Why Asphalt Shingles Fail
If your home has asphalt shingles and it is time to put a new roof on your home, read the following information and learn why you should not use asphalt shingles again. Don't make the same mistake twice! With Rustic Shingles, you will never have to put a new roof on your home again!
When an asphalt roof needs replacing in 20 years, the cost will be appreciably more. On average, asphalt prices have gone up 19% per year (from a study by Kathleen D. Computer, President of KDR Engineering).
Assuming this trend continues, the re-roof using asphalt shingles costing about $6,700 today will cost the homeowner $33,750 when the asphalt shingles wear out in 20 years and it is time to reroof yet again!
The following is posted on the the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association’s own website, which gives some of the problems with asphalt roofing: "Sooner or later, every roof needs to be replaced, usually due to the long-term effects of weathering. If a residential roof is more than 20 years old, it is a prime candidate for re roofing."
“The life span of asphalt shingles depends highly upon the environment.” - www.roofhelp.com
“Higher thermal load (hotter climates) means shorter life.” - ("Asphalt Shingle Performance," Carl Cash, P.E., Construction Business and Technology Conference, Providence Rhode Island, 2/28/97.)
“In southern climates, such as Florida, it is not unusual for asphalt shingles to fail in 12 to 14 years.” - www.usinspect.com
“Another way water damages is the freeze-thaw cycle. In the cold months, water will get into the cracks and then freeze at night. Water expands as it freezes so the more this occurs, the bigger the cracks or splits become. And, each time it rains or snow, small amounts of the stones, which are supposed to provide thermal protection for your home, are washed right off the roof. Over time, your roof loses all its thermal protection from the wash-off of the stones." - Kim Lovejoy, New York Landmarks Conservancy
“Weathering from rain and sunlight gradually causes granules to erode and edges to curl, indicating that the material is reaching the end of its service life.” - Kim Lovejoy, New York Landmarks Conservancy
“Asphalt shingles, especially those that are old, thin, or poorly attached, are susceptible to damage from winds.” - Kim Lovejoy, New York Landmarks Conservancy
“Some homeowners are reluctant to install as new roofing the same product which failed early in the first place. Manufacturers might have changed the formulation of the product to improve durability, but they are understandably reluctant to say so, out of concern for increasing product liability. Without assurance from the manufacturer that a product which failed early has been modified to correct the problem, we advise our clients to consider using alternative products with design and performance expectations having a better track record.” - Dan Friedman, American Home Service
A typical dark asphalt roof will get as hot as 180 degrees according to Paul Berdahl of the Berkeley National Laboratory at the University of California. Conventional black asphalt shingles absorb 95% of the sun’s heat, which makes your home hotter and increases your energy costs.
"Re roofing. over old shingles will also reduce the life of shingles by many years. The added thickness acts like insulation causes added thermal shock. Thermal shock is when the shingle heats up quickly from the sun causing it to expand fast, causing added stress on the shingle fabric." - Stephen Decatur, Old House Chronicle