Choosing a Roof for a Southwest Oklahoma Home

Start with what the roof lives through

Southwest Oklahoma is open country. Summer sun beats on a roof for hours, wind comes across the plains with nothing to slow it down, and spring storms can bring hail. Those are general facts about the region, and they're a good lens for any roofing decision. A roof isn't judged on the day it's installed. It's judged after a long, hot summer and a hard storm.

Johnson's Painting & Roofing installs four kinds of residential roofing: asphalt shingles, metal shingles, designer shingles and wood shake. The company says its roofers are fully licensed and insured, and that it handles both new roofs and repairs to existing ones. Below is a plain comparison of the four, with the questions worth raising when somebody comes out to look at your house.

Asphalt shingles

Asphalt shingles are the familiar roof you see on most neighborhood streets. They come in a wide range of colors, they lie flat and quiet, and almost every roofer is comfortable working with them. If you want a clean, traditional look without drawing attention to the roof, this is the usual starting point.

On upkeep, asphalt is generally easy to live with. A good inspection after a major storm, and a quick look at the flashing around chimneys and vents, covers most of what a homeowner needs to do. Individual shingles can be replaced when one gets damaged, which keeps small repairs small.

Metal shingles

Metal shingles bring a more distinctive look. They're made of metal but shaped and finished to read as a roof of individual pieces, and the surface reflects more sun than a dark shingle does. Many homeowners like them for the clean lines and the color choices.

A metal roof sounds different in rain and hail than other materials, and it looks different as it ages, so see a sample in daylight and not just under shop lights. Ask how the panels are fastened, how the edges and valleys are finished, and how a damaged piece would be repaired later. Those details affect the look of the roof on day one and the repair work years down the road.

Designer shingles and wood shake

Designer shingles sit between ordinary and special. They're thicker or more sculpted than a basic shingle and often shaped to suggest slate or shake, which gives the roofline depth and shadow. People choose them when the roof is a big part of the home's curb appeal, or when the house has steep, visible planes.

Because the shapes and colors vary so much, this is the category where seeing a physical sample matters most. Hold it up against your brick or siding and look at it in morning and afternoon light. A color that looks right in a brochure can read very differently against your actual house.

Wood shake is the natural option. It has a rustic, textured look that no manufactured product copies exactly, and it weathers into a silvery tone over time. It suits certain houses very well, especially cabin-style or craftsman homes.

It also asks more of the owner. Wood is a natural material, so ask the roofer about maintenance, about how it handles sun and dry spells, and about any local or neighborhood rules that apply to it. Raise those questions before you fall in love with the look, not after.

Questions for the free quote

Whatever material you lean toward, the quote visit is your chance to learn how the work will actually go. A short list keeps the conversation on track.

• Can I see a physical sample of each material I'm considering, in daylight?
• What does the existing roof need: a full replacement or a repair?
• How does each material handle wind and hail, and what does that mean for how it's installed and repaired?
• What happens to the old roofing, and how will the yard, gutters and landscaping be protected?
• What maintenance does each option need, and how often should I have the roof inspected?
• Who will be on the roof, and can I see the license and insurance information?

Notice that this list doesn't ask for a single number. A fair comparison happens when each material is described the same way, in writing, for your house. That way you're comparing roofs, not guesses.

If your building is a business and not a home, Johnson's also does commercial roofing: installations, re-roofing and repairs, in asphalt shingles, metal shingles, wood shake and designer shingles. The same questions apply, with more attention to access, scheduling and keeping the business running during the work.

Call for a free roofing quote

If you're deciding on a new roof in Lawton or Duncan, call Johnson's Painting & Roofing at (580) 695-9941. Quotes are free, the line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and se habla español. Describe the roof you have now, tell them what you like and don't like about it, and ask them to bring samples of the materials you're considering.