The latest roofing trends include appearance and functionality, along with its sustainability. Many of the latest trends involve reducing materials and turning to recycled and eco-friendly options.
Architects are designing roof lines that use a minimum amount of materials to help save money on costly materials.
Eco-friendly Roofing Trends
Trends for 2022 include eco-friendly solutions that help fight climate change. Using sustainable roofing products and building roofs that help people reduce their utility expenses is one of the top trends.
Solar Roofs
Solar power helps homeowners and business owners reduce their carbon footprints and build energy-efficient homes. Solar power takes the pressure off of the grid to help with energy conservation.
Rather than using the large solar panels that distract from a home’s curb appeal, builders are turning to photovoltaic shingles. These solar shingles work like the original solar panels, but they look like traditional asphalt shingles.
Depending on the location and amount of solar shingles, some homeowners and business owners have been able to become energy independent. Solar shingles are new to the market and are growing in popularity.
Cool Roofs
Along with solar shingles, homeowners and business owners are turning to cool roofs made of materials that absorb or reflect energy. Cool roofs can help homeowners keep their homes cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
To make a cool roof, builders install a reflective coating over roofing materials. The coating is usually a light color, but manufacturers make them in colors that coordinate with home styles and tones. The light color reflects radiant heat, reducing energy bills and wear-and-tear on air conditioning units.
Green Roofs
Commercial buildings and homes with flat roofs are embracing green roofs. These are roofs with gardens that effectively use rainwater and provide a natural shade that reduces energy costs. Green roofs like cool roofs, but use vegetation rather than reflective coatings.
Before installing a green roof, contractors need to take care of potential drainage problems. A green roof needs aeration and drainage while being able to hold the weight of the organic material that holds the vegetation. The best green roofs need proper support, so greenery can grow without damaging the building material beneath it.
Synthetic Materials
Rather than using roofing material made from virgin materials, roofers are turning to recycled, synthetic materials. Manufacturers make synthetic shingles from rubber and plastic, and they construct them in different shapes and colors. Builders use them to create customized roofs that look stylish and modern.
To make synthetic roofing materials even more attractive, they are less expensive than traditional materials. Manufacturers can recycle the materials when homeowners and business owners decide they want new roofing materials.
Architectural Roofing Trends
The latest architectural roofing trends step away from large, noticeable roofs. Instead, they turn to modern designs that harken back to mid-century modern designs. Shortages in roofing materials could be the cause of homeowners turning to rooflines with less square footage than in previous designs.
Clean and Modern Rooflines
Trendy homeowners are turning to rooflines that are clean and simple. They are avoiding large suburban shed-style roofs with gables, hips, dormers, and various pitches. Flat roofs are attractive to homeowners who want to add solar panels and green roofs. They also use less roofing material than the complex, suburban styles.
Metal Roofs
Metal roofs add a modern and playful design. Durable and versatile metal roofs come in several colors, so homeowners can create a unique look that asphalt shingles cannot accomplish. Metal roofs can last decades, while traditional materials last about 10 years. Metal roofs often include recycled content, so they are attractive to people who want to reduce their carbon footprints.
Homeowners with slanted roofs appreciate how snow and rain slide off metal roofing materials. They also like that metal roofs do not leak as much as roofs with asphalt shingles. Surprisingly, metal roofs cost significantly less than traditional roofs, and their longevity makes them an attractive option for people who don’t want a new roof every 10 to 15 years.
Conclusion
Roofing trends show how contractors are using more eco-friendly materials on commercial and residential buildings. They also showcase how homeowners are looking for ways to reduce the number of materials they use and how often they have to replace them.
