Minnesota Siding, Roofing, & Windows

Minnesota Siding, Roofing, & Windows

Choosing the right ROOFING product or shingle that best suits your needs can not only give you peace of mind in what you chose, but can also bring satisfaction to your wallet. Among the variety of shingles and roofing products, we have chosen to break down 4 of the most common roofing choices available as well as the PROS and CONS of each roofing choice. Living in the Minneapolis, Minnesota (MN) Twin Cites area requires shingles appropriate to the North.

ROOFING

#1 Architectural style SHINGLES

Architectural or Dimensional (laminated fiberglass) style shingles are shingles that attempt to replicate wood shake roofing. It is the latest trend in roofing that has almost become standard now. They can range from 205 lbs. to 446 lbs. and up per square (10’ X 10’ area). You may have heard the name Timberline shingles. It is almost simultaneously associated with architectural style roofing shingles (like Kleenex is to tissues). A few years ago Elk decided to give its 25 year roofing shingle a 30 year warranty. It wasn’t long after that most of the major roofing companies upped their roofing shingle warranties as well (GAF Timberline, Owens-Corning Oakridge Pro, Certainteed Landmark, Elk Prestique, IKO Cambridge). Now, they are labeled "Lifetime" shingles which is curious as the warranties state that the first 10 years are covered which from that time forth, they will be pro-rated (with the exception of IKO who starts off with 15 non pro-rated).

A few of the roofing companies are now offering copper granules in the shingle in order to prevent moss from forming and growing (typically on the North side of the roof) on the shingles.

PROS: Heavier weight than standard 3 tab roofing shingles. They add a very nice architectural (thus, the name) look to your home. Installers don’t have to line up shingles as accurately as 3 tabs. So if you have your new roof installed by an inexperienced crew, you may not know they were inexperienced until your roof leaks! Architectural shingles really do add class to your home’s roof.

CONS: Price can be an issue if you are comparing dimensional shingles to 3 tab shingles. An average size home (2000 square feet), expect to pay an additional $150-$250 for architectural-style shingles on an average sized home.

#2 Three Tab SHINGLES

These are shingles that you have always known as “shingles.” They are rectangular in shape, and usually fall into the range of 186 to 247 lbs. per square.

PROS: Price is often the major reason for going with a 3-tab asphalt shingle. It is noteworthy to mention that after seeing hundreds and even thousands of rooftops after some major hailstorms, I have been most impressed by a particular Certainteed 3-tab shingle; the Certainteed XT25. I can say that if there were a major hailstorm, I would almost prefer to have these on my roof than almost any other product. While style is lacking, performance is second to none.

CONS: These shingles can easily show defects in your roof deck as well as hail hits. Being a lighter weight shingle also makes it more susceptible to weathering and physical damage. Since architectural or dimensional shingles have not been around that long, having a 3 tab shingle on your roof tends to date your home (in some instances).

#3 Wood shake SHINGLES

Wood shakes are much copied, never duplicated. They add a class to your home’s roof like no other product. If installed properly, they will beautify your roof for decades to come.

PROS: The natural look everyone is trying to duplicate. Style, class, upper-end, quality…

CONS: Susceptible to hail and weathering. If not installed properly, they can add headaches and hassles in the form of leaks. Wood shake shingles are pricey.

#4 Metal ROOFING

Metal roofing has come a long way in the past few years. The old standing seam metal application is being replaced (in residential roofing) by metal shingles. The result is a unique look with outstanding weathering capabilities.

PROS: Weathering. Unique look (expect double takes). Durability.

CONS: Expensive. Future replacement may require a lot of work (removing screws, batten strips…).

WINDOWS

Choosing the right window that best suits your needs can not only give you peace of mind in what you chose, but can also bring satisfaction to your wallet. The variety for replacement windows is moderate with a dizzying array of unknown or least unheard of brands:

OPTIONS GALORE. There are so many different ways to configure a window that many companies will not offer you the entire plethora that is truly available. Simply broken down, here are a few:

GLASS PACKS

The glass pack is very important to a window in that the glass pack, for the most part, will determine the window’s ability to insulate your home. The glass pack, or the “guts” of the window typically consist of 4 parts:

1- Most windows will have some sort of low-emissive coating (SolarBan 60 / Sungate 100 / Low E cubed). These coatings serve to reflect the sun’s harmful UV rays.

2- Certain gasses in between the panes of glass slow the transfer of heat or cold, depending on the weather. Argon, which is twice the density of oxygen, is the standard in most quality windows. Krypton, on the other hand, is used in many high-end applications and carries 4 times the density of oxygen.

3- The number of panes makes up the third element of the glass pack. Most windows are double paned with a few upper-end windows offering three panes.

4- The spacer which separates the panes of glass, although relatively small, should play a very important role in your new window selection. The older style spacer was simply a hard piece of metal which had no flexibility and usually separated from the panes of glass over time. This separation results in gas loss which would lead to condensation in between the panes and poor overall performance. Newer spacer systems such as the PPG Intercept spacer (made of space-age alloys), allows for flexibility of the panes which ultimately leads to a longer window life. The very latest advances in window spacer technology has given us the "warm-edge spacer," sometimes referred to as the Super Spacer and even more recent, the Duralite spacer. It is a spacer system made of non-metallic, foam-like materials in order not to transfer heat or cold.

COLORS

Many window companies are now offering the exterior of the window to be either a vinyl color, or a vinyl-clad exterior. As far as the interior, the options range from stained wood to vinyl colors and even vinyl wood-grains.

FRAMES

Window frames come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and as mentioned above, colors. With replacement windows, you will lose some glass space, unless you are willing to pay the price for a new construction window. This price (new construction) usually comes in the form of labor (framing, siding…). Some vinyl window frames offer an option of a foam-filled (expanded polystyrene) frame. This can add to the insulation value of your window unit. The shapes of the frames are typically consumer choice as there a few varying shapes among the different companies.

BRANDS

Shopping windows by brand names can be an expensive undertaking. There are many high-end window companies that offer excellent craftsmanship, very good warranties, yet with a price tag that won’t break the bank.

As each one of these options do cost money, they also go a long way to protect furniture, sound proofing, and most importantly, your energy bill. Tell one of our project managers your budget, needs, and preferences, and let us do the rest.

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No matter the roofing product you choose, ask a Northern Exteriors Minnesota home improvement professional to inform your decision.

Northern Exteriors Minnesota Inc.

"Quality Work, Well Executed"

MN Minnesota contractor roofing siding windows

ROOFING / WINDOWS

HOME SIDING ROOFING WINDOWS

If you are in need of:

MINNESOTA SIDING, MINNESOTA ROOFING, MINNESOTA WINDOWS, MN SIDING CONTRACTOR, ROOFING CONTRACTOR, WINDOW CONTRACTOR, GENERAL CONTRACTOR, MINNEAPOLIS SIDING, MINNEAPOLIS ROOFING, MINNEAPOLIS WINDOWS, VINYL SIDING, MINNESOTA EXTERIORS, JAMES HARDIE SIDING, JAMES HARDY, HOME IMPROVEMENT, MINNEAPOLIS CONTRACTOR, VINYL SHAKES, MINNESOTA ROOF, MINNEAPOLIS ROOF, SHINGLES, TIMBERLINE SHINGLES,

Then your search is over.

No matter the siding product you choose, ask a Northern Exteriors Minnesota home improvement professional to inform your decision.

Serving:

Minneapolis, MN, St.Paul, MN or anywhere in the whole Twin Cities area-

Saint Paul, MN Mpls, MN, Anoka, MN, Apple Valley, MN, Arden Hills, MN, Andover, MN, Blaine, MN, Bloomington, MN, Brooklyn Center, MN, Brooklyn Park, MN, Burnsville, MN, Champlin, MN, Chanhassen, MN, Columbia Heights, MN, Coon Rapids, MN, Cottage Grove, MN, Crystal, MN, Eagan, MN, Eden Prairie, MN, Edina, MN, Excelsior, MN, Falcon Heights, MN, Farmington, MN, Forest Lake, MN, Fridley, MN, Golden Valley, MN, Hastings, MN, Hopkins, MN, Hugo, MN, Inver Grove Heights, MN, Lake Elmo, MN, Lakeville, MN, Lino Lakes, MN, Little Canada, MN, Long Lake, MN, Mahtomedi, MN, Maple Grove, MN, Maplewood, MN, Mendota Heights, MN, Minneapolis, MN, Minnetonka, MN, Mounds View, MN, New Hope, MN, North St. Paul, MN, Oakdale, MN, Plymouth, MN, Prior Lake, MN, Richfield, MN, Robbinsdale, MN, Rogers, MN, Rosemount, MN, Roseville, MN, St. Anthony, MN, St. Louis Park, MN, Savage, MN, Shakopee, MN, Shoreview, MN, South St. Paul, mn, Spring Lake Park, mn, Stillwater, mn, Vadnais Heights, mn, West St. Paul, mn, White Bear Lake, mn, and Woodbury, mn - Minnesota

Phone: 651-230-5103

Fax: 1-877-763-0894

Email: jtberrey@yahoo.com

www.twincitiessiding.com

We are: Minneapolis, Minnesota siding, roofing, & windows premier contractor.

Locations: Minneapolis, siding, minnesota, twin cities, mn, minnesota roofing siding, Minneapolis siding; Minneapolis roofing, Twin Cities, Minnesota general contractor.

Experts in: Vinyl siding, exteriors, vinyl, james hardie, hardy, home improvement, contractor, shakes, roof, roofing, shingles, timberline shingles, roofing contractor, replacement windows, windows, Siding, roofing, and windows for your home.

651-230-5103 1-877-763-0894 (FAX) jasonthecontractor@gmail.com

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