positive properties.

Energy Efficiency

The material used for the roof of the house has one of the most important influences on maintaining the right temperature in the house. If the coating is of poor quality or improperly installed, then you will face such problems as insane heat in summer and constant temperature drops in winter.

Since a comfortable temperature must be maintained in the house, asphalt roofs have special insulating layers under them. Insulation allows you to keep the temperature in your home at the level you want. It is also additional protection against roof leaks.

In addition, asphalt roofs can be made in light shades, which will allow such a roof to repel ultraviolet rays in summer. This will prevent the roof from heating up on its own and not transfer excess heat into the house.

It should also be understood that keeping your home at a comfortable temperature saves you money. Due to the temperature retention, your air conditioner in summer and heating system in winter will run less power, using less electricity.

Moss and Mildew Resistant

Another problem that roofs can face is mold and moss. Often this problem is inherent in organic coatings made of wood and other materials. When the material starts to deteriorate, it becomes vulnerable to the appearance of bacteria, which destroy it even more.

Since asphalt roofs are an inorganic material, they are not afraid of such problems and are resistant to the appearance of organic matter. Such protection of the roof allows it to be in good condition for much longer and you will not worry about the fact that the beams of your house will deteriorate.

Easy Installation Process

Another important benefit of asphalt roof coating is its ease of installation. Such a covering is very light and is consistently attached to the roof step by step. Because of this, the installation process is quite simple, which positively affects the quality.

In addition, since such a roof is easy to install, the operating time is minimal. In good weather, professional roofing companies can install an asphalt roof in 3-4 days on a standard size house.

Since it takes much less time to install the roof, the cost of installing it is lower. This is one of the factors why an asphalt roof is much cheaper than other coatings.

Lightweight Coating

The weight of the material used for the roof is of great importance. Firstly, it is important for installation, because the heavier the coating is, the stronger the support structure should be. Secondly, it is the complexity of the installation. As we said earlier, the installation of asphalt roofs is quite simple and one of the reasons for this is its ease. The weight of one package of asphalt sheets is only 50-60 lbs, which is very convenient when installing each shingle separately.

The weight of the coating also affects the difficulty of transportation. Since asphalt pavement is quite light and compact, it can be easily delivered to your home and this also contributes to the reduction of the cost of the roof.

Roof Repair Processes are very Simple

Unfortunately, no material will last you forever and over time, any roof needs repair. Since the asphalt roof is installed in parts, you do not need a lot of material to repair it.

If over time it happens that some of the roof shingles are damaged, they can be simply replaced. For this repair, you do not need to make a complete replacement of the roof, but only the damaged parts.

This procedure does not take much time and money, compared to replacing large parts of other types of roof coatings. It is also worthwhile to understand that asphalt roofs serve for a very long time and you should not worry about the fact that even a small repair will be needed every year.

How to Choose an Asphalt Roof Coating Company

As in any job, and roofing, people with experience must do it. Because of this, the benefits of asphalt roof coating will only serve you well if done by a professional roofing company.

You should be serious about choosing a company to carry out your roof installation. You can find out from friends or just read reviews about companies providing services for the installation of asphalt roofs in your area.

Careful selection of the company will allow you to be sure that the roof will be properly installed the first time and you will not have to redo it. Pay attention to what guarantees the roofing company gives for its work. If this figure is 5 years or more, then you can be sure that the workers will monitor the quality of the installation.

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Each building has some sort of driveway or at least should have. The main reason is for vehicles to come closer without need to walk all the way. Some homes are residential with small driveway for their car to come in and park before garage or front entrance, and others can be large commercial buildings with loading docks, delivery entrances and casual parking entrances. On Point Remodeling was asked for suggestions on residential driveway for new home construction, and we decided to write detailed article for all our readers. Using this guide you can select the material for your driveway and see what works for your budget. Here are the materials for driveway we will be discussing in our guide:
  • Asphalt
  • Concrete
  • Paver Stone
  • Crushed stone
  • Brick
  • Seashell
  • Gravel
To find good contractor for your driveway, you can either ask our team by email or try to find someone local that worked with neighbors or nearby buildings.

Installation process of any material surface on your driveway

a) Demolition and Excavation – Before anything is done, your contractor will get heavy machinery and scratch off old layer of driveway. They need to go down at least 5-6 inches to insure proper layering before your final layer of material is installed. b) Material Purchase and Delivery – At this point your contract is signed and you already know how the surface will look. Contracting company purchases necessary materials and delivers them to site. Double check if material is correct and not damaged. c) Preparation of Sublevel – Whatever you place as final material, it cannot just be installed directly on top soil. Gravel is the first choice of material that goes down at this stage. Other preferred material is screen sand that can go on top of gravel and works better with stone and bricks. d) Compaction of Ground – To prevent your driveway from moving and changing shapes, all the layers from bottom up have to be properly compacted. Do not leave any spot untouched while doing this or you can get small holes and cracks in driveway after installation. E) Final Installation – This is when all the magic happens. After all preparations and dirty work the final installation is made literally within hours and you can enjoy new driveway. Stone and brick is set up by hand, while other materials require some sort of machinery with manual labor to even out surface.

1. Asphalt

Probably the most used material for road top surfaces as well as driveways is asphalt. This is a mix of gravel and sand that is mixed in and combined by asphalt cement with crude oil. Pros of Asphalt Driveway
  • Very popular and easy to find materials/contractor
  • Completed in 1 day and you can drive on it after
  • Patches and small holes can be fixed fast
Cons of Asphalt Driveway
  • Easy to damage and cracks appear in few years
  • Almost everyone else has same surface
  • Oily surface and chemicals used in mix
Prepared for asphalt driveway will cost you around $5 per square foot to finish. The contractors that take care of entire process from taking out old driveway surface, install subsurface and compact the ground with new asphalt on top, will charge on average $5500 per regular size driveway at single home property.

2. Concrete

What we call concrete is a mixture of Portland cement, aggregate as well as sand with gravel. Suggested thickness of concrete for driveway is 6 inches. The mixture needs to cure without being touched or driven on top for several days. Pros of Concrete Driveway
  • Durable material for large weights
  • Long lifespan if installed properly
  • Winter and summer friendly
Cons of Concrete Driveway
  • Has marks and stains over time
  • Hard to repair without replacement
  • Super hard to DIY
To hire contractors for concrete driveway it will cost around $7-$9 per square foot. This will include site preparation with gravel spread and new concrete installation. They will order full truck of concrete (or several for larger driveways) to pour inside forming. Smoothening and curing is required after installation.

3. Paver Stone

The most luxurious material that you can use to create driveway path with is paver stone. It is made out of natural stone with uneven rough shapes that have different line patterns. Paver stones are very heavy and are perfect for weights on top of them. Almost every city in Europe has roads and walks made out of stone that were installed centuries ago. Pros of Paver Stone Driveway
  • Creative designs can be done
  • Personal looks, can match the house
  • Can replace single stone in minutes
Cons of Paver Stone Driveway
  • Weeds growing through
  • Stone can move over time
  • Most expensive material
There is wide selection of stone that can be purchased for your driveway. On average we recommend settling with $17-$20 per square foot for stone with installation included. Working with this material is very intense labor and we recommend hiring professionals that do this type of work every day.

4. Crushed Stone

Our readers sometimes mistake crushed stone with gravel, but this is not the same material. Crushed stone material is achieved when machine is mechanically crushing larger pieces of unused stone for this specific purpose. It is larger than gravel and can have smooth finish. Crushed stone can also have a mix of colors, which is much pleasant to eyes than gravel. Pros of Crushed Stone Driveway
  • Low maintenance required
  • Fits rural area style
  • Can be reused for other purposes
Cons of Crushed Stone Driveway
  • Gets very hot during summer
  • Can be messy after many drives
  • Hard to remove snow and ice
Buying crushed stone and installing it on your driveway is as easy as it gets. Similar to other rough materials discussed in this post, only small tools like shovels, dolly and buckets are required to spread it on the road. The cost of crushed stone driveway is between $4 and $6 per square foot from professional local contractors that can finish the job in several days.

5. Brick

The same brick we see being used in wall construction can be installed as top driveway surface. Brick is manufactured by compressing clay with plastic mass. It is heated to extreme temperature and dried up to become as solid as you know it. Pros of Brick Driveway
  • Variety of selections in shapes and shades
  • Bricks are recyclable
  • Slip resistant with rough top part
Cons of Brick Driveway
  • Needs regular maintenance
  • Change color over time
  • Old fashion looking
Installing brick on driveway costs $10 per square foot, which is not too far from masonry brick laying as part of the wall. To save money you can use or purchase old brick, that was part of a wall before. Do not mix these two jobs and contact landscaping professionals instead of masonry contractors that work with bricks.

6. Seashell

This material is popular on the coast line where shells can be found near the water. Construction companies use seashells to add in other materials as well as spread them on driveway in rough condition, without adding anything else. It usually comes in white or pearl color and darkens within year because of mixing with sand and dirt. Pros of Seashell Driveway
  • Environmentally friendly
  • Has natural drainage
  • Creates worm vibe of beach house
Cons of Seashell Driveway
  • Break and crack under light weight
  • Sharp and very hard to walk on
  • Gets stuck in shoes and tires
To deliver and spread seashells on driveways costs below $4, which is only slightly more expensive than rough gravel. As you go further from coast line, cost of material increases due to delivery. This material is elegant and very soft. We recommend adding edge lines with darker color landscape material to create visual path.

7. Gravel

This material is used in other construction mixes and underlayment systems. It’s literally fragments and small crushed stones that are put on top of soil. It is easily spread out by hands and anyone can do it. Pros of Gravel Driveway
  • Cheapest of them all
  • Easy DIY Job
  • Can install another material on top
Cons of Gravel Driveway
  • Needs to be graded very often
  • Will mix with dirt and leaves
  • Washes up with heavy rains
It is rough material and can be purchased in bulk (by metric tons or cubic meters). The cost of driveway with gravel should not exceed $3 per square foot, but you can save tons of money by purchasing materials and doings installation by yourself. You do not require specific tools or heavy equipment for the job and delivery of gravel can be arranged directly to your project.

Conclusion

To properly finish any and all of these driveways requires skills and experience. There is no way you can complete any of these projects without heavy equipment and tools that regular home owner’s just store in their garages. Most of those who will read this post will prefer to install asphalt driveway, because of its popularity and low costs. We want to encourage home owners to go for personal preference and what matches your house, rather than getting the most affordable and popular items. Driveway jobs have to be completed fast; otherwise you will need to park elsewhere while the project is running. To not overpay, ask us for quotation sample on material you prefer in specific region where the work need to be done and our team can provide some numbers.

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