im lookin into getting a new roof and would like the low down on these crazy shingles.i hear dementional,archetichual,3 tab,25 year,30 year 50 year.what is the difference and what's making that 30 or 50 year one so much better?also in your opinion for shingles ..what would be the mack daddy roof to get?
3tab are the cheapest variety of shingles. You can easily tear them with your hands, break them by dropping them, etc.
Dimensional/architectural shingles are laminated multi layer shingles. They are much stronger then 3tab, but more costly.
As far as 30,40,50 year.. i would ignore the 50 year shingles and go with a 30 or 40 year. And i sure wouldn't use 3tabs.
Hellrazor gave you the 30 second speech which was very good. However, there are a couple of things I will add. Do not put all 3 tabs in the same catagory. Shingles are manufactured by weight. The heavier the shingle, the more it costs. For instance a wind shingle made for 125 mile an hour wind is a three tab, very thick, 5 bundles to a square (100 sq ft) and cost about $80.00 a square. Dimensional and Architecturial shingles are basically the same. Arch shingles are an abbrivation for Arch 80 asphalt shingles which is a brand name. Dimensional shingles are about the same shingle made by various shingle companies. Again the weight per square comes into effect. A 30 year shingle weights less then a 40 year shingle and so on. Basically, no shingle will last over 35 years no matter what they claim. So what shingles is best for you ? It comes down to what you personally like. I would recommand a 30 or 35 year dimensional shingle. Just got done putting new shingles on 8 buildings at my place. Two were dimensional, 4 were 50 year 3 tab (due to the wind) one was T-Locks, and one was metal. I chose the shingles to match the uniqueness of the buildings. Good Luck
Well you could put a metal roof on and be done with it .
ED
In MY opinion........
3-tabs are fine as a basic shingle, the least expensive available. If you use one of the major brands, you should expect to get their advertised 20 year life although other factors such as climate might affect them negatively. And the lighter colors seem to last longer, especially white.
If you want good looks as well as a mack daddy type performance, the dimensional/laminated/architechural lines are great. They run in cost anywhere from 50% more to 600% more for the shingles than 3-tabs, and the labor goes up as you progress from one to the next better version.
As for the warrantees...only time will tell, but I personally don't believe any asphalt shingle will last for 50 years or more. They might still be doing the basic job of shedding water, but I'm sure they will be cracked and deteriorated in other ways by then. I believe they can offer such extreme warrantees due to the fact that the average homeowner only lives in a particular house for 6-8 years {or whatever it is at the moment}, and so...even with a transferable warranty, the manufacturer will almost never have to deal with a 40-60 year old roof in which the shingles failed. This is not to slam the manufacturers, who make great products, just being realistic about how asphalt ages over the years.
Most people will go for a more expensive shingle because of looks, if they can afford to.
very good info given, however, i don't agree with the 50 year shingles wont last statement. they may look like crap after a while, but they will last longer then a 30 year arch. not sure which brands you have around you, i personally deal with certainteed and GAF for the main part.
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Doug Aleshire
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Sure would have been interesting to see what was deleted
from your post.
As I clearly stated, and state everytime I think I'm offering up an opinion, it is my OPINION that a 50 year shingle, and lifetime shingle, although possibly still shedding water, will be badly cracked as well as showing other signs of deterioration after about 30 years. I don't base this on anything I have against the manufacturers or installers or any other person or entity. It's based on years and years of oberving how asphalt degrades in the elements.
The bottom line is: Roofs are not soley determined to be
in good and/or in servicable condition because they are currently leak-free. EVERYONE from Roofers to Insurance adjusters, to Home inspectors to home owners have an idea of what consitutes a roof which needs replacing. It generally does not include shingled roofs which are badly cracked all over. I don't make the rules, I just have to fuction within the confines of what has come to be the generaly accepted
standards of the industry.
Lastly, when I'm dealing with homeowners, they get an honest asessment of what their roof is all about. Even with deterioration, the roof may very well provide additional years of service. When a house changes hands, the approach is much different. The prospectuve buyers want assurance that the roof meets some kind of standard. There's no point in placing oneself in the line of fire by stating: Awe don't worry about the cracking, these are 50 year shingles!!!!
Have already run accross MANY dimensional shingled roofs which are cracking badly after 10-15 years. Time will tell how these newer shingles turn out. Perhaps they've come up with a miracle asphalt which refuses to degrade.
post script..
Basically, most major brands are available...most everywhere in the states. Some color variations, some particular styles, may not be.
We ALL use the same stuff. Some just use it differently.
And, as PERMATEK and WOODRUF proved, many repeat, verbatum, the warranty claims attributed to the products.
Here, we ALWAYS qualify the claims with a bit of real world common sense. and, much of good roofing is all about common sense.
Tags: deal, shingles, will last, year shingle, year shingles, badly cracked, common sense, deal with, last longer, mack daddy
