Residential roofing
Shingle, Metal and Rubber Roofing in Pittsburgh, PA
A rowhouse with a flat back roof, a Wexford colonial with a porch, a ranch with a sunroom. Most homes need more than one material, and we install all three.
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Matching the Roofing Material to the Slope
Which roofing material is right depends on the slope it covers, not on what a salesman likes. Asphalt shingles need pitch to shed water. Metal handles snow and wind on pitched roofs and porches. Rubber is made for flat and low-slope roofs where shingles would leak. Straight A Exterior Renovations installs shingle, metal and rubber roofing in Pittsburgh and the North Hills, and we recommend one per roof section, not one per house.
The local housing shows why. In the city, a rowhouse on a hillside street often has a pitched front and a nearly flat rear roof over the kitchen. Older homes in the city and in Sewickley's historic core may wear slate on the main roof. Slate is a specialty of its own and isn't one of our three. The flat porch or rear section next to it often is, and that's usually a rubber job.
In the subdivisions around Cranberry, Wexford and Gibsonia, it's mostly architectural shingles on big, steep roofs, often in a color the HOA picked. Mixed in are porch roofs, sunroom roofs and garage tie-ins that need something other than shingles.
Weather decides the rest. Wet snow sits on low-slope sections for days. Freeze-thaw pries at every seam. Put the wrong material on the wrong slope and you'll be chasing the same leak every spring.
Why Straight A
Why our roofing material advice holds up
We install all three materials, so we have no reason to push one. The recommendation comes from the pitch, the drainage and how each part of your roof gets used.
Pitch-based roofing material advice
We measure the slope of every roof section. Pitch, not preference, decides whether shingle, metal or rubber will keep water out.
Clean shingle-to-rubber transitions
Where a shingled roof drains onto a flat rubber one, we lap the materials so water always runs over a seam, never into it.
Owens Corning Preferred shingle crew
Straight A is an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor, so the shingle systems we put on follow the manufacturer's installation spec.
Lifetime warranty on roofing materials
Shingle, metal and rubber materials carry a lifetime product warranty, and our 2-year workmanship guarantee covers the labor.
Three roofing materials, no favorite
If plain shingles are the right answer for your roof, that's what we'll tell you, even when metal would be a bigger ticket.
What's included
Where each roofing material fits
Each one solves a different problem. Here's what we install and the spots on Pittsburgh-area homes where it earns its place.
Architectural asphalt shingles
The default for steep roofs, from North Hills colonials to city foursquares. Plenty of colors, good wind resistance when nailed to spec, and simple to repair. We install them over ice barrier, underlayment and balanced ventilation.
Metal roofing on porches and accents
Metal sheds snow fast and stands up to wind, which suits porch roofs, bay window tops and some full roofs. We'll talk through the look, the sound and how it's fastened before you decide.
Rubber roofing on rowhouse flat roofs
Rear roofs on city rowhouses and twins are often close to flat. One rubber membrane covers them without the overlapping laps that let water creep under shingles. We spend most of our time on the edges and seams.
Rubber on low-slope additions and garages
Sunrooms, rear additions and attached garages in McCandless, Ross Township and Shaler often have roofs too flat for shingles. Rubber, flashed up the house wall, keeps them dry through snowmelt.
Shingle-to-rubber joints
When a pitched roof drains onto a flat one, the shingles have to lap over the membrane, never under it. We plan that joint before the job starts, not on the roof.
Color picks against brick and siding
We bring samples to the house and hold them up to your brick, siding and trim. If your HOA keeps an approved list, we choose from it.
How it works
How we pick and install your roofing materials
We start with the slope of each section and finish by checking every place two materials meet. A storm claim adds one step in the middle.
- Step 1
Measure pitch on each roof section
We inspect the whole roof, measure the slope of every section and photograph problem spots, including the flat ones you can't see from the street.
- Step 2
Match a material to each slope
Shingles where there's pitch, rubber where there isn't, metal where it fits your plans. We show samples and explain the reason for each pick.
- Step 3
Itemize the materials, and document any storm damage
Your written estimate lists the work, each material by section and the cost; nothing is ordered until you approve. If a storm caused the damage, we photograph it, help you file and meet the adjuster on the roof.
- Step 4
Install each material and lap the joints
Your project manager runs the job as the crew installs shingle, metal or rubber, with the flashing that ties them together.
- Step 5
Inspect every material transition
We check each shingle-to-rubber joint and wall flashing, clean up every nail and walk the job with you.
FAQ
Shingle, Metal & Rubber Roofing questions from Pittsburgh homeowners
Which roofing material is best for a Pittsburgh house?
Usually more than one. Asphalt shingles suit most pitched roofs. Metal is a good pick when you want faster snow shedding or a different look on a porch or a full roof. Rubber belongs on flat and low-slope areas like a rowhouse rear roof or a sunroom. We measure every section and recommend a material for each, with the reasons in writing.
Can I put shingles on my rowhouse's flat back roof?
We'd steer you away from it. Shingles depend on slope to shed water, and on a nearly flat roof, wet snow and standing rain back up under the laps. That's the leak that shows up in the kitchen ceiling every March. A single rubber membrane, turned up the walls and sealed at the edges, is made for exactly that roof.
Is a metal roof loud during a thunderstorm?
Less than most people expect. Installed over a solid deck with underlayment, a metal roof sounds closer to a shingle roof than to a barn. Fair question, though, for a bedroom under a porch roof. We'll explain how it would be fastened on your house so you can decide with real information.
My house has a slate roof. Can you still help?
With parts of it. Slate is a specialty of its own and isn't one of the materials we install. Plenty of slate-roofed homes in the city and in Sewickley have a flat porch or rear roof, though, and that section is often rubber or due for it. We can inspect those parts and give you a written estimate on the work we do.
Does my HOA limit which roofing material I can use?
Many do. Subdivisions in Cranberry, Pine, Wexford and Gibsonia often set rules on roof color, and some address material too. Check your HOA documents or ask the board before you settle on metal for a main roof. We'll put the exact material and color on your written estimate so you have something specific to submit for approval.
What warranty comes with shingle, metal and rubber roofing?
Shingle, metal and rubber materials all carry a lifetime product warranty. Straight A adds its own 2-year workmanship guarantee, which covers installation problems and leaks caused by our work. Report a problem within 30 days of spotting it and we repair or redo it at no charge. It doesn't cover hail or wind damage, material defects or work someone else has changed.
Where we work
Shingle, Metal & Rubber Roofing across Pittsburgh
We provide shingle, metal & rubber roofing for homeowners throughout the City of Pittsburgh. Find your neighborhood below, or call with your address and we will confirm right away.
