Asphalt Roofing Shingles

Asphalt roofing shingles, in the United States, are predominately fiberglass-based and manufactured with mat composed of varying orientations and lengths of glass fibers. This base is surfaced using a specially formulated coating of asphalt, which is followed by mineral granules that are weather-resistant. Because they provide durability, economy, versatility, and quality they are the leading choice for residential roofs with four out of five homes having asphalt roofing shingles. They come in a variety of colors, textures, and shapes. Each year over 12.5 billion square feet of asphalt roofing shingles are manufactured each year, which is enough to cover more than 5 million homes annually.

Benefits

• Affordability—these roofing products have a low application cost and high-volume production, providing customers with a value that is hard for other roofing materials to match.
• Product performance—this type of roofing works well in areas where water, ice, and wind are prevalent, and in extreme temperatures
• Ease of application—these shingles are considered the easiest roofing shingles to put on a roof. The strength and flexibility of the shingles supports their application on different roof designs.
• Low maintenance—when types of shingles are chosen and applied correctly, they will require little to no regular upkeep. If they are damaged, they are easy to repair.
• Wind and fire resistance—the roofing shingles are manufactured to resist external fire. They meet the flammability standards and carry the fire ratings of Class A B, and C. Class A. provides the greatest fire resistance. The label indicating that they are wind resistance indicates that they have been tested to demonstrate in high-wind locations acceptable resistance to wind.

Types of asphalt roofing shingles

• Laminated shingles—this is a special type of asphalt roofing shingle that contains more than one single type of tabs. This is done to create extra thickness. These are also called an architectural or three-dimensional shingles because when used they will create a visual depth on the roof. This is a favorite type of roof shingles among homeowners and builders.
• Strip shingles—these asphalt roofing shingles are about three times as long as they are wide and are manufactured in metric and standard dimensions. They are distinguishable by the number of tabs or cutouts that they have. The most common one is a three-tab asphalt roofing shingle.• Interlocking shingles—these individual shingles fasten mechanically to each other. These are used to provide greater resistance to wind and come in various sizes and shapes.
• Large format shingles—these do not utilize tabs or cutouts and are hexagonal or rectangular.

If you are unsure just what type of asphalt roofing shingle should be used on your home, talk to a roofing contractor for advice.