Articles and Publications Tidbits

Get Real With Shingle Warranties

Mike Russo, Roofing/Siding/Insulation, Oct. 1, 2003

Roofing contractors are dealing with enough headaches these days. So it's even more frustrating when needless hassles come up. One of these problems emerged at RSI's 8th annual Industry Roundtable a few weeks ago-namely, long-term shingle warranties.

Last year, one residential roofing manufacturer upgraded its laminate shingle warranty from 25 to 30 years. It was strictly a marketing decision, and the rest of the industry's suppliers were forced to follow suit to remain competitive. The problem is that this strategy appears to have hurt everyone-contractors, distributors, manufacturers and consumers alike.

Interestingly, none of the residential roofing suppliers at the meeting defended their long-term warranties, and a couple out-and-out agreed with the installers at the table.

So how does the asphalt shingle industry get itself out of this mess?

Obviously, there's no way any of these manufacturers are prepared to back-pedal on the length of their warranties. And while the documents themselves may be of dubious value, contractors are stuck with them, too. They can't boycott 30-year products, when their competitors down the street are selling the heck out of them-or at least trying to. How do you explain to homeowners that your average shingle warranty has more exclusions than inclusions and their roof probably won't last more than 20-25 years anyway?

Asphalt Shingles -

RoofHelp.com

Asphalt shingles are currently the most popular type of residential roof material for a variety of reasons. They are relatively inexpensive, starting at around $0.80 per square foot installed and go up from there. Things that determine cost are geographical location, slope of the roof, height of the building, ease of access to the premises, complexity of the project, the particular type of shingle and numerous other factors. Asphalt shingles are very simple to install enabling many homeowners to do the work themselves. They come in a variety of colors and styles, are fairly durable (some have been tested and have achieved a class IV hail rating - the highest available!), and can be easily repaired and maintained.

WHAT ARE THEY?
Asphalt shingles come in two basic types: glass fiber (a.k.a. fiber glass) and organic. Organic shingles consist of an organic felt material which is generally paper saturated with asphalt to make it waterproof. A top coating of adhesive asphalt is then applied and the ceramic granules are then embedded. Organic shingles contain around 40% more asphalt per square (100 sq. ft.) than their glass fiber counterpart which makes them weigh more and gives them excellent durability and blow-off resistance. Glass fiber shingles have a glass fiber reinforcing mat manufactured to the shape of the shingle. This mat is then coated with asphalt which contains mineral fillers. The glass fiber mat is not waterproof by itself. It's purpose is for reinforcement. What makes the glass fiber shingle waterproof is the asphalt. However, the asphalt itself will not stick to the mat. For this reason, "fillers" are used. The fillers in the asphalt cling to the glass fibers in the mat. The asphalt then encapsulates the glass fibers, fills all of the little holes and voids in the mat rendering it waterproof. After this cools a bit, an adhesive asphalt is used to cover the mat and the ceramic granules are then embedded. The ceraminc granules are there for two reasons. The primary reason is to protect the shingles from the sun. The sun's UV rays are very damaging to asphalt and cause it to deteriorate prematurely. This is one of the same reasons that gravel is used on built-up roofs. The second and more obvious reason for the granules is aesthetics. Asphalt shingles are available in a wide variety of colors to match almost any facade or landscape. So which type is better? By far, the more popular shingles are the glass fiber ones. This may be attributed to the fact that they are cheaper and easier to manufacturer than organic shingles making them more cost effective to the homeowner, or it may be that they are easier to work with, or they may simply be a personal preference of the roofing contractor.

HOW LONG DO THEY LAST?
The lifespan of asphalt shingles depends highly upon the environment. Shingles in cooler climates such as the northern United States seem to last longer than those installed in the warmer climates. Studies have shown that the average lifespan for a 20 year shingle in Phoenix, Arizona is around 14 years. In Minneapolis, Minnesota the lifespan was 19.5 years. And in Reading, Pennsylvania, the lifespan was 20.8 years. From this data it seems obvious that the hotter the environment is, the shorter the service life of the shingles.

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Dear Roofhelp, Could you please explain the difference between 25 year and 30 year in laminated architectural type shingles? Thanks, MK

RESPONSE:

Shingles are referred to as "25 Year" and "30 Year" because of the manufacturer's warranty. The difference in the two is the thickness which corresponds to the weight of the shingle. 25 year shingles are generally between 240 and 265 pounds per 100 square feet while 30 year shingles weigh between 265 and 300 pounds per 100 square feet. -E.J. Sandquist, RoofHelp.com

Choosing a Shingle

from the Troubleshooting Guide to Residential Construction, from the Editors of The Journel of Light Construction, 1997

Until new standards are set and enforced, contractors need to be careful when choosing a shingle. One option is to avoid fiberglass and and use organic felt shingles, which have not shown any premature cracking problems. Some organic shingles have been reported to "blister" and "curl," but the problem is not as widespread as the cracking of fiberglass shingles, and rarely results in leaks or blow-offs. Organic shingles have higher tear strength, good flexibility, and a high resistance to nail pull-through. They usually cost more than fiberglass shingles, primarily because their heavier weight makes them more expensive to ship.

If you use fiberglass shingles, consider stepping up to a longer warranty period. This may reduce the chances of a roofing failure, because the cracking problem seems to occur mostly among the 20-year fiberglass shingles. But you still can't be sure, because the 25-year and 30-year fiberglass shingles have failed prematurely, too.