Why asphalt roofing shingles?

Written by No Doubt Marketing

Asphalt shingles are roof shingles that are on approximately 75-80% of all roofs in the United States and are composed of composite materials that are considered more fire-safe than traditional wood shake shingles.

Asphalt Roofing Shingle Composition

Asphalt roofing shingles are considered "composition" roofing and are made of either organic wood and cellulose-mat and asphalt materials (organic asphalt shingles) or a fiberglass mat and asphalt (fiberglass asphalt shingles). Fiberglass asphalt shingles tend to be lighter in weight than organic asphalt shingles.

Benefits of Asphalt Roofing

One of the primary benefits to asphalt roofing shingles is that they are considerably economical and cost efficient. They are available in a wide variety of styles, ranging from traditional wood shake to high-end slate styles and in almost every color under the rainbow.

Another benefit in choosing asphalt roofing shingles is that they are highly fire retardant, particularly when compared to wood shake roof shingles, particularly the newer fiberglass asphalt roofing shingles. Also, the newer fiberglass asphalt roofing, also known as laminate roofing, is considered more durable than older asphalt roofing shingles.

For many homeowners who are becoming more aware of the impact of construction materials on the environment, one benefit to using asphalt roofing shingles is that they can be recycled after they are stripped off and reused for things such as road resurfacing, dust reduction materials for rural roads, fuel or other programs that use recycled asphalt. Earlier, there had been concern about the potential presence and impact of asbestos with asphalt roofing shingles. However, recent reports that have evaluated the asbestos in recycled materials from asphalt roofing have found that there are very low levels of asphalt when the materials correctly recycled.

Finally, one of the best benefits to choosing asphalt roofing shingles is that they offer lifetime warrantees or extended warrantee for specific conditions such as algae growth, wind or shock resistance.

Cost of Asphalt Roofing Shingles

The cost of replacing a roof is dependent on what type of materials the homeowner chooses and whether they plan to do the roofing work by themselves or use the services of a professional roofing contractor. On average, asphalt shingles tend to the on the lower end of the spectrum, with shingles ranging from approximately $50 to $150 per square. By comparison to other roofing materials, this is relatively inexpensive. For example, metal roofing materials often start at approximately $100 per square but can run as high as over $600 per square; slate can cost well over $1,000 per square.

Summary

Asphalt roofing shingles can be an extremely attractive option for the cost-conscious homeowner who is also looking for a roofing option that offers them a wide variety of choices in colors and styles. Asphalt roof shingles come in many different popular architectural styles and can also be easily recycled after the old asphalt roofing has been stripped from the home. Compared to other roofing materials such as metal or slate this makes a good choice if you have environmental concerns.

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