Why Asphalt Shingles?

Asphalt shingles are easy to install, widely available, cheaper to produce, and are the most popular roof material that customers are choosing for their roofs. Asphalt shingles are popular because of the longer life span they have over other roofing materials. You will notice that one our website we work with some of the major asphalt shingle creators in the United States: Tamko, CertainTeed, and GAF.

So why are asphalt shingles so popular?

Asphalt shingles are made out of two types of material: organic or fiberglass.

Organic shingles are made out of formerly living, or organic, materials such as paper or wood. These materials are saturated with asphalt to make them waterproof, and then an adhesive asphalt is applied to the top of this material. Older versions of these shingles are very durable and make them very hard to tear, which is great if you live in an area of high wind and heavy storms. The one downfall to this shingle is that at one point, these were made with asbestos to help with the durability. These shingles are also heavier than fiberglass, and do not carry a long warranty

Fiberglass shingles were created to stop the use of asbestos in the organic shingles. These shingles have a base layer of a glass fiber mat. This mat is then covered with asphalt to make the shingle waterproof. Fiberglass shingles are less likely to catch fire, because they are not made with wood or paper products like the organic shingles. These shingles are considered to be much more light weight, and carry a longer warranty.

There are many shapes and textures of asphalt shingles that can be created. The most well known type is the 3 tab shingle. These shingles are made to look like three separate pieces have been installed, when it is actually just one shingle. You can also look into Architectural shingles, which are laminated. These are a multi-layered laminated shingle that does not give the effect of the 3 tab shingle. These shingles can be heavier and more durable, but can not be used with ease such as 3 tab, based on your roof.

Asphalt shingles now come in a variety of colors to fit any house. If you are not sure which shingle color to get, you might want to head to the shingle manufacturer and see if they have a virtual home remodeler. If you have a smart phone you might want to check out these house apps: Atlas Select Your Roof, or Tamko’s Shingle Styles for the ipad to help you get a better visual of what colors will look best on your house.

If you have questions, or want to know more about the shingles we use at Bell Roofing, please feel free to contact us anytime at: 404-874-7663. We are ready to come out and give you a free estimate, and help you build the roof of your dreams!