This article was originally published on Architecture Lab’s blog and has been republished here with permission.

Once the sole domain of upscale houses, laminated shingles are fast coming into the American home market and are now being used in the roofing of most houses in pan America.

The roofs of most new houses are built with them, whereas plenty of homeowners are considering upgrading their roofs to these new shingles.

Touted as an upgrade from the traditional 3-tile shingle roofing, these shingles are fast gaining traction as a popular and viable alternative which is more aesthetic, more durable and provides better value for money in the long run.

What Are Laminated Shingles?

Laminated shingles are one of the most popular and effective choices of shingling for a roof. These shingles are made out of several layers of fiberglass that are dipped in asphalt and are then coated with fire-resistant granules.

They are also known as dimensional and architectural shingles to differentiate them from traditional 3-tile shingles. Let’s talk more about the differences in the next section.

How Are They Different From Traditional 3-Tab shingles?

Traditional shingles are made in the 3-tab fashion. All the tiles are of the same shape and size, and they are placed one after another in a row. It creates the brick-wall like structure you find on the roofs of most houses which were built some time back.

These type of shingles called 3-Tab because three tiles (two below and one above) form one unit of the pattern and this unit keeps getting repeated all over the roof. The texture is flat, and it has no dimensional thickness

Laminated shingles, on the other hand, are single unit shingles. Every single shingle (trying saying that 5 times in a row) has a different shape and size. The uniformity that used to be present in 3-tab shingles is just not there in laminated architectural shingles. This allows you to make different designs and patterns on your roof and is also great for hiding any flaws in your roof.

When it comes to construction, laminated shingles generally use multiple layers of fiberglass and have a much stronger base than a 3-tab shingle. Piling on layer after layer of asphalt on top of each other also makes it that much stronger. Some laminated shingles also use a more refined type of asphalt. They look and feel a lot heavier and thicker than 3-tab shingles.

Short History Of How Laminate Shingles Came Into Being

Laminate shingles were first developed in the early 1970s to serve the higher-end home market.

Homeowners wanted an asphalt product which looked good and had the aesthetic appeal of shingles made out of cedar, slate or tile. But they also wanted to have the structural integrity and performance provided by asphalt.

It was then that engineers figured out that by utilizing a layered construction method, laminate shingles can be made to have a texture similar to what the homeowners wanted, all the while ensuring the durability of asphalt.

It does, however, require a skilled hand to install these shingles. Roofing contractors in Portland do a great job of installing these roofings. And we also have a whole host of roofing options available, so you can find the one which best suits your tastes.

What Are The Benefits Of Laminates Shingles?

Architectural shingles is the new kid on the block, and it is revolutionizing the way we work with roofing. They have several advantages which rate them far higher than other types of roofing available in the market today. Let’s take an in-depth look at those benefits.

• Improved Design And Customization

The design of these shingles allows for a much more multidimensional design. You can add multiple layers of roofing, and also customize it in a way to make your house stand out among the rest. Someone driving down the road is bound to take notice of how good your roof looks.

Most interior decorators swear by laminated shingles, simply because of the freedom it provides them in creating a look for your house. These shingles can also be used to imitate slate or cedar roofing even without buying original slate roofing.

No matter if you’re trying to build a new house or doll up an old house to resell it on the market, laminated shingles always make for a more attractive option.

• Durability

We all know how big of a chore it is to get your roof shingles repaired. You have to get up on a ladder, climb up there and then risk your life and limb to fix it.

And it’s not a process you can delay, because every day you delay it, rain, and snow can wreak havoc on your house, not to mention birds and small animals coming in and getting stuck.

Because of the several layers of asphalt and the superior quality of it, these shingles will last you a good long time. Laminated shingles do a much better job of holding up to inclement weather conditions, like strong winds and continued sunlight. Most shingles can endure wind speeds of up to 110 mph.

They will not blow away nor will they crackle under the extreme heat. Even if a tree or branches fall on the roof, the shingles will not break.

They are also entirely fireproof. The constituent components ensure that these tiles never catch fire. They are also resistant to algae or mold.

• Long Warranty

Because of their durability, most architectural shingles have Long Term Cost Effectiveness

Although architectural shingles are a more significant investment up front, it will prove to be a lot cheaper over the long run. The initial cost of a laminate shingle will be about 20% more than a 3-tab shingle, but this investment will pay back many times that in the long run. The added durability ensures you don’t have to replace them or call in professionals to repair your roof tiles. They stay as strong and sturdy as the day you got them installed.

Also, if you put in laminated shingles, an appraisal of your house will be much higher, if you ever want to sell your home. Choosing quality over affordability will always pay off in the long run.

Final Words

In conclusion, regardless of your roof type, laminated shillings not only look better than traditional shingles but are far more durable and provide much better value for money in the long run.

Thus in almost all cases, where a house has a slanted roof, we would suggest you consider laminated shingles.e warranties which last 30 to 50 years.

This warranty ensures your shingles get replaced if there’s a natural calamity or if there’s ever any manufacturing defect.

Cover photo © Unsplash

This article was originally published on Architecture Lab’s blog and has been republished here with permission.