What is the Quietest Roofing Material Type?

No one wants to wear ear muffs to drown out the sound of a noisy roof!  A gentle rain is nice to hear, but when the roof has a cheap and hollow sound to it, rain can sound foreboding rather than relaxing.

Noise from wind, birds, aircraft and other things can penetrate your roof and become unpleasant.  So, which is the quietest roofing material type?  It depends on who you ask, and manufacturers of many types of roofing material have studies to show that their product is indeed the quietest roofing material on the market.

In the industry, the 3 roofing types below are widely believed to be the quietest, in no particular order.

Asphalt Shingles

Also known as architectural shingles because they have overlapping tabs that provide texture, they are very quiet.  Most contain about 40% more material than 3-tab shingles and the overlapping tabs provide an extra layer of sound insulation.

Asphalt is also good at absorbing noise rather than resonating it, and the density of the material helps too. For an affordable, quiet roofing solution, dimensional shingles, a.k.a. architectural shingles are a very good choice.

Metal Roofing

Mentioning this one in the top 3 usually raises eyebrows, but it is absolutely true.  When a metal roof is installed over a solid roof deck like most homes have, it produces an outstanding sound barrier.  The metal roof reflects noise away from your home and provides a dense cover that noise does not easily penetrate.

The air space between the metal roof and the sheathing beneath it serves to muffle sound quite well.  Metal roofing is the durable choice in quiet roofing material and today’s styles are also very attractive too.

Tile Roofing

Clay and concrete tile are very quiet.  The materials absorb and dampen noise rather than transfer it as well as any materials on the market. There is almost no echo at all with concrete or clay tile.  It’s a elegant choice for very quiet roofing material.

How Noisy is Your Roof?

What kind of roof do you have on your home? How noisy is it? Help your neighbors and friends find the quietest roofing materials by sharing yours below.