Traditionally, asphalt shingles are the most common roofing material installed on residential homes across the United States. That’s not to say asphalt shingle roofing is the perfect building material. Asphalt shingles offer many advantages, but they come with a few downsides as well. We’re here to guide you on the pros and cons of asphalt shingle roofing.
What Is Asphalt Shingle Roofing?
Asphalt shingles are an American invention dating back to 1903. In the 1980s, fiberglass asphalt shingles were invented. Today’s asphalt shingle manufacturing technology bears little resemblance to its humble beginnings.
The base of asphalt shingles is fiberglass that is saturated in asphalt, often with multiple layers. The top layer, the one that protects your home from Mother Nature, is a combination coating of mica, schist, slate, quartz, stone or ceramics.
Asphalt roofing shingles come in a variety of colors, shapes, styles and thicknesses, including architectural grade. This upscale shingle mimics the look of slate and other high-end roofing materials, without the extra costs.
The Pros of Asphalt Roofing Shingles
- Reasonable cost: Asphalt shingle roofing is installed on more than 70 percent of all homes. The key appeal is affordability. If you are on a budget but urgently need a new roof, then asphalt roofing shingles are an attractive option.
- Variety of styles: Some homeowners want to stand out, others prefer a more subtle approach. Either way, asphalt roofing manufacturers provide a wide variety of colors, styles and thicknesses.
- Curb appeal: Most homeowners care about the appearance of their property, The roofing material you select will have a powerful impact on your home’s appearance. If you ever plan on selling your home, curb appeal is a vital factor in determining the overall value of a property.
- Quick installation: Our full-time crew of highly trained roofers employs shingle eaters to tear off your old roof in minutes. Then the team at Classic installs a GAF roofing system, and at least three qualifying GAF accessories. This entitles our homeowners to automatically get a lifetime limited warranty for their roof.
- Labor saving: Asphalt shingle roofing projects go up quickly, saving homeowners on installation and labor costs. Most residential roofing projects are accomplished within one day.
- Easy to repair: If there’s a leak or damage, replacing a few shingles can keep your home safe from the elements. You can avoid having to pay for your entire roof to be torn off and then rebuilt. It’s easy to detect if shingles are missing or damaged.
- “Cool roof” status: According to the Cool Roof Rating Council, cool roofs may save homeowners an average of 7–15 percent on their total cooling costs. A cool roof minimizes the solar heat gain of a building by reflecting incoming sun rays and re-emitting the absorbed energy. Asphalt shingle roofs with higher solar reflective values can achieve ENERGY STAR certification. The team at Classic Roofing & Construction provides Timberline CS Shingles to Pinellas County homeowners. This line of shingles helps reduce attic temperatures and helps homeowners save on air conditioning costs.
The Cons of Asphalt Shingle Roofing
While this roofing material has some great advantages, the drawback to asphalt shingle roofing include:
- Non-recyclable: Asphalt shingle roofing is not recyclable, meaning they are destined for a landfill near you. Part of the cost of this is disposal fees. Then there is the environmental issue. It takes 300 to 400 hundred years for asphalt shingles to decay. Some companies repurpose asphalt shingles into asphalt for new highways, roads and parking lots. But the vast majority of those asphalt shingles end up in landfills.
- Shorter longevity than other roofing materials: Slate, tile, concrete, composite and other roofing materials can last for decades longer than asphalt shingle roofing.
- Vulnerable to wind uplift:If you call St. Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater or Fort Myers, Florida, home, you already know that we can experience extreme weather. But when the Classic team installs your new roof according to guidelines from GAF, your home will be eligible for a 15-year limited wind warranty with no maximum wind speed limitation.
The Classic Team Recommends GAF Timberline Shingles
When clients of Classic Roofing choose asphalt shingles for their preferred roofing material, we recommend the GAF Timberline Shingle.
According to a recent survey of 380 real estate agents and certified appraisers of single-family homes, upgrading a roof with GAF Timberline shingles can increase the resale value of a home by an average of 10 percent. Moreover, Timberline is the number one selling asphalt shingle in the U.S.
Timberline shingles feature the proprietary GAF Dura Grip adhesive that seals each shingle tightly and reduces the risk of shingle blow-off, with a warranty to withstand winds of up to 130 miles per hour. Timberline shingles have also earned the highest roof fire rating: UL Class A, listed to ANSI/UL 790.
Since Pinellas County often experiences tornadoes and hurricanes, Timberline Shingles with LayerLock Technology may qualify for WindProven Limited Wind Warranty, the industry’s first wind warranty with no maximum speed limitations when installed with the required combination of GAF accessories.
If you are concerned about hail, then you may want to invest in impact-resistant shingles such as the Grand Sequoia AS or Timberline AS II. These shingles have a rubbery flexibility, allowing them to recover from hail impacts.
Since St. Petersburg has an average of 361 days of sunshine annually, you may want to choose GAF Timberline Cool Series Shingles. These highly reflective shingles can help reduce temperatures in your attic and keep your home cooler.
Another way to take advantage of all that sunshine in St. Petersburg is to add a cutting-edge solar-powered roof to your home. The most affordable time to go solar is when you are in the market for a new roof, by turning two home improvement projects into one.
Award-Winning Solar Shingles
Classic Roofing & Construction is one of just two local roofing companies offering new composite solar roof shingles that can generate energy from the sun.
The award-winning Timberline Solar roofing system is made up of shingles, not panels or heavy tiles. The shingles are water-shedding, strong and warranted to withstand winds of up to 130 miles per hour. The shingles also add a sleek curb appeal that will be the envy of the neighborhood.
The team at Classic Roofing & Construction has more than 20 years of experience helping Pinellas County homeowners with new roofs and remodeling projects, including siding, gutters and window replacements. We can also arrange for financing for your home improvement. Contact Classic to help protect that investment in your home. Call us in Tampa at 727-732-3495 or in Fort Myers at 239-932-5225, or schedule a free estimate.
