Copper and Slate: Putting Life Back into the Roofing Biz

Hello Everyone,
Today we are going to discuss the finer points of roofing.  Since almost all roofs in the United States are made from asphalt shingles, we rarely see roofs made out of different materials.  Despite asphalt being nearly omnipresent here in Colorado, most Denver roofing companies can build a variety of different roofs and would jump at the change to do something out of the ordinary.  Here, we are going to investigate a variety of other roofing materials that have been, and remain, popular in other parts of the world.
1) Slate Roofs: Slate roofs are actually fairly common on upscale buildings in the US.  They are known to be durable and affordable.  While an asphalt shingle roof needs to be repaired or replaced fairly often, and lasts a maximum of thirty years, slate roofs that were installed on homes and churches at the turn of the twentieth century remain intact.  Moreover, they give off an old-world feel that is befitting of any structure which will stand for generations.  For projects that require slate, most roofing Denver companies purchase their slate from local queries, which means they can get very high quality local slate for a good price.
2) Copper roofs: Copper roofs have always been a personal favorite of mine, especially since they get more lovely as they age.  The green patina that comes out of the cooper is a naturally occurring element of the copper itself, which reacts to the elements and is drawn out of the copper.  This patina lends any roof a historical feel, especially when contrasted with the shining copper.  However, the patina does not compromise the structural integrity of the roof.  These roofs can last between 60 and 100 years, depending on how well they are taken care of.  The only draw back to the roofs?  They are typically much more expensive than other types of roofing that are within the budget range of most American homeowners.
3) Thatched roofs: I’ve never really heard of anyone using a thatched roof on their home in the US (or anywhere in the developed world for that matter), but I came across the suggestion in my research for this article.  It turns out that, while thatched roofs are prohibited by most building and homeowners codes in the US because of the fire safety hazard, coatings for thatched roofs have been developed that generally protect them.  They are being used now for roofing on gazebos and other outdoor structures that do not require clearance on safety codes.