Approximately 63.4 percent of Americans own a home. If you bought your home, you most likely had no say in what type of roof it had. Asphalt is particularly popular in the U.S., due to its affordability and easy installation process, but concrete usage has risen in recent years—especially in urban environments.

Lumber may constitute 40 percent of building materials, but concrete is the most-used manmade material in the world. And it offers a significant number of benefits. If you're fortunate enough to be able to design and build your home from scratch, or are in need of a new roof, here are a few reasons why you should make the switch to concrete.