Approximately 70 to 80 percent of all residential roofs in the United States are covered by asphalt shingles. They come in various styles, textures, colors, and designs. An asphalt shingle roof is cost-effective, durable, and also sustainable as the shingles can be recycled after use. They’re readily available in the market as three-tab shingles, luxury shingles, and dimensional shingles.
A Brief History of Asphalt Shingle Roof
While 87 percent of the asphalt produced in the United States of America is used in paving, the 11 percent used in roofing makes for a $12 billion industry. They were invented during the early 1900s by Henry Reynolds, an American roofing contractor hailing from Grand Rapids, Michigan. During this time, saturated asphalt rolls were cut by hand into 8×16 pieces or shingles. With the introduction of newer technology and machinery, the asphalt roofing industry established a standard shingle size — i.e., 12×36.
The Continued Use of Asphalt Shingle Roof
The dominance of asphalt in the residential construction industry is based on proven product performance in terms of weather, fire, and wind resistance. Also, asphalt shingles are economical, low maintenance, and can be styled suitably (be it traditional, modern, or contemporary). They’re also big on aesthetics as asphalt products offer great flexibility for choosing what compliments the exteriors of a building best. Not to forget, the ease of application as asphalt shingles are considered the easiest standard roofing materials to apply over a residential roof.
Asphalt roofing products are manufactured continuously and executed on a roofing machine — one end of the machine rolls together the core materials while the other end concludes the process by presenting the finished product. In between this lies a series of stages that require the addition of materials and operations monitoring.
Roofing Grades
Asphalt shingle roofing is manufactured as per a grade:
- The saturant grade asphalt uses either oxidized or non-oxidized asphalt for manufacturing felt piles for roofing.
- The coating grade asphalt utilizes oxidized asphalt to manufacture components of the roofing system.
- The mopping grade asphalt also uses melted oxidized asphalt that’s put to use in built-up roofing systems (or BUR).
What are Asphalt Shingles Made of?
Most shingles only contain 5 to 35 percent of asphalt content. Other than asphalt, they also contain cementitious fillers and mineral fiber to further enhance their properties. Customers are given a choice between three shingles for their roof:
1. Organic Asphalt Shingles
These are made from paper or wood saturated in asphalt to make the shingle waterproof. The topmost layer of ceramic granules may also be covered with an additional layer of asphalt to double up on protection against UV rays. For this reason, they may appear thicker. However, because they aren’t as eco-friendly and are more costly, the industry switched to manufacturing two other types of asphalt shingles.
2. Fiberglass Asphalt Shingles
Although fiberglass asphalt shingles have a lower asphalt content than organic asphalt shingles, they rank better in terms of fire rating. They’re also lightweight, durable, and cost lesser. Consumers also opt for solar reflective shingles that reduce the roof’s temperature by reflecting most of the sunlight away from the roof.
3. Algae Resistant Asphalt Shingles
Apart from asphalt, the algae-resistant shingles consist of leachable coatings within the granules to protect the roof from algae-related discoloration. These shingles may also be ceramic-ally coated in more humid regions as it poses more of a threat to algae and fungus growth.
Other Components of an Asphalt Shingle Roof: Underlayment
A felt underlayment goes underneath the shingles; this is a water-resistant roofing system that offers additional protection against severe weather conditions such as high pressured winds, hail, and rain. Roofing contractors may install 15 to 30 pounds of felt right over the solid decking of the roof — a general rule of thumb suggests that the heavier the felt underlayment, the more resistant it’s to damage.
The three most commonly used forms of underlayment are (1) non-bitumen synthetic for its durability and lightweight characteristic that comes in handy when covering steeper slopes on the roof, (2) rubberized asphalt — a hard, resilient material that creates a tight seal to prevent water infiltration, and (3) asphalt-saturated felt made from organic fiberglass material possess greater resistance against fire and water.
Switch to Asphalt Roof with Certified Pro Roofing
Contact Certified Pro Roofing to discuss roof inspection, emergency roof repairs, and new residential roof installation in Pensacola, FL. We’re the best roofing company, servicing the Florida Panhandle and Southern Alabama with the best roofers. We’re licensed, insured, and certified for operations on your residential roof.
Asphalt roof shingles are North America’s most popular choice, and Certified Pro Roofing takes immense pride in helping homeowners achieve the arch. We offer new roof installation using asphalt in different colors and shingle styles. Even though these asphalt shingles are manufactured to protect your home through years of weathering, we remain at your disposal for minimal upkeep with our roof repair services in Pensacola, Florida. Apart from asphalt, we also master metal and flat TPO (Thermoplastic Polyolefin) roof replacement projects. Get a free quote from the locally owned roofing business today.
Our roofing company and contractors give residents of Pensacola multiple financing options with 0 percent applicable interest when paid off fully in 6 to 12 months (*terms and conditions apply)
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