Asphalt Roofing Shingles
Referring to asphalt roofing as “shingles,” however, is somewhat misleading. Although asphalt roofs have the appearance of being composed of row upon row of individual shingles, they are actually covered with sheets of one yard long which have notched to make them look as if they contained individual shingles.
The major factor accounting for the popularity of asphalt shingles in the United States is their reasonable price. Which are also marketed as either composition or fiberglass shingles, cost less than almost all other kinds of material. They are, in addition to being inexpensive, easy enough to install that a homeowner will some basic carpentry skills can do his or her own asphalt shingle installation!
Composition is also known as organic asphalt shingles, because they are made from wither wood or organic cellulose fiber dipped in asphalt and coated with ground minerals. Fiberglass, or inorganic, asphalt shingles have a base mat of synthetic fiberglass, also given an asphalt and ground mineral coat. Because both types of shingle receive the asphalt treatment, they are lumped together as asphalt shingles. The biggest advantage inorganic asphalt singles have over organic ones is that their fiberglass base mats increase their fire resistance ratings.
Metal Roofing Shingles
While asphalt shingles are far and away the best-selling residential materials in the United States, they are certainly not the only type of shingle roofing available to homeowners. While it may not sound terribly attractive, is now being manufactured to resemble wooden shakes without saddling homeowners with either the price tag or the fire hazard associated with natural wooden shakes.
The metals most commonly used in faux-wooden shakes aluminum, which is both very lightweight and rust-proof. These aluminum roofing shingles, however, will be more expensive than asphalt roofing shingles.
Metal roofing shingles of any kind, when installed correctly over the proper underlayment, can receive the highest class of fire resistance rating, an A-class. This feature makes metal roofing shingles very attractive to homeowners who live in areas of the Untied States where drought is common and wildfires are a serious concern.
Wood Roofing Shingles
Wooden roll roofing shingles and shakes are another attractive home roofing alternative which home-owning handymen can install with a bit of effort, but they are both far more expensive than asphalt shingles and far less fire-resistant than metal roofing shingles. Their biggest selling point is that they can be installed over existing asphalt shingles, saving the costs of shingle removal and disposal. Wood roofing shingles and shakes are great for adding natural rustic looks to homes.
