Simulated Slate Roof

With the ban of asbestos substances in roofing materials, manufacturers had to turn to more creative materials to make roofing shingles. Composite shingles was one answer that they found to this manufacturing dilemma. Roofing shingles can be made of the real deal or of synthetic substances. While several companies have succeeded in making roofing shingles out of different materials, such as rubber shingles, the company Ecostar has stood out from the rest in its composite shingles materials.

There are many advantages of the Ecostar range of roofing shingles over the other composite shingles available on the market today. It has even been used in preservation projects for historic buildings. It is so visually appealing that it would be hard to distinguish Ecostar from wood shingles or slate shingles. Composite shingles are easier to install than slate shingles or wood shingles

There are many different types of materials used in simulated slate roofs. Some of them are:

• Rubber: Rubber shingles are made either from a combination of plastic and rubber or made from recycled rubber (which makes it good for the environment, especially when they are recycled from tires). Rubber shingles have an advantage of being more flexible than other shingles made with synthetic materials.
• Asphalt: These come very close to looking like slate shingles.
• Steel: Steel is durable and low maintenance, although it may not look like the real deal.
• Fiber Cement: Made from cement and fiberglass, this too looks like slate shingles as it is manufactured into individual shingles.
• Clay: This is similar to clay-based shingles and look a lot like slate tiles.
• Plastic or polymer: The exposed end of these shingles is molded along with ridges, making it look like real shingles. This also looks like real slate and often cannot be distinguished from it.

There are some points to be kept in mind when you start installing a simulated slate roof. These are:

• They have to be installed with greater care than slate or wood shingles. The installation instructions for these could differ from manufacturer to manufacturer and have to be taken seriously. Some composite shingles have to be bent down before installation otherwise they could curl upwards over a period of time.
• Snow guards should be installed on composite shingles since they are more slippery than wood or slate shingles. If they are not installed, there is a very real possibility of snow slipping down from the roof onto people standing under it or of damaging the roofing structure, etc.

There are many advantages of buying a composite shingle like Ecostar, such as:

• Being made of recyclable plastics and rubber, it makes Ecostar more ecofriendly and sustainable in the long run.
• It can withstand extreme weather conditions.
• It has good longevity.
• It is more cost effective than slate/wood/clay shingles.
• It is available with a variety of accessories, such as guards against water, ice and snow, etc.
• It comes with warranties that last long.

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