Shingled roof life

Michael Soldan · May 30, 2023

I started this post to not derail another post about shingles. 20year or 30 year shingles ? Well I have done a lot of shingled roofs and I can tell you that shingles that turn up on the edges , crack and lose their grit are because the attic is not ventilated properly and the sun bakes them with the heat from direct rays and the heat underneath. The attic temperature should be the same as outside air. That means several roof vents installed and vented sofit to let air flow through into the attic and carry hot air out. I have a power vent on my house as well as several vents. My roof is 6 years old and looks like the day we put it down. If your venting is good then 20 or 30 years is quite possible. As for warranty , when the company comes to look and they see improper ventilating you are going to get zero.

dhermesc · May 30, 2023

Agreed. The other issue is color. The big thing anymore seems to be a black roof. The amount of HEAT a black rood absorbs is tremendous - it won't just cook an egg - it will fry an egg on a hot sunny day in July or August. Even with a well ventilated attic a black roof will age much faster than a light colored/white (Shasta White) roof. And with the hot layer of shingles the plywood underneath is aging fast too.

Michael Soldan · May 30, 2023

We've stripped roofs that had plywood underlay that shattered like soda biscuits , cooked from the heat. Yes light colored shingles are better than black.

Turkeyfoot · May 30, 2023

I just had my roof redone and added a bunch of new ventilation. I got the 30 year, impact-resistant, GAF shingles. I also had ridge vents installed on both different roof heights on ranch style house and added more soffit vents. They also added all new 6 gutters and gutter guards. The cost was $9.14 per square foot of roof. The gutter guards get installed tomorrow. I am very happy with the contractor, so far.

My old shingles didn't turn up on the edge but they had been shedding their grit for a few years and started leaking in one spot. My attic was VERY hot. Hopefully will be cooler up there now with the ridge vent and added soffit vents.

Geo-TH,In · May 30, 2023

If your shingles are curling, it's a no brainer, you don't have adequate ventilation.
I have eave vents, gable vents, roof vents and a power vent.

Absent Minded Farmer · May 30, 2023

The cheap three tabs that were put on the house when it was built lasted 30 years. The 40 year contours on this house now look rough already after 17. Venting is good & there is a good amount of shade on much of the roof throughout the hot part of the day.

One other thing that comes to mind, the shingles were miserable to trim. They felt dried out when we were putting them down.

The shingles on the barn roof by my aunt are about 70 years old & look to be in better shape. The unused ones squirreled away in the barn are in great shape. Still flexible & don't shed much.

And thanks for bringing up the roofing subject. I need to get up there & seal the gutters & check for issues. Might as well do it while there is no rain in the forecast for a while.

Mike

moresmoke · May 30, 2023

The cheap 3 tabs made 50 years ago are not the same as anything available today.

Stephen Newell · May 30, 2023

I've never been in an attic in summer that the temp was the same as outside vented or not. It's usually 20-30 degrees higher. The main reason shingles don't last like they used to is the green people have forced the manufacturers to alter their formula and remove what makes them last longer. I put on a roof last fall with the weather no hotter than 80 degrees and damaged the shingles just walking on them.

504 · May 30, 2023

Mine has been shedding since the day it was put on 20 years ago when the house was built.It is due for a reshingle. Just me but I have seen no advantage for a steel roof. One good 50 mph blast of wind it the roof is in the neighbor's yard.

MarkB_MI · May 31, 2023

In my experience, the single greatest cause of shingle failure is nailing too high on the shingle. Shingles come with specific instructions on where they're to be nailed, but roofers often ignore those instructions. It's faster to nail high on the shingle because you don't have to be careful. But this can result in nails missing the shingle below and blowing right through the top shingle.

Shingled roof life

Michael Soldan

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dhermesc

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Michael Soldan

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Turkeyfoot

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Geo-TH,In

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Absent Minded Farmer

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moresmoke

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Stephen Newell

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504

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MarkB_MI

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