Attention Architects – Use Asphalt Roof Shingle Siding To Clad Your Next Inspirational Home

If we talk about shingles, most people will immediately imagine a roof. Rightly so, as roof shingles are the main use for this roofing material. If you look at the way in which shingles are installed on a roof, they are affixed in a way that is nothing like concrete tiles. While the overlapping has to be there, regardless of what roofing material you use, tiles and colorbond have a one-use application – roofing.

Because of the versatility of architectural shingles with respect to colours and styles, buildings can be made to look different with some architect designs incorporating this roofing material. And where do architects and building designers look at making unique designs on a building? Side cladding, or siding as it is sometimes called.

Short History Of Wall Cladding

How did the use of asphalt roof shingles come to be used as a wall siding? Way back in the 1930’s in North America it was used in a building renovation, instead of painting the weatherboards. During the 40’s and 50’s it was for low cost housing and covering exterior walls on old homes that had seen better days.

The asphalt building siding products are made of shingle-like material. Coloured mineral granules are bonded to either fibreglass, organic or wood product with asphalt. You could get different designs and patterns with the granules – even a false brick look.

Using asphalt shingle roofing material for sidings probably came about from a combination of asphalt roofing that was not sold during the Great Depression in the US and lack of maintenance on homes due to lack of finances in that same period. It obviously made an economical re-covering material for badly deteriorated walls.

Architectural Inspiration

Building designers and Architects know only too well that once you decide on a trim for your project, the type you choose can make or break the results for which you are aiming.

There are two homes pictured here. They are the same house with a notable difference, The one on the right can show you what sort of a result you will get with a premium exterior asphalt shingle siding material added as a trim. From a design point of view, this is a thoughtful use of cladding material to achieve a great effect.

If you were in the market of selling houses, which home would sell faster and also bring additional value to the deal? The fact is that the design applied to the house on the right was cost effective with the change costing not much. Homeowners who choose to add wall cladding will recoup 95% of their home improvement cost when selling the home. What you get back is relative to what you put in with regard to the siding selections you make with quality, colour and style.

It’s not a good idea to adopt the method of ‘one size fits all’ or adopting the ‘on the cheap’ attitude to wall cladding.

It’s better to take some time or follow the recommendations of your building designer when it comes to features and materials of the siding to be added.

An architect should know what’s available and that means an informed decision. The material and style should complement the design. The other important aspect for consideration is to make sure the right contractor is engaged to do the job correctly, professionally.

When you are considering a design suggestion from your architect, the two main considerations are the quality of the materials and the finished look. Options for materials and different finishes should be provided by an architect for consideration.

The wall cladding is available in different types of material and it’s a matter of looking and reviewing each of them to make sure you get the one that best suits your home, the environment, and the design you have in mind.

Asphalt Roof Shingles Never Need Painting

When architectural roof shingles are being installed on vertical walls or extremely sharply sloped roofs, special nailing and sealing requirements need to be done to ensure they stay where you put them. You would not want them to be falling off or blown off. Professional installation will ensure that, as cladding or siding, the roof shingles are correctly affixed to the wall. Extra sealing and extra nails are required for this project.

As the material is asphalt there is little maintenance required. Just a check to see that they are all secure. Another plus for shingle wall siding is that it will never need to be painted. It will maintain the original look for years to come. If you have one of the old weatherboard homes, a repaint is usually one of those summer holiday jobs that costs both time and money. If you use the best paint available and even consider using professional painters, work out the cost compared to wall cladding with a material that will never need painting and will add a certain ‘wow’ factor to your exterior look of your home.

Why Side Cladding?

In the past, side cladding was mainly used to cover the walls of the garden shed or garage wall. It was never considered to be an architectural feature outside of adding individuality to your roof. However, building designers have seen it as a feature that can be added to enhance the looks of a building.

Here’s an example of an architect designed home and of how to give a modern looking building a touch of character.

Western Red Cedar Shingles can be used for their conventional application, but as a unique product, there is strong demand by architects and building designers to use them as an external wall cladding.

It’s important to install them to a cladding specification, as mentioned earlier and they provide a textured appearance with great thermal insulation properties.

Here’s a way to make that garden shed look a lot more attractive than you might get with one built from colorbond zincalume sheets.

While this job did not require an architect, one can see from the result that you can certainly add another dimension to otherwise mundane buildings with a bit of imagination, creativity, and GAF roofing shingles.