Roofing Services & Contractors in Alaska

Admitted to the Union in the year 1959, Alaska is the 49th state of the United States. It is home to roughly 734,323 people, and ranks as the largest state, occupying an area of 1,723,337 km². Roughly twice the size of Texas (the second largest state of the country), Alaska is the only state which lies entirely within the frigid zone, and hence has a cooler climate with the possibility of snowing all year round. The state is characterized by two distinct climatic zones. The first of these include the coastal and island areas, which are cool, but warmer than the second climatic zone, which enjoys a Siberian and Canadian-influenced weather, especially during the winter months. Unsurprisingly, most of the precipitation that occurs in Alaska is in the form of snow, though rains also do occur. Since 1979, the climate of the state has become increasingly warmer, leading to the melting of a large amount of permafrost and water logging problems.

The harsher cold winter temperatures of Alaska, along with the warmer-but-still-cooler-than-most summers means that roofs have to be both tough and insulating. There are different types of materials used to construct roofs - ranging from conventional to more modern ones. Metal roofing is generally popular in the state, on account of its durability and thermal control functions. They are now more popular than asphalt shingles, which have moderately good temperature-regulating abilities, but offer a much shorter lifespan. Roofs may also use other types of materials such as slate (which has the added benefit of design appeal), and clay tiles (which are fire-resistant and can be very handy in places prone to lightning-induced fires).