Asphalt roofing products are the nations most popular choice for roofing residential, commercial, industrial and institutional buildings. In broad terms, asphalt roofing products are categorized by their RESIDENTIAL or COMMERCIAL applications, which are generally discussed here. A basic GLOSSARY of roofing terms follows.
Overview
Roofs have always been a necessary part of any building design. Before the advent of modern technology, roofing selection was dictated by what materials were readily available and practical for use in a given climate. As architecture and technology advanced, new building materials were introduced, bringing a broad range of new roofing designs and materials to the marketplace. Since the turn of the century, asphalt roofing products have set the standard for residential and commercial buildings.
Asphalt, a petroleum byproduct, was first discovered about 5,000 years ago. For centuries, man had found asphalt to be an excellent natural preservative, as well as an outstanding waterproofing and adhesive agent. But asphalt's unique ability to provide roof protection was not discovered until relatively modern times. Ongoing research and development over the past century has resulted in the ability to efficiently derive asphalt from crude oil refining, and to modify it in a number of ways for use as the primary protective element in today's roofing products.
Asphalt roofing products are classified into four broad groups: shingles, residential roll roofing, built-up roofing and modified bitumen membranes. With these products, the asphalt roofing industry is able to meet the ever-expanding needs of both residential and commercial roofing customers.
Asphalt Shingles and Residential Buildings
Asphalt shingles, which are primarily used on residential homes, are one of the most widely used roofing materials today. Nearly 12.5 billion square feet of various asphalt shingle products are manufactured annually...enough to cover more than 5 million homes every year. Asphalt shingles are the leading choice for residential roofing because they provide quality, durability and versatility at an economical price.
Asphalt shingles offer consumers the broadest array of colors, shapes, and textures available. With an expansive range of styles, asphalt shingles can match most types of architectural designs and achieve virtually any desired aesthetic effect affordably. Today approximately four out of every five homes are roofed with asphalt shingles.
Major benefits of asphalt roofing products include:
Product performance; asphalt shingles are good performers in extreme temperatures, and in areas where wind, water and ice are of particular concern.
Affordability; efficient, high-volume production and the relatively low application cost of asphalt shingles provide consumers with an overall value that is difficult for competing roofing materials to match, especially in terms of comparable life expectancy.
Low Maintenance; asphalt shingle roofs, when properly chosen and applied, require little or no regular upkeep, and are easily repaired if damaged.
Ease of Application; asphalt shingles are considered to be the easiest of all standard roofing materials to apply. In addition, the flexibility and strength of asphalt shingles supports their application on a wide variety of roof designs.
Fire & Wind Resistance; asphalt shingles are manufactured to resist external fire and flammability standards, and carry Class A, B or C fire ratings, with Class A providing the highest fire resistance. These class fire ratings are defined by nationally recognized standards and tested by independent testing agencies. In addition, many asphalt shingles carrying a wind resistance label indicated they have been manufactured and tested to demonstrate acceptable resistance in high-wind locations.
How Asphalt Shingles Are Made
Asphalt shingles are categorized as either organic based or fiberglass based. Organic-based asphalt shingles are manufactured with a base (also termed mat or substrate) made of various cellulose fibers, such as recycled waste paper and wood fibers. This organic base is then saturated with a specially-formulated asphalt coating and surfaced with weather resistant mineral granules. Fiberglass-based asphalt shingles are manufactured with mat composed entirely of glass fibers of varying lengths and orientations. This fiberglass base is then surfaced with a specially-formulated asphalt coating, followed by weather-resistant mineral granules.
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