Of all the choices for efficient and durable roofing material available today, asphalt shingles remains a popular favorite, and for many reasons. Throughout the country, asphalt shingles are common in most climates, available in many different varieties, and when installed by an experienced commercial and residential roofing contractor, they provide great service for many years. Asphalt offers homeowners many benefits - like energy efficiency and high durability. Yet an asphalt shingle roof must be installed correctly by the roofing company in order for it to perform best, or lose many of these benefits, and end up with the homeowner having to hire the services of the best residential roof repair company.

Asphalt Shingle Types

Today, experienced commercial and residential roofing contractors assert there are two types of asphalt shingles - strip shingles and laminated shingles. Strip shingles are more flat, have a uniform 3-tab design, and come together to create a very tidy, uniform look on a roof. They are the most common type of shingle used. Laminated shingles are thicker and less uniform, with the strips coming together to create a more varied look that somewhat resembles slate or wood shingles.

Removing Old Shingles

When re-roofing, the first step in any good shingle installation, is tearing off of the old shingles. A qualified roofing company should do this from the top of the roof slope down by using a shingle remover that gets under the shingles and pulls out the tacks. Roofers typically remove the old materials in sections, then put on new underlayment over that section before moving on. This is done so there is much less of a chance leaving a roof exposed should bad weather hit.

Applying New Underlayment

After removal, the next step experienced commercial and residential roofing contractors use to create a watertight, long lasting asphalt roof is new underlayment. Underlayment is a weatherproof, sometimes waterproof protective barrier that goes under shingles and directly on the decking, creating the middle roofing layer to protect and insulate. It is made of a variety of materials - including fiberglass-reinforced asphalt felt, synthetic underlayment, or self-adhering underlayment made of rubber, rubberized asphalt or acrylic. Self-adhering underlayment is the best type. Because it is more costly, this peel-and-stick membrane, which molds to areas and is also “self healing” when perforated, is typically only used in hard to seal areas such as around windows and doors, metal flashing, and other places where getting a good seal is difficult. Proper installation of any underlayment includes the use of a drip edge, which protects the edge of the material from absorbing water and becoming saturated under the shingles.

Installing New Asphalt Shingles

When applying the new shingles, the roofing company will do this starting at the bottom of the roof, then moving upward. Because roofs are rarely the same length as any multiple of shingles, roofers do what is called an alignment. This is done to find the easiest, and least obstructive places to blend in partial shingles to accommodate for differences in roof length.

Shingles are applied offset so they lay correctly for water-tightness, while also giving the right offset, visual effect. For the best application, and the least chance of leaks or shingles being blown off, requiring repair by a good residential roofing repair company, shingles are stuck down first with the included adhesive, and then nailed six times, just forward of the adhesive strips. Nailing patterns on the roofing differ depending on whether using strip or laminated shingles, but the right method ensures the shingles will lay flat, and prevents them from blowing off.

If the time has come for a new roof, homeowners have many options in size, color, durability and more in asphalt shingles. Today’s roofing products are better and more economical than ever. To ensure the best job, and that shingles last as long as they should without suffering any premature damage, be sure to work with a good residential roofing and repair company, who will do a thorough job and knows the proper way to accomplish all the steps referenced above!

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