Shingle Roofing

A Shingle roof is covered with a type of material called shingles. You knew that right? One of the elements or factors that organizes this type of roof into its own category is the shape and functionality of the shingles themselves. Shingles are generally flat and rectangular. They are applied from the base or bottom of the roof upwards. As they are applied the previous sheet or section of shingles is overlapped. This process of overlapping continues until the entire roof has successfully been covered from base to top.

Benefits of Shingle Roofs

Cost Efficient

The cost factor is one of the many benefits of having a shingle roof. Asphalt shingles are manufactured and purchased in bulk. Because of this, these shingles come cheaper than other roofing materials.

Installation

Shingle installation takes much less expertise than installation of other materials, so that makes them more cost efficient as well. Shingles have been named as the easiest material to install for roofs, so the installation labor does not cost as much as it would for other roofing materials.

Weight

Asphalt shingles are some of the lighter roofing materials as compared to slate, tile, and some metal. The structure of your home will determine how heavy your roofing material can be, homes can handle asphalt shingles well because they are not weighty on the structure of the home.

Look, Color and Texture

Creativity comes with shingles. They come in almost any color! This makes choosing the right color for your home easy, because the colors are versatile and work well with any home. Asphalt shingles also come in a variety of different textures/styles or designs. These different textures allow them to look like different materials such as shake, slate, or tile. It can be fun choosing your shingle design because there are so many to choose from!

Durability

Asphalt shingle roofs can last a long time depending upon the climate and weather. Most shingle roofs can have a lifespan anywhere between ten and thirty years! These roofs are easy to repair if there is ever a leak. The durability of shingle roofs makes them a great choice for any new roof.

Even with all the above benefits, Shingles may not be the best fit for your home

Roofing Shingles are the most common roofing material used in North America, but are known as being a very short term roofing choice because they do not hold up in the wet-dry, cold-hot weather cycle. The manufacturers of roofing shingles have made many attempts to improve the quality of their products over the years. They have changed the content of the base mat as well as the various binders and fillers. At the end of the day, though, standard shingles consist of small granules glued to a base mat. As the adhesive agents dry out and break down, moisture reaches the base mat. This moisture causes the base mat to deteriorate, and it gets even worse over time as granules start to wear away. Once the base mat is exposed to moisture, leaks will begin to occur.

Shingles loosen, crack, and curl. Your roof becomes very vulnerable to severe and even moderate storms. This is what causes thousands upon thousands of homeowners each year to replace their shingle roofs that are only a few years old. Additionally, the fillers and binders in asphalt, fiberglass, and composition shingles support biological growth which leads to streaking and staining on the roof. This deteriorates the value and beauty of the home.

Due to their extreme weight, shingle roofs also absorb and hold heat, making your air conditioner work harder in warm weather. A life expectancy of 12 -17 years is common with roofing shingles though in some cases especially in areas subject to harsh weather, they fail even sooner.

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