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At Family Roofing, we take great pride in our experience, expertise, quality and customer service. It is our mission to provide excellent workmanship and complete customer satisfaction from start to completion of a project. Our reputation is based on service, safety and quality, regardless of how large or small the job.

 

TYPES OF ROOFING SHINGLES

In addition to maintaining the integrity of your roof’s structure and helping to keep out water, roofing shingles also add a tremendous amount of curb appeal and value to your home.  The type of roofing shingles you choose can also affect your roof’s durability against wind, rain, hail and other weather events.

Readily Available & A Great Value

In additional to offering a variety of style choices, asphalt shingles are also widely available throughout the U.S. and Canada, and are easy to install, making them an attractive option for professional roofing contractors to offer to their customers.  While getting a new roof is by no means an inexpensive project, asphalt shingles are among the most affordable options available.  In fact, if an existing roof deck (the structural surface beneath the roofing system) is in good condition, new asphalt shingles can even be installed over older shingles, reducing the need (and cost) of a tear off of the old roofing.  Check with your contractor to see if this is a viable money-saving option for your roofing project.

Different Types of Roof Shingles

There are three major categories of asphalt roofing shingle products available today – strip shingles, dimensional shingles and luxury shingles.   It is important to understand the differences between each type of roofing shingle in order to pick the right product for your home.

*A note on terminology: Asphalt shingles are also known as and composition shingles (or composite shingles).  These are general terms for the same thing.  The term “composition” is used because the shingles are a composite product made from either a fiberglass or cellulose mat, asphalt, and mineral granules.  This differs from wood shake shingles or clay tiles which are made from a single material.

What Are 3-Tab Shingles?

Three-tab, or 3-tab, shingles are the most popular type of asphalt shingles and one of the most common roof types on single-family homes.  They’re affordable, easy to install, and durable enough to last between 10 and 20 years on average, making them the perfect choice for homeowners looking for low-cost and low-maintenance roofing.

Three-tab shingles get their name from their design.  Each strip in a package of 3-tab shingles comes with three flaps, or tabs, separated by small gaps to give the appearance of three individual shingles.  The 3-tab model makes installing your shingles much faster without sacrificing individual shingles’ aesthetic appeal and look.

Pros and Cons of 3-Tab Shingles

What Are Architectural Shingles?

Architectural shingles are less common than 3-tab shingles, mostly because they cost more.  However, the average architectural shingle is more durable and has a longer lifespan than the typical 3-tab shingle, justifying the higher cost. Architectural shingles are also more flexible than 3-tab shingles in terms of design, with more shapes and colors to choose from.

Unlike 3-tab shingles, architectural shingles are individual, so installing them takes longer.  Architectural shingles are approximately 50% thicker than 3-tab, giving them a more three-dimensional look — which is why they are also called dimensional shingles. They’re also sometimes called composite shingles.

Pros and Cons of Architectural Shingles

3-Tab Vs. Architectural Shingles: Similarities and Differences

To the untrained eye, architectural and 3-tab shingles are hard to tell apart.  They’re both made primarily of asphalt, and they can look the same once they’re installed.  The differences between architectural and 3-tab shingles are important to understand if you’re in the market for a new roof.

Appearance

From a distance, 3-tab shingles and architectural shingles can be hard to differentiate, but up close, it becomes much easier.  Architectural shingles come as single tabs, while 3-tab shingles come in long strips with three tabs per sheet, making it easy to tell the two apart before installation.  Architectural shingles are also noticeably thicker than traditional 3-tab shingles, which can appear flimsy by comparison.

Architectural shingles come in various designs, with some made to mimic wood shake, slate, or metal roofs when installed.  Architectural shingles are considered a high-quality roofing option and are more common than 3-tab shingles in high-end homes.  Recently, architectural shingles designed to look like cedar shakes have become an increasingly popular way to add to your home’s curb appeal.

Composition 

Both architectural shingles and 3-tab shingles are made of asphalt.  However, architectural shingles have an additional layer of asphalt and built-in granules, making them thicker, heavier, and more durable than 3-tab shingles.  Architectural shingles are sometimes called laminate shingles due to the layers of materials used to manufacture them.  The composition varies from company to company, but most architectural shingles contain fiberglass, minerals, and asphalt.  By contrast, 3-tab shingles are made almost entirely from asphalt, which helps keep their cost down at the expense of longevity.

Durability and Wind Ratings

Architectural shingles are your friend if you live in a windy part of the country.  They are sturdier and more wind-resistant than 3-tab shingles and can withstand winds up to 120 miles per hour in some cases.  Three-tab shingles perform less impressively, with most unable to withstand winds beyond 70 mph.

Architectural shingles are also better if you value overall durability since they can last up to 30 years with proper care and maintenance.  Three-tab shingle roofs usually need to be replaced every 10 to 20 years, although relative replacement costs may be similar since 3-tab shingles are more affordable.

Lifespan

Architectural shingles last 50% longer than 3-tab shingles, which makes their higher cost understandable.  However, properly cared for 3-tab shingles can last up to 20 years in low-impact climates, which makes it hard to justify the higher price of architectural shingles based on longevity alone.  If you live somewhere without high winds or other types of extreme weather, 3-tab shingles might make more sense for you.

Warranty

Most companies provide a 25-year warranty for their 3-tab shingles that covers manufacturer defects and limited protection against things like fires, algae and wind damage due to winds up to around 60 miles per hour, depending on the shingle.  Three-tab shingle warranties aren’t bad but pale in comparison to architectural shingle warranties.

Architectural shingles usually come with lifetime warranties that cover your shingles for as long as you own your home.  Most architectural shingle manufacturer roof warranties also provide more robust protection against wind, fire, and algae.

COOL Roofing Shingles

Covered with solar-reflecting granules, COOL roofing shingles help make your home more energy-efficient by decreasing heat absorption through the roof.

Specialty Asphalt Roofing Shingles

Specialty shingles can come in bolder colors and styles that mimic other roofing materials, such as tile or wood shake, and offer the practicality and affordability of asphalt shingles with a slightly different look.

The Dynamic Benefits of Asphalt

Due to modern engineering techniques and the dynamic properties of asphalt, manufacturers are capable of producing numerous specialty products that exist across all shingle types.  These include shingles that fight algae growth, offer enhanced resistance to damaging hail and offer cool roof color technologies that reflect the heat of the sun to keep homes cooler and can reduce the expenses of air conditioning.  Depending on your location, choosing a specialty shingle can even reduce your insurance costs (e.g. – an impact-resistant shingle installed on a home in a hail zone).  In addition, asphalt shingles are naturally fire resistant, making them an ideal choice for areas where wildfires are prominent.