When it’s time to renovate your roof, you have a gigantic variety of options. As you consider this decision, you should always focus on durability above all. While this might not be true of all financial decisions, your roof is critical enough to place its longevity and toughness above all other factors. That brings us to the big question: Which type of roof will last the longest? Let’s look at the most popular options and consider their likely lifespan.
Asphalt Shingles
This is easily the most popular roofing option in the world. Chances are, your roof is currently covered in these. However, they are definitely not the highest-quality option. They are mostly chosen for their low cost rather than for their lifespan. That being said, asphalt shingles will last quite a while under good circumstances, making them a very cost-effective choice.
Let’s get two opinions on this issue. This article says that an asphalt roof should be expected to last about 20 years. This one says that a roof of this type should last 15-30 years. Our first source admits that a roof of this type can last up to 30 years, but says that they rarely last that long in practice. Even if this is true. our information seems pretty consistent here.
Wood Shakes
Now let’s consider wood shakes. These are just shingles made of wood, which can actually be a lot more durable than you might think. If the wood is properly weatherproofed, it can last quite a long time, and replacement tends to be pretty cheap.
However, there is only one reason to use wood shakes, and that reason is beauty. From a durability-minded perspective, they are not going to be the best choice. To get some better numbers, let’s look for a couple of sources like we did before.
This roofing company says that a wood shake roof will last anywhere from 18 to 30 years, and details some of the factors that will affect its lifespan. Mostly, it comes down to the quality of the lumber and the skill with which it is installed.
For a second opinion, we looked at this website. These numbers are a lot more optimistic, giving a range of 20-40 years. Still, they also point out that the quality of the lumber and the skill of the installer will make a huge difference.
What we have here is a wide range of numbers from 18 years to 40 years. This tells us that you cannot expect consistent durability from a wood shake roof. If you are lucky, you might get the full 40 years (and there are numerous things you can do to help your luck) but that’s not something on which you can count.
Steel Roofing
A lot of people might consider steel roofing to be ugly, but it’s one of your most durable options. First, we should tell you that many people refer to this material as “roofing tin” when it is not. Tin was commonly used as a roofing material for a long time but is seldom used today. Most of the sheet-metal roofing that you see today consists of galvanized steel. At most, it might be coated with tin, but zinc and aluminum are more common.
To get an idea of how long it will last, let’s do a little more research. According to this website, most metal roofs come with a 50-year warranty. According to this insurance company, a metal roof can be expected to last 40-70 years. This is a very impressive lifespan, although the quality of the material will affect your actual results.
Ceramic/Concrete Tile
Tiles are a simple, beautiful, and relatively cheap way to cover your roof. They might be made out of concrete, or you might opt for the old-fashioned ceramic tiles. Either way, you are getting a very durable roof indeed. They do add a lot of weight to your roof, so you should definitely consult a structural expert of some kind before choosing this option. Still, it might be even more durable than steel and tends to be cheaper.
According to this website (a fairly respected one), Most roofs of this type will be covered by a 50-year warranty. However, we are told that they often last 100 years or more with proper care. For a second opinion, we chose this roofing company at random.
Their numbers line up well with our first source, saying that most tile roofs are insured for 50 years. They also point out that some buildings have preserved their tile roofs for centuries, which means that this material is indeed more long-lived than steel.
Slate
As you might expect, slate is a lot like concrete. This is because slate is a type of stone, and concrete is basically just artificial stone. However, natural stone will last a lot longer than concrete. This makes a lot of sense if you think about it because those stones have already been around for millions of years without being destroyed.
But how long will a slate roof last? Once again, we will look for two sources. This website, which we cited once before, says that a slate roof can last as little as 50 years or as many as 400. In fact, it says that some types of slate will often outlive the rest of the house. The people in this forum seem to agree that these roofs will last nearly forever.
Conclusion
So, now that we have done the research, we know that a slate roof is the most long-lived type of roof. This choice was obvious since it is the only roofing material that routinely outlives the home itself. In fact, it’s hard to pin down an upper limit for its lifespan because it can last almost indefinitely.
That being said, concrete and ceramic tiles have also been known to last for centuries, so they are the next best thing. After that, a metal roofing is the most durable, followed by asphalt shingles, and finally, wood shakes at the bottom. We hope that this article has been helpful and that you will fill out the contact form.
