We install asphalt, synthetic, and metal roofing on homes, and EPDM, TPO, PVC, and coatings on commercial buildings. Which one is right depends on the pitch of your roof, the look you want, and how long you plan to own the building. Here is how they compare.
Tell us about the job and where you are. We will get back to you with an estimate.
Every roof and every wall is a different problem. Here is what we work with, and where each one makes sense.
We install designer and architectural shingle profiles from GAF, Owens Corning, and CertainTeed.
A composite alternative with the look of natural slate or cedar shake at a fraction of the weight.
Standing seam, exposed fastener, and agricultural panels, available in steel, aluminum, and copper.
A single ply membrane with a reflective white surface that helps cut cooling costs in summer.
A single ply membrane built to stand up to grease and chemical exposure on commercial roofs.
Silicone coating systems that restore an aging membrane and extend its life without a full tear off.
Start with the slope. A roof you can walk up is a shingle or metal roof. A roof that looks flat from the ground is a membrane roof, and the two are not interchangeable.
Pitched residential roofs in the Mohawk Valley are almost always asphalt shingle, because the price is right and a good architectural shingle handles our freeze and thaw cycles well. Synthetic shingle is the answer when someone wants the look of slate or cedar shake without the weight or the upkeep, and it costs more. Metal lasts the longest of the three and sheds snow instead of holding it, which matters on a low pitch or over an entry.
Flat and low slope roofs are a different decision. EPDM is the black rubber membrane most people picture, and it has the longest track record. TPO is white and reflective, so it cuts summer cooling load on a building with conditioned space underneath. PVC handles grease and chemical exposure, which is why it goes on restaurants and anywhere with kitchen exhaust. Coatings are the restoration option when a membrane is aging but the deck below it is still sound, and they extend a roof rather than replace it.
Two things decide it more often than the material does. How long you plan to hold the building, because a fifteen year answer and a forty year answer are rarely the same product. And what is already up there, because tearing off two layers changes the job before anyone picks a color.
We walk the roof, tell you what we find, and give you the options that actually apply. If a coating buys you eight more years on a commercial membrane, we will say so rather than sell you a tear off.
Every layer comes off. No layovers.
Rot gets replaced before anything goes back on.
The layer that stops ice dams getting in.
Ridge and soffit vents balanced, not guessed.
Top tier with both major shingle manufacturers.
Including a magnet sweep of the property.
Free estimates across Utica, Rome, Herkimer, and the Mohawk Valley.
Our crews work within about 25 miles of the Utica shop, covering Oneida, Herkimer, Madison, and Onondaga Counties. If your town is on this list, we can be out to look at your roof this week.
Cobblestone Construction Company
2145 Dwyer Ave
Utica, NY 13501
