Shingle Durability

LIFESPAN OF CONVENTIONAL FIBERGLASS SHINGLES

It's important to understand that all roofs wear unevenly and the determination of "failed" (or "failing") roofing
is ALWAYS based on the worst, or weakest, protions of roofing - never the strongest.  It does not matter
if the north-side of a roof is in relatively good condition when shingles on the south-side have already failed.

Prospective buyers expect the (worst areas of) roofing too be able to pass a 5 Year Certification Inspection.
When roofs "fail" this Re-Sale Inspection, the replacement of roofing - or payment of a roofing "allowance"
is normally required in order to sell the home.  Therefore, determination of the Re-Sale Window of shingles
is always related to the condition of the worst area of roofing - even when the worst sections of the roof
are only a small percentage of the entire installation.

             Paying $10,000 to re-roof with asphalt shingles today may just be your initial down payment
       When it requires replacement costs of $20,000 (with inflation) to Re-Sell the home in only 15 years.
  It may be very little consolation to receive a warranty claim of $2,400 (12%) from an asphalt manufacturer.

This is the problem of intentionally marketing roofing products with "Inflated" warranty periods.  Whenever
manufacturers provide warranties of 30, 40 and 50 years in order to "sell" asphalt shingles with a history of
premature failures - innocent families will suffer financial loss.

Asphalt manufacturers can simply add the cost of projected claim payments to the initial product pricing
to offset all the claims associated with expected premature failures.  This strategy allows the use of "Inflated"
warranty periods (to increase market share) while still maintaining their desired profit margins.

Consumers should NOT BE SHOCKED by the idea that asphalt manufacturers (and asphalt roofers) are
currently selling shingles with a history of premature failures - selling shingles they expect to be defective.
Asphalt manufacturers and asphalt roofers have been selling defective shingles for a very long time.  The
sales of defective asphalt shingles has been widespread and pervasive - over a period of almost 30 years.

And consumers SHOULD NEVER EXPECT asphalt manufacturers, or asphalt roofers, to actually disclose
information on the history of premature failure (or the claims history) for shingles they are currently selling...
they could not sell defective shingles for the last 30 years by disclosing the actual history of premature failure
or the documented history of claims payments.

There is always an adversarial relationship between consumers and sellers (both manufacturers and roofers)
because their financial interests are diametrically opposed.  Do not EVER expect sellers of roofing to provide
full disclosure about the history of premature failures - or the documented claims payments for shingles that
they are currently selling.

     ASPHALT DURABILITY OF 5 TO 10 YEARS

     Asphalt shingle manufacturers are notorious for not honoring their warranties,
     they always have an excuse, and people do not file suit due to high legal costs... Our area,
     near Chicago... We are tearing off more and more of the so-called "40 year" asphalt shingles that
     are from 8 to 11 years old.  If the homeowner is concerned with how the roof looks (and not just
     being weather tight) they are usually unhappy at the 6 to 10 year point.   [1]

     ASPHALT DURABILITY OF 10 TO 15 YEARS

     Most homeowners are lulled into thinking that, if a 30-year roof shingle is installed on their home
     (as stated by the roof manufacturer), then that roof will last the suggested life expectancy.
     Not so!  Most roofs fail in 10 to 15 years.  Very few roofs last past 15 years!   [2]

     We have found that most of our asphalt shingle re-roofing in the Seattle area
     is replacement of fiberglass shingles that are only 10 years to 15 years old and that
     very few fiberglass shingles have lasted past 15 years.  Shingles reaching that age
     tend to look pretty nasty and often could not pass a Re-Sale inspection.   [3]

     Today's asphalt shingles are not the asphalt shingles of 30 years ago.
     Today, asphalt shingles are only 10 to 30 percent asphalt by weight - and less asphalt
     means poorer performance... Today's asphalt shingles are so susceptible to damage from heat,
     cold, thermo-shock, algae and mold that asphalt roofs today most often last only 10 - 15 years.
     By that time a good deal of the shingle has washed into the rain gutters.   [4]

     Most of us have been programmed into thinking that asphalt roofing is the only real option
     since its inexpensive and gets the job done, at least in the shor term.  You get what you pay for...
     the problem is asphalt doesn't hold up to the requirements that most homeowners have...
     Asphalt usually protects your home for about 10 - 15 years...   [5]

     In Florida, an asphalt roof will last approximately 10 to 15 years,
     so use that as a guideline.  If you plan on another asphalt shingle roof,
     you should expect to replace it again in 10 to 15 years.   [6]

     ASPHALT DURABILITY OF 15 TO 20 YEARS

     Asphalt roof coverings havre a typical statistical life expectancy from fifteen to twenty years.
     Beware of those saying that life expectancy of asphalt roofs are longer than 25 years.
     You would be hard pressed to locate a roof still in useful condition that is
     more than twenty years old.   [7]

     In fact, its layered construction allowed manufacturers to use a much thinner layer of asphalt,
     which resulted in a baseline 30-year laminated shingle that had a realistic life expectancy
     that was less than the 20-year and 25-year organich shingles they were designed to replace.
     Realistic life expecctancy... 15 - 20 years.   [8]

     According to the asphalt roofing industry, the average shingle roof lasts 17 - 19 years.
     The actual lifetime is dramatically lower than this in hot climates and extreme weather situations.
     Unfortunately, the warranties on these products do not cover natural wear and tear from weather.
     Damage resulting from high winds, hail, rain and extreme temperatures are also not covered.   [9]

     You can expect a metal roof to last at leat 2 to 3 times longer than a regular roof.  In general terms,
     count on a metal roof lasting 40 to 60 years and beyond.  To put it in context, the average life span of
     an asphalt roof is 12 to 20 years.  That lifespan can be shorter depending on the pitch of your roof and
     the climate in your area... asphalt begins to deteriorate as soon as you expose it to normal weather.  [10]

     When buyers are considering a home, they're always concerned about the condition of the roof...
     With metal, they know they won't need to do anything to it for at least 50 years.  With an asphalt roof
     they'll need to replace it within 15 to 20 years.   [11]

     Asphalt can require re-roofing every 12 to 20 years, with the average age of roofing in the U.S.
     being only 17 years.  That's because asphalt roofing, being made of oil impregnated paper or fiberglass
     begins to deteriorate as soon as you put it on your roof.   [12]

     ASPHALT DURABILITY OF 20 YEARS?

     A recent study for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) determined that the average
     life span for asphalt shingles is only 20 years.  [13]

     Even the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA) recommends the replacement of (their)
     asphalt shingles every 20 years.   [14]

Homeowners can be excused for considering an idea as ridiculous as 30, 40 or 50 year asphalt shingles...
they are unsuspecting consumers, not roofing experts.  But what about roofing contractors?  What about
asphalt manufacturers?  Can they ever be excused for using deception to sell defetive products?

It's very easy to "sell" inexperienced and unsuspecting consumers the idea of a long-term lifespan for asphalt,
when the only examples shown are less than 10 years old.  It's something altogether different when buyers
have the opportunity to acually see the condition of a 20 year fiberglass installation.

Fiberglass shingles have been on the market for over 30 years.  Even "luxury" shingles like Presidential Shake
has been produced over 23 years.  If a manufacturer or roofing contractor is unwilling (or unable) to let you
see what you can expect your roof to look like in 15 or 20 years... maybe you should look for a different
roofing material.
_________________________________________________________________________________

  [1]  'Roofing - CertainTeed Shingles', en.allexperts.com
  [2]  'What's in a roof Shingle Warranty', inspectionconcepts.com
  [3]  'Fiberglass Shingle Durability', seattleroofbroker.com
  [4]  'Problems with Today's Asphalt', chandlermetalroofing.com
  [5]  'Compare Roofs', metalroosunlimited.com
  [6]  'Residential Roof Replacement', solarshieldroofing.com
  [7]  'Asphalt Roof Coverings', looksmarthomeinspections.com
  [8]  'Composition', larryoweseverythingtojim.com
  [9]  'Homeowners Guide to Roofing', classicroofing.com
[10]  'Frequently Asked Questions', metalroofing.com
[11]  'Excellent roofing', excellentroofinghomeimprovements.com
[12]  'Benefits of a Metal Roof', metalshingle.com
[13]  'Study of Life Expectancy', National Association of Home Builders
[14]  'All About Roofing', asphaltroofing.org
_________________________________________________________________________________