Building and Construction Materials

Introduction

In building and construction, roofing is one of the essential processes, which is done with keenness to ensure that the building is roofed according to the design by the architect and structural engineer. Various roofing systems could use different roofing materials depending on the owner’s preference, method or circumstances, each with advantages. Various roofing materials include clay tiles, solar panels, asphalt shingles, metal, and green roofs, where each has its properties depending on the material used. Choosing a suitable roofing material depends on various factors such as budget, climate, and aesthetic preferences. Hence, consulting with a roofing professional is important to determine the best material for your specific needs.

Properties of various roofing materials in building and construction

Clay Roofing Tiles.

The oldest roofing materials still used today by ancient buildings and construction are clay roof tiles. These tiles, made of natural clay, have a distinctive aesthetic appeal and are strong and long-lasting. Clay roof tiles have been used for centuries, but they are still useful today because of their many advantages. They offer superior insulation, which lowers energy costs, and are fire resistant, making them a secure option for residences and commercial buildings. Additionally, clay roof tiles are environmentally friendly because they can be produced sustainably and are recyclable. Clay tiles have the following properties.

1. They are fire resistant as they are inflammable, cannot catch fire, are poor conductors of heat and will slow the spread of fire. This property makes it work best in places vulnerable to fire outbreaks. Being bad conductors, it prevents houses in hot regions from heating up.
2. Clay roof tiles are rugged, solid and durable and can withstand extreme weather conditions such as hails, heavy rain, strong winds and other natural phenomena. Their hardness also makes them very hard to wear out quickly.
3. The environmental friendliness of clay roof tiles makes them suitably recommendable in the current environmental policies, which advocate for the use of non-polluting material. Also, they are soundproof, and the materials are recyclable, whereby at the end of their lives, they can be used for other construction purposes.
4. Clay roofs are long-lasting for decades when proper maintenance is done on them, especially on firm, adequate decking. In the end, clay times becomes one of the most cost-effective materials to use on roofing. Also, they are resistant to a chemical reactions such as a salt attack.
5. The weight of the clay times makes it appropriate in areas prone to strong winds, which would overturn the roofing when light. It also assures the roof’s stability because it is not shaken easily, only if it is the overall building effect.
6. Clay times are Water absorbing and permeable, which makes it able to overcome the effect of freeze-thaw cycles in cold weather or in cold climates. This property adds to the durability significance. It would not break easily in case of coldness.

Solar Roofing Panel

Solar Photovoltaic cells create the photovoltaic roof tiles, and cables connect each tile to the power distribution board. Solar cells are made by integrating solar technology into your home without detracting from the natural design of your home. Solar tiles completely replace your roof tiles. With this clever solution, you can use solar energy to generate your own electricity. Solar roofing tiles have various properties, which include

1. Aesthetic appearance because they are well design with pleasing technology and modernity.
2. Environment friendliness whereby it produces clean energy at the same time, sheltering. They are soundproof hence minimizing noise pollution. They are also an economical option for rehabilitation or projects involving scratch building.
3. They are designed with improved durability properties to serve for a longer time.

Asphalt Shingles Roofing

Asphalt shingles are materials used to make roofing characterized majorly by waterproofing. The material is also known as fibreglass shingle, linoleum shingle, and fibreglass, whose roofing is one of the modern roofing tiles and is especially suitable for roofs with 5-90 degrees and slopes roofs of any shape though not ideal for flat roofing systems. The primary material is asphalt, generally called asphalt shingles popularly used in China. Typically, asphalt shingles can be made to conform to diverse shapes and wide application ranges. They are poor heat conductors; hence, they insulate heat from heating the room in hot regions and preserve it in the house in cold areas. The significant properties of an asphalt shingle are as follows.

1. The Asphalt shingles material makes the tiles durable as they are resistant to making different types of damage.
2. They are poor sunlight absorbers, reflecting ultraviolet rays from the sun, thus keeping the house cool in hot areas.
3. Asphalt shingles are light materials which will not require extensive designing of the wall to support their weight since they cannot strain the building.
4. They are soundproof hence they don’t allow noise into the house
5. Damage resistance to severe weather conditions such as storms, fire outbreak, and growth of mould, algae and mildew. This property makes the material possible to recycle.

Metal Roofing

This is the most used roofing material, commonly categorized into three materials; standing seam, ironwood and metal shakes. Metal roofing could be of materials such as aluminium, steel, copper, zinc and time depending on the purpose of the roofing. They have the following properties;

1. They are fire resistant since metal does not readily catch fire
2. Metal roofs can withstand storms because of their toughness, and a metal roof is a good option for homes in areas known to experience hailstorms.
3. The quality of the metal making the roofing is strong and durable and thus has a long lifespan, probably for decades because they resist strong winds, debris, rain, and hail hold among others. This makes it possible to recycle the materials.
4. The material is moldable to the shape the user would like th roofing to look like

Green Roofing

Green roofs, also called “vegetated roofs” or “living roofs,” are ballasted roofs covered in vegetation, a growing medium, and a waterproofing membrane. Green roofs that are appropriately planned, built and maintained offer numerous advantages for the environment, society, economy, and aesthetics. The following characteristics of green roofing exist;

1. Green roofing boosts thermal performance because it acts as an insulator to substantial heat from the sun during summer and preserves heat in the room during winter.
2. It helps in the absorption of carbon dioxide around the house as it is released during house activities such as gas cooking, hence cleaning the air around.
3. It helps improve air quality by reducing pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrous acid and dust particles.
4. It has an increased life span because it is naturally resistant to negative phenomena such as strong winds, rails, ultraviolet light and fluctuating temperatures.
5. Green roofing also improves the drainage system; hence they act as a solution to flooding since Water does not run into sewer lines but gets stored in plants and substrates.

Work Cited

BBP. The Properties of Roof Tiles – Bbp.style. n.d., http://bbp.style/PUBLIC/products/brochures/bristileroofing/RTAA/BR-RTAA-PropertiesOfRoofTiles-NAT.pdf.

Desk, Housing News. “Earthen Elegance: Clay Roof Tiles Properties and Advantages.” Housing News, 30 Mar. 2023, https://housing.com/news/clay-roof-tiles/.

GSA. “Green Roofs.” GSA, 4 June 2021, https://www.gsa.gov/governmentwide-initiatives/federal-highperformance-green-buildings/resource-library/integrative-strategies/green-roofs.

Lifetimeroofing. “8 Benefits of Asphalt Shingles.” Lifetime Roofing, 11 Oct. 2022, https://lifetimeroofing.com/benefits-of-asphalt-shingles/.

Sanchez, Mikee. “Advantages of Solar Roof Tiles.” Solenergy Systems Inc., 20 Jan. 2020, https://solenergy.com.ph/advantages-of-solar-roof-tiles/.