How Long Do Asphalt Roof Shingles Last?
Installing a new roof? Using Roof Shingles?
Looking for another roofing material for your roof replacement?
Then maybe you should consider one of America’s most widely-used roofing material: Asphalt shingles. Asphalt shingles have been dominating the roofing industry in the United States for decades. Not only is this material readily available and easy to acquire, but it is also one of the most cost-effective materials that you can find in the market.
Despite being commonly available and being widely manufactured, asphalt shingles do have a limited lifespan. Of course, there’s no such thing as a roofing material that will last forever, but asphalt shingles have a relatively short lifespan than other types of roofing materials. In this article, we’ll be crunching in numbers on the expected life expectancy of asphalt shingles and what we can do to improve it.
But before we get into what is the average life expectancy of asphalt shingles, we’ll need to look into why we should be using asphalt shingles.
Roof Shingle Lifespan and Extending It
One of the best ways of extending the lifespan of your roof is simply inspecting it regularly. Despite being resistant to rain, snow, and even strong winds, roofing shingles are still vulnerable to impacts and even people treading on your roof. With this in mind, doing regular maintenance and inspections on your roof can significantly extend its lifespan.
However, if you do see that your roof has some permanent damage done to it and most are irreversible, then a roof replacement is recommended. If you’re not sure on what type of damages that you should be looking out for, then you can always have your roofing specialist inspect your roof for you.
Average Expected Lifespan
Asphalt shingles come in different styles. One of the most common and the cheapest known asphalt shingles are 3-tab shingles. Normally, this type of shingles will last you around 20 years. Higher quality materials will obviously lead to a longer lifespan. In this case, premium and dimensional shingles will last you around 30 – 35 years.
Most homeowners tend to look at the cost of roofing materials first before they do look at the lifespan. However, contractors will tell you that purchasing quality asphalt shingles is the best way of saving money since you won’t have to pay much for maintenance and repair. In more extreme cases, you won’t have to spend thousands of dollars on roof replacements.
Possible Alternatives
No sweat, if you’re not comfortable with asphalt shingles, there are lots to choose from. Roofing materials like architectural shingles, premium shingles, metal shingles, and even wooden shingles are readily available in the market.
Architectural Roof Shingles
Architectural shingles, sometimes called dimensional shingles, are a step above your basic asphalt shingles. These types of shingles have a three-dimensional design which makes it seemingly ‘pop out’ of your roof. As the name suggests, this is a good way of increasing the aesthetic and monetary value of your home.
Luxury Roof Shingles
This is one of the fancier materials that you find in the market. Although this type of roofing material is a bit rare and might take some time to acquire, it has an expected lifespan of 30 – 40 years. These shingles generally have a thicker body which makes them ideal for colder weather as there’s more insulation.
Metal Roof Shingles
This type of shingles is one of the more expensive shingles that you can find in the market. Just like luxury shingles, this will take a bit of time to acquire. If you’re living in areas that are quite prone to high winds and horizontally-propelled winds, having metal shingles can ensure that your roof won’t be flying off. Just like most metal roofing, this type of shingles can last you 40 – 50 years on calmer weather conditions
Cedar Roof Shingles
For centuries, wooden shingles have been a mainstay for colonial homes and buildings. Cedar shingles tend to have a moderate lifespan. This is one of the better materials to be used in cold climates since it can easily insulate your home from penetrative cold temperatures. Be sure that you’re not living in close proximity with other houses since wooden shingles tend to catch fire easily compared to natural stone tiles and metal roofing.
Ultimately, asphalt shingles can hold its ground against harsh weather and have a fairly good lifespan for a cheap price. However, you need to also be aware of the different disadvantages that these have. Regular inspections and maintenance will surely extend the lifespan of your roofing Ball Ground GA.