Humans have been building homes for over 10 000 years. One of the most important parts of any house is a roof. While it might seem as if there isn’t anything special about choosing a roof, there are actually many different roofing trends out there. Over the years, people learned how to build inexpensive and attractive roofs that don’t require too much maintenance while lasting a long time. Let’s take a look at the latest roofing design trends.
Green Roofs
Green roofs have been popular for a while and their popularity is not about to wane. Such roofs are environment-friendly and have a myriad of advantages. Green roofs don’t only look impressive and reduce air pollution; they also provide good thermal performance. These roofs reduce heat loss during the winter. They also leave a lot of room to the homeowner’s imagination.
Designing gardens on top of the house is one of the most interesting modern world hobbies. Green roofs don’t just offer aesthetic pleasure and improve your health, they also contribute to stress relief. That’s why they are gaining more popularity every year.
Solar Panels
Solar panels are gaining popularity and are upstaging the solar shingles. This environmentally-friendly design will allow you to use solar power to its greatest extent. This option is mostly viable for homeowners who live in a warm and sunny climate. Solar panels can be moved and relocated as needed without reconstructing the whole roof. They are very efficient, long-lasting and make the roof design more impressive.
Flat Roofs
Flat roofs are coming back. They are easier to construct, safer and more accessible than any other roof type. Modern design trends mostly dictate a minimalistic approach. A flat roof fits into the picture perfectly. It is easier to use with solar panels and can be turned into a green roof without much additional expenses.
A Flat roof is generally less costly than other roof types and offers more design choices for the home interior. One of the main disadvantages of the flat roof is the lack of drainage. However, right now there are many different solutions to help deal with the problem.
Rooftop Patios
Modern homeowners are leaning toward creating rooftop patios. A part of the roof can be designed as a livable space. Paving the roof with bricks or stones allows homeowners to install planters, furniture and even pools. Slightly slanted or a flat roof will be best for this purpose. However, there are also some disadvantages to consider, including leaks, cave -ins and waterproofing.
Energy-Efficient Roofs
One of the latest roofing design trends is making the roof more energy-efficient. There are several tricks the homeowners use to save energy without sacrificing the outward appearance of their stylish roofs:
• Painting the roof white will reflect 20% – 90% of the sunlight, while roofs with darker colors reflect only about 5 – 15 %
• Recovering the roof with waterproofing surface
• Getting cool (reflective) metal roofing can save up to 40 % of money spent on cooling the house in the summer.
Combination Roofs
There are at least 30 different roof types in the world. Finding the perfect one for your needs is not easy if you want to follow the latest trends. Since every roof type is oriented on a certain climate, people who live in a mixed climate or just don’t like the optimal design are not satisfied with the choice. That’s why combination roofs are gaining popularity. They combine two or more different roofing styles to fit the homeowners’ needs. As a result you will get a unique roof design with a great functionality. The disadvantage of such roofs is that they might be more prone to leaks and have a mismatched appearance.
Light Colors
The latest choice of colors for roof design is gray, beige, light blue, green and white. Dark roofs are becoming a thing of the past, especially for warm climates where such colors contribute to increased temperature inside the house. While homeowners living in a cold climate might still consider darker roofs, the overall trend is leaning toward lighter colors. Lighter shades are not only great for light reflection; they also give the home a more elegant look.
Choosing the right roof design is always a hassle since it requires extensive research. Don’t be afraid of spending time on your roof planning. It will save you from a lot of troubles in the future.