Slate roofing is one of the most expensive roofing products on the market. To cover a 1,256-square-foot roof, you will pay up to $18,000. By way comparison, you will spend around $5,000 to cover a roof of the same size with asphalt shingles. While slate has some impressive benefits as a roofing material, you still need to weigh your costs before you use it for your home. 

Green Roofing

When you buy a roof, you should consider the impact that it will have on the environment. Asphalt shingles are heavily processed; thus, the environmental impact of manufacturing asphalt shingles is high. In contrast, slate is harvested from a quarry and split along naturally occurring cleavage plains to create roofing tiles. Thus, producing slate tiles has a much smaller environmental impact. Furthermore, the crystalline structure of slate allows it to reflect some of the sun's energy away from your home. This feature qualifies slate as a cool roofing material, which can reduce the amount of energy you use to cool your home.

Longevity

When you install a roof, you should also consider how much money you will spend replacing the roof when it wears out. Asphalt shingle will last for 14-20 years and slate for up to 200. Thus, you will have to replace your asphalt shingles up to 14 times at a total cost of around $70,000 before you have to replace your slate tiles even once. In other words, you can virtually eliminate replacement costs when you use slate roofing tiles. 

Aesthetics

If you drive through nearly any neighborhood in this country, your view will be dominated by asphalt shingles. Ubiquity is the antidote to curb appeal, if your home blends in with every other house in your neighborhood, there is nothing to attract potential buyers. The bold, unique colors of a slate roof will help your house to stand out from the crowd and the energy- and money-saving characteristics of a slate roof should appeal to potential buyers as much as they appeal to you. 

When you install a roof on your home, sometimes you need to look past installation costs. Slate may cost a lot of money to install, but it will reduce your maintenance costs and help eliminate your replacement costs. Furthermore, slate is a great looking material that can increase the value of your home. While asphalt shingles may be the current roofing standard, sometimes better value can be found by straying away from the ordinary. 

For more information on roofing, contact a professional like VK Roofing.