One of the very first skills we humans learn is to build our shelter or to find one. One of the most critical components of any house is its roof. It will protect any human from whatever weather there is.
Humanity evolved and learned different types of roofing. Therefore, when you browse for new roofing, you will find several roofing companies with varying types of roofs. Roofs can be roof tiles, roof shingles, and many more.
The most common roofing materials are asphalt shingles, as they are elegant and classy. They are also Lightweight, decorative, and durable. But there are more great choices you can have.
This article will look at the quick history of the roofing materials available in the market.
Dawn of Civilization Roof Materials
We all assumed that the earliest man was sleeping in open spaces or caves and just protected by the cave’s elements. However, our archeologist found proof that the earliest man used a roof for their shelters.
They have used different materials, such as wood, rocks, clay, and even some animals. However, at their time, they are only limited to the natural materials they can find in their area. For example, in tropical n areas, humans use palms as their roof as this is lightweight and practical. Even today, some areas still use these as their roof.
Some also use skins of animals, for instance, deer and buffalo. This type of roofing is usually seen in plains Indians. However, in ancient Africa, they use straw roofs and mud as their roofs. Some early humans used wood for their roofs, but they mixed it with woven fibers or mud.
Thatched and Tiled Roof
China is known to have a great architectural history, and it also has some of the best architectural techniques that some countries have already tried. For example, in 3,000 BC, they are also reported to use clay tile as their roofing.
Tiles became common in Europe during Roman civilization and ancient greeks. Europeans in the northern part choose to use wooden tiles and slate. Woods were popular materials for the nordic churches.
In France and the northern part of Europe, they still use slate as roofing. In 735 AD, thatch was widespread in Britain, but several equatorial countries use thatch. For instance, Fiji, Bali, and Hawaii, also use this in Kenya, Africa.
The thatch is known to be made up of sugarcane leaves. Since there are no roofing contractors, they have to find their own cheaper material for their roofing. Thatch was also known as fire-resistant than the shingles that are made up of wood.
Thatching roofing was still popular during the 18 and 19th centuries through the American pioneers. They like thatch as roofing as this is very easy to install in any structure. To insulate a tatch, they use a layer of sod.
The negative side of this roofing is that it is risky from leaking, and it can also easily collapse, especially if there is heavy rain. Europeans in the southern part like to use the baked clay as a material for their roofing.
It is why the Mediterranean and Spanish style has a signature look of a terra cotta look. It is essential to look at the roof replacement cost in the 1900s. That is why they looked for cheaper ones and found concrete tiles painted in red as an alternative.
Tiles were popular roofing for several countries, and there are several colors and styles. They are also resistant to any weather and durable that is why a lot of homeowners choose this.
The asphalt shingles were known to be created in the 1920s in America. Asphalt is a mixture of fiberglass or cellulose with granules of oyster shell, mica, clay, and slate, and they are sealed with some polymer-modified bitumen and some resins.
It also uses various materials, adhesives, and coating to improve its waterproofing, durability, cold and heat resistance, and many more. They also cost less, and they are straightforward to install.
Roofs that are made up of metals: Aluminum, Copper, and Zinc
Several countries use metal roofing, although our history for it is a good material. It is very durable and will follow any shape you want for your structure. But recently the metal roof has become expensive.
Only wealthy people can use this material for their structure or only important buildings that use this roofing, such as museums and temples. In humor, the temple rock in Israel uses golf as their roofing material or any gold-plated tiles.
On the other hand, copper is one of the best choices for a metal roof for it ages beautifully and has eased in handling. In the 1400s, Europe used flat copper sheeting, most especially on their churches. Also, the castle Kronborg used the cooper as its roofing in 1587, and they didn’t have any renovation for 400 years. They only renovated in 2009.
The American famous Paul Revere was also known to be an expert metallurgist. He was known to be the one who created the first copper mill in 1801 near Boston. His works were known to be used for shielding battleships and statehouses. The Revere Copper is still a supplier up to this day.
