Today's Roofing vs. Yesteryear

There have been vast improvements and advances in roofing materials, just as with all other home exteriors. Here in North Carolina, the most popular roofing materials include asphalt shingle roof, metal roofs including metal Panel and Standing Seam roofs, but it wasn’t always that way. One of the very first roof materials was tile, and it remains popular in many other areas of the country.

Asphalt and metal in particular have gone through many advancements in the past several decades, and now they are even more durable, beautiful and long-lasting. Part of that longevity is due to proper installation, and for that you can rely on experienced roofers in Burlington NC . We hope you enjoy this brief history of both asphalt and metal.

Metal Roofing Through the Years

The first metals used for roofing purposes were lead and copper, with the first sheet iron being manufactured back in 1794 in New Jersey. Then, in 1837 in France, zinc galvanized metal was introduced to combat the effects of rust. Their popularity in both countries was mainly due to their light weight, low cost and low maintenance requirements.

Galvanized coatings were popular in the 19th century, which could ensure a longer service life for metal roofs. Large steel roofing panels used to be the most popular choice solely for agricultural and industrial buildings because the corrugated panels could span longer distances, says Architect Magazine. This reduced material volume and framing weight. With aesthetics not in the equation at all, metal roofs became synonymous with barns and similar structures.

Metal roofing has certainly evolved in recent years, though. Although it used to be known as a cheap, highly available material primarily used to build train stations and barns, it was transformed into more of a high-end material that was revered for residential and commercial buildings due to beauty and longevity.

Asphalt Shingles Through the Years

The first primitive asphalt shingles were invented in the 1800s. Roofers laid down fabric and coat it with pine tar, a very sticky substance. Once the 1840s hit, roofers used heavy paper covered with sand and tar, followed by the use of coal tar instead of pine. This is a waste byproduct originating in the gas light industry, according to Asphalt magazine.

A Michigan roofer decided to cut asphalt-saturated rolls into individual pieces in 1903, all cut by hand. Later, machines did this job with a roller-die that separated each piece from a long ribbon of felt saturated in asphalt. The first strip shingles made their appearance in the 1920s.

Roofers stopped the use of cotton-based rag felt in the 1940s, instead using celluloid-based felts. Then, in the 1960s, fiberglass replaced felt, and finally by the 1980s, fiberglass mats were used exclusively instead of organic felt.

The industry is still evolving today with the advent of composition shingles and solar shingles.

Roofing Contractor in Burlington, NC

Whether you want to add metal or asphalt shingle to your roof, we can handle it. Just contact Redeem Roofing in Burlington NC roofers at 336-350-1450 today to learn more about the differences.

Quality roofing contractor in the Greensboro & Burlington, North Carolina areas including the Triad; Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point

Beautiful work. Awesome customer service. Flexible payment options. What more could you want in a roofing company?! Obv highly recommend. - Ellie C.