In our last post we covered the changes and improvements that have been made to the asphalt shingles, the most widely installed shingle by roof contractors.
Using fiberglass as the core element to asphalt shingles instead of asphalt-soaked paper has made today’s asphalt shingle lighter, more fire-retardant and water resistant.
But that hasn’t been the only change in the last 15 years that has kept asphalt shingles the most dominant type of roofing shingle on the market. There are also new designs that have proven popular with homeowners and roofing contractors alike.
In the 1990s the majority of asphalt shingles were “three tab” shingles, long, rectangular shingles with spaces that separate the shingle into thirds.
Those traditional shingles are being installed less by roofing contractors as homeowners are choosing newer ‘architectural’ shingles, also known as laminated or dimensional roofing shingles.
Architectural shingles have a multi-dimensional appearance with irregular angles and a contoured texture. They come in multiple colors, offering homeowners various options including the ability to provide the appearance of slate or shake shingles.
While three-tab shingles remain the most affordable option, an estimated 85 percent of homeowners who choose AMEK Construction as their roofing contractor select architectural design over three-tab shingles.
In addition to a different look, architectural shingles are thicker and heavier than three-tab shingles, providing better wind tear-off resistance and those with a heavy layer of top coat granules have a Class A fire resistance.
Most of today’s asphalt shingles also add trace amounts of zinc to the surface granules to keep algea and mildew from forming on the shingles.
In all, today’s asphalt shingle of choice by installers and homeowners come from the variety of architectural shingles available from all major shingle manufacturers, including:
- Landmark by Certainteed.
- Timberline by GAF.
- Oakridge by Owens Corning.
- Heritage by TAMKO.
- Cambridge by IKO.
- Pinnacle by ATLAS.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgn0tr0BcaY