Keep Up Appearances

In planning your next major remodeling project, don’t forget to consider the look and style of your roofing. When you consider that the average roof comprises 40 percent of a home’s visible exterior, you want it to look good.Sneak a peek. Inspect your roof from a safe vantage point using binoculars. Look for cracking, curling, and missing shingles. If your roof is made of asphalt shingles, also look for areas that seem to lack granular covering. You can examine your roof from the inside, too. In your attic space, use a flashlight to look for water stains that may indicate a growing roof leak.

Ask The Right Questions

A qualified roofing contractor should have a permanent place of business, a phone number, a tax identification number, and, where required, a business license. Also ask for proof of liability insurance and workers’ compensation. Otherwise, you might be the one liable for job site accident coverage.

Know The Code

Check your local municipal building department to see how many times you may re-cover an existing roof with another layer of similar materials. Some communities only allow two layers of roofing material, and require any additional layers to be torn off before more roofing can be installed.

Take A Picture

There are ways for a contractor to take a digital picture of your home and show you different renderings of the house with different roofing materials.

Get It In Writing

Roofing contractors should deliver a detailed proposal that describes the type of roofing, material, and color; other materials to be used, and the scope of work to be done. Remember to specify whether existing roofing will be removed or covered with a layer of new shingles, and to state who will be responsible for installing new flashing and vents. Most importantly, make sure the proposal indicates approximate starting and completion deadlines.

Top It Off With The Usual

According to the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association, asphalt shingles are installed on approximately four out of every five residential roofs in the United States. Asphalt products are available in two types—organic and fiberglass—and in a wide variety of colors, styles, and visual textures. Organic shingles are made of cellulose fibers, such as recycled waste paper or wood fibers. Fiberglass shingles are made of glass fibers. Both shingle types are covered with an asphalt coating and surfaced with weather-resistant mineral granules. Fiberglass shingles can be more prone to breakage during colder months, but offer greater fire- and moisture-resistance than organic.

Consider Pros and Cons

Do you love the appearance of cedar or redwood roofing, but worry about fire safety? Check your local codes for guidance, then seek out either fire-resistant wood shingles, or metal and synthetic products that mimic the look. Such products also can match slate and tile roofs. Real clay or concrete tiles often appear in Southwestern- or Mission-style roofs. If you want that look, make sure your home can adequately bear the additional weight.

Vent A Little

Attic ventilation ensures that your roof has a long and functional life. While ventilation requirements vary by region, the National Roofing Contractors Association generally recommends a minimum of 1 square foot of free vent area for each 150 square feet of attic floor.

Think Of A Roof As An Annual Cost

Think of a roof as an annual cost. Ask three or four roofing contractors for estimates, and don’t automatically assume the lowest bid is the best for you. A new roof is a significant investment in your home, but consider your roof’s annual roofing cost: Divide the total cost of your new roof (materials and labor) by the life expectancy of your selected roofing material in years.

Get Hip To The Square

When roofing professionals refer to squares, they’re referring to the amount of shingles needed to cover 100 square feet.

Get More Info Online

The DPWH Web site for the National Building Code of the Philippines (www.dpwh.gov.ph) offers helpful homeowner resources, including a roof checkup checklist, guidelines for finding quality roofing.

Pavers also pair beautifully with wood. Here, the wood decking looks great next to the various pavers mixed in with the grass. The colorful tile and white stucco brings a bit of a resort vibe to this beautiful outdoor space.

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With the variety of paver materials, sizes, styles, colors and textures, they truly are one of the most versatile materials out there. Pavers can likely work for your home no matter your style or budget. Check out these creative ways to use them:

Random Placements

While symmetrical placement is more typical when it comes to pavers, don’t be afraid to think outside the box and use them in a random pattern. While the placement of these pavers might seem haphazard, the look is casual with lots of visual interest. This technique is also good to use if you have some leftover pavers from another project.

Out-of-the-Way Spot

Pavers also work really well when you need to define a space. In this case, pavers arranged in a circular pattern leading out to a pathway, create a quiet refuge with a comfy hammock and a couple of iron chairs.

Cozy Hang-Out

If you’re lucky enough to have a fire pit or outdoor fireplace, consider using pavers to define the space around it. In this case, the corner of a yard was turned into a beautiful garden patio. Concrete benches and a rustic trellis add to the charm of this little outdoor oasis.

Incorporate Into Your Lawn

Pavers can also be used to define spaces where you might typically expect to see a lawn. In this case, the pavers were used with grass to define a larger outdoor patio area around a pool. To ease up on lawn care, consider using faux grass for a treatment like this and you won’t need to ever worry about mowing.

Outdoor Living Room

If you live in a warmer climate and don’t need to worry about the change of seasons, you could create a true outdoor living room using pavers to define the area. Try to stick with outdoor fabrics, and come up with a game plan for storing cushions and pillows. While outdoor fabrics are durable enough to take the rain, you will ensure your pillows last a lot longer if you can keep them dry as much as possible.

Mark a Path

For larger properties, pavers are an amazing solution for defining paths and creating natural movement throughout your entire outdoor space. You’ll want to ensure that paths connect easily from one area to another, while providing an obvious route for walking. Since pavers are so versatile, they’ll work well with almost any materials or elevations.

Visual Interest

Even if you have an area on your property that won’t necessarily be used as a functional space, pavers still do a lovely job of tying together the landscape. In this case, pavers are used right outside the fire pit area and in front of a beautiful fountain. They create visual interest for the space and also connect one area of the yard to another.

Modern Vibe Outside

If you have a more modern home or you’re simply looking to bring a more modern vibe to your patio, concrete pavers are a great way to achieve it. These types of pavers can be poured to any size or shape, so you can really have some fun with pattern while also using the shapes to help easily navigate throughout your yard.

Outdoor Flooring

While pavers look great with some space between them, they also work well as an outdoor flooring option. In this case, the pavers are arranged in a tightly woven circular pattern. There is a nice mix of neutral colors paired with a second type of paver that defines the area outside of the fire pit.

Around the Pool

Pavers also work really well as a solution to use around a pool. Here, the lounge area is defined with pavers, while the lawn area is kept clear. Depending on the setup of your outdoor space, you could choose to do something similar; however, pavers would also look great all the way around the pool.

Free-Form Shapes

While we often think of pavers as having symmetrical placement, we think of most pavers having a symmetrical shape, too. However, this treatment shows us that that it’s not necessary. We can see in this design that larger, free-form pavers can also look quite chic.

Outdoor Shower

For warm climate-dwellers, an outdoor shower could be the ultimate luxury. If you have enough space for one, consider creating an outdoor shower with pavers. This is sometimes an easier project than you might think, as you’re likely already set for plumbing.

Inside Tiny Spaces

Even if you have the tiniest yard, you can still use pavers to help define a petite hang-out space for you and your family. Even a small grouping of pavers can help to define an area and create some coziness.

Pavers + Gravel

Pavers work well with a variety of other materials, but they work especially great with gravel. Depending on the type you choose, gravel can be a very inexpensive option when you need to cover a larger area. You can pair pavers with gravel to define your space and save a bit on your outdoor reno.

Pavers + Wood, Too

Pavers also pair beautifully with wood. Here, the wood decking looks great next to the various pavers mixed in with the grass. The colorful tile and white stucco brings a bit of a resort vibe to this beautiful outdoor space.

Andorra Tiles and Pavers offers you
FREE estimates and consultation!

The post 15 Creative Ways to Use Pavers Outdoors appeared first on Roof Tiles & Pavers - Ideas & Concepts by Andorra Tiles.