The Guide to Types of Roof Shingles to Consider
weather can drop like a speeding car on a highway that spots a state trooper. It can go from 80-degree weather to low twenties within hours. The turbulent weather brings about damaging storms such as tornadoes and hail storms. Our first line of defense against this temperamental weather is none other than our roofs.
Knowing the different types of roof shingles that will not only weather the storm but provide aesthetic value and durability is helpful when making an investment in your roof.
Here at Turner Roofing, we offer the following types of roof shingles:
Asphalt
Wood Shake
Tile
Metal
Slate
Synthetic
However, not all of those types of roof shingles are best suited for the crazy weather. That’s why we’ve created the ultimate guide to types of roof shingles you need in
Asphalt Architectural
Ashphalt shingles are the most common type of roof shingle. They are the most cost-effective type of roof and usually come in three-tab cutouts. The downside is that they will wear out more quickly than some of the other more durable types of roof shingles.
Asphalt Architectural Class 4 impact shingles.
Roof Shingles are rated on their ability to handle hail damage or impact. The Class 4 shingle is tested with a 2” steel ball that simulates a piece of hail. They test the shingle by impacting it with the steel ball in the same spot twice to ensure it won’t be damaged. Having a shingle that can resist this type of impact can help protect the underlayment of the roof, preventing leaks. This is obviously an appealing type of roof shingle to insurance companies and many insurance companies will provide a discount to those who use this type of roof shingle. If you’re looking at making a new roof investment, check with your insurance company to see what kind of discount you can receive for using a Class 4 shingle.
Can You Install an Asphalt Shingle Roof During the Winter?
For the most part people who live in cold weather state understand that the spring, summer and early fall are the ‘roofing seasons’. People in these areas budget and plan to get their roofs done when the days are long and the temperatures are mild. But sometimes things happen and people get put into situations where they need to get a roof installed during the winter months. Perhaps the home is being sold and a new roof becomes a contingency of that sale. It could be a tree fell on the roof necessitating its replacement. Perhaps the roof was approved by the homeowners’ insurance company for replacement and they suddenly realize the deadline for completing the work is looming; perhaps the insurer has made replacing the roof a requirement for continuing insurance coverage. Maybe a leak late in the year finally brought the poor condition of the roof to the attention of the homeowners and replacement is the only solution that makes financial sense.
Can the people who do get put in these situations still get a quality roof installation? The short answer is ‘yes’, but to understand that let’s look at the two main reasons why most roofing companies and roofing customers don’t consider winter the best time to install an asphalt shingle roof.
The first challenge to winter roofing with asphalt shingles is the shingles themselves. The shingles will lose some flexibility in the cold. They will also become more difficult to cut. The temperature of the shingles and humidity in the air lines can affect how the pneumatic guns drive the nails, so the pressure setting for warm weather may need to be adjusted when it is cooler to avoid over or under -driving the fasteners. These are all challenges that can be overcome by taking a little more time and paying closer attention.
The larger issue with the materials has to do with sealant on the back of every shingle. This sealant is activated by heat and sunlight and it seals the shingles together which prevents the wind from getting under them and lifting. The sealant on shingles installed in cold weather may not activate right away; it may not activate until spring. The temperatures and conditions to activate the sealant will vary by manufacturer and it’s also possible that while the shingles on the southern exposure may seal, those on northern slopes may not. If this is a concern, most shingle manufacturers recommend hand-sealing every shingle to avoid winter blow-offs. This can add a lot of work to the project. There may also be added cost if hand-sealing is necessary.
The second challenge to roofing in the winter is basic human nature. People who have to labor outside in extreme conditions are probably not automatically going to do their best work. Working in heavy coats and boots is clumsier and time consuming. Without careful supervision workers may try and take short-cuts to get things done more quickly. Extra time must be devoted to safety as winter conditions can make a roof more slippery. For a winter roofing project to go well the crew needs to be motivated to do a good job, well supervised and allowed to work at a pace where they can take the extra time necessary to ensure a good installation.
Warning Signs That Your Roof Is Shot
A solid roof above your head is pretty crucial if you’ve become accustomed to having a warm, cozy, and leak-free home. Here’s how to notice and deal with potential issues before they become big ones.
“An asphalt shingle roof should last between 20 and 30 years,” says Claude McGavic, executive director of The National Association of Home Inspectors. “If you have a 40-year-old roof,there could be a problem — even if it looks good from the ground.”
How much time you’ve got left: Five to 10 years, depending on your roof’s condition. If you live in a development and your neighbors are all starting to replace their roofing, that could be a sign that you should do the same.
The shingles are curling.
Shingles can curl in two ways: There’s cupping, which happens when the edges of the shingles turn upward; and there’s clawing, which is when the edges stay flat and the middle starts to come up. “Both are signs of weathering and indicate that problems — potentially leaks — are relatively close to fruition,” says Mark Graham, vice president of the National Roofing Contractors Association.
Entire shingles are missing.
From a functional standpoint, there should be no problem with just replacing a few shingles here and there. “What you do need to be prepared for is the fact that it’s just about impossible to get a new shingle to match the color of an old one,” says Graham. “Granule colors have changed pretty significantly over the years. Plus, the colors change slightly with weathering.”
HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR ROOFING CONTRACTOR HAS DONE A GOOD JOB
How Many Layers?
It’s harder to maintain a roof that has three or more layers of shingles. Extra layers also burden the house with unnecessary weight. Reputable contractors remove old shingles if a building already has two layers of this roofing material.
Drip Edge Issues
Roofers must install drip edges to prevent water damage, basement flooding, stains and soil erosion. If your home has a shingle roof, the gables and eaves should feature a drip edge. This metal flashing fits between the shingles and underlayment. It carries rainwater away from the house and enables gutters to work correctly
Effective Flashing
To stop water from leaking into your home, roofers should install metal flashing around vent pipes, chimneys and similar protrusions. It’s important to place this material under rather than over shingles. Chimneys need a combination of counterflashing and step flashing; a single sheet of metal won’t prevent water from entering the attic
Chimney Saddle
Does your chimney measure more than 30 inches wide? If so, the contractor ought to have installed a “saddle” that prevents leaves and rainwater from collecting behind the chimney. Instead, water flows into gutters or off the edge of the roof. This preserves the wood under your shingles and stops the flashing from rusting.
Underlayment
Roofers should place an underlayment between the sheathing and shingles. This barrier helps protect your house from water leaks. It often permits the roof to last much longer as well. An underlayment represents a crucial part of any professional roofing project.
Metal vs Shingle – Things to consider for your Log Home Roofing Solutions
Ran across an interesting article (see below) in www.builderonline.com that may interest many of you when researching roofing solutions for your new log home, or if you are considering re-roofing your existing home. In the 24 years of selling log homes, this is one of the most frequently asked questions we’re asked to give an opinion on. It really comes down to budget, but the insight offered below is valuable when making a decision.
If you were to ask a sampling of production builders what is the best roofing material on the market, they’re likely to tell you asphalt. The average residential architect, on the other hand, would probably say metal is the real deal. Heaven only knows what a home buyer or custom home client will choose—slate, clay, concrete—or if they’ll even care.
The roof is arguably the most important surface in a home, perhaps even more essential than the exterior walls. As the most exposed plane, the roof has a mammoth task. It’s under constant assault from the sun and rain, and, if leaky, could result in thousands of dollars worth of direct repair as well as ancillary damage. Still, a roof is one of those things that many consumers don’t think about until there is a blizzard, hail storm, or rainstorm.
So what accounts for the discrepancy in material tastes? That builders, architects, and home buyers have opposing views of roofing material is telling, but their preferences speak to individual agendas as much as it speaks to the materials.
Most home buyers, for example, care mostly about price and don’t care as much about material as long as the roof functions properly and for the foreseeable future. Production builders care about looks and function, too, but affordability is top of mind. And architects want a roof to function well, but they are concerned that it be aesthetically pleasing.