One of the greatest benefits of building a new home is easier maintenance. However, ensuring your home is easy to maintain for the long term requires careful planning during the construction phase.
That is why RGB Custom Builders recommend products that require less long term maintenance even when they cost more. We include some of these premium materials in our standard packages and others are offered as upgrades.
When building your new home, we want you to understand that many products which require less maintenance cost more initially. We want you to look at the long-term financial, maintenance, and aesthetic benefits. Additionally, you can absorb the higher price into your mortgage and reduce yearly out-of-pocket expenses for home maintenance.
Use Roofing Materials Requiring Less Maintenance
A stronger roof means focusing not just on the part you see, but the entire roofing system. There are new asphalt shingles with double-thick tabs and weather-grade asphalt between the layers. Other roofing features you can get include algae blocking granules and shingles that reflect sunlight to lower cooling costs.
Traditional roofing materials like slate and tile (learn more about tile roofs) cost more but they last a lifetime. Then there are new roofing materials that look like tile but made from cement and fiber. Metal roofing is another option growing in popularity because the panels are strong and easy to install, and the paint if damaged, can be re-coated.
Modern Siding Eliminates Painting
Everyone loves the look of wood siding but it has to be painted and maintained every six to eight years. Vinyl siding now has a 30% market share because it’s easy to install, durable, affordable and it doesn’t need to be painted.
More traditional siding choices such as brick, stone, and stucco are more expensive but require less maintenance and have great curb-side appeal. Homeowners who want to balance cost and benefits can use brick or stone siding on the front of the house, and vinyl siding on the other sides.