I thought I would give you an update on where things are at with my new build. Unfortunately there is not much to report yet. We have had a couple of issues with retaining wall measurements which have now been resolved, and the digging begins this week. One win that I wanted to share was finding a local roofing company who supply American shingles, hooray! I have always loved the look of shingle roofing but never thought I could replicate it here. So what is a shingled roof? The tiles are manufactured individually like terracotta and concrete. They have a thinner and flatter profile and I love how they resemble slate, but without the price tag. They can be made from wood or slate but the most common is a fibreglass/asphalt composite. I’m not sure why they haven’t really hit the Aussie shores in a big way yet. Shingle roofing is the most popular material used in the U.S. no doubt due to its low cost, ease of application and colour range options.
Just to clarify what they look like, here are some inspiring images from my House Exteriors Pinterest board.
Shingled roofing is often black or charcoal grey in colour.
via BHG
It is usually seen on homes with a gabled roof line.
This lighter colour shingle is often used in coastal homes.
Of course our exterior won’t be anything like the scale of these beauties but at least I feel I am one step closer to achieving the Hamptons ‘look’. The choice on offer in Australia is the asphalt/fibreglass variety which I believe is the most practical and hardwearing. I have selected a grey/black colour which I think will work well with the exterior paint colours.
The Australian suppliers of this shingle product that I have come across are:
Australasian Shingle Importers
So I will be crossing my fingers that our shingled roof turns out OK. Of course there will be progress photos shared along the way!