Guide to Asphalt Shingles Roofing – Costs, Pros & Cons

When it comes to the different types of shingles, you have a ton of options to consider. More than anything though, you want an option that will give you the best quality and bang for the buck. However, you need to know that all asphalt shingles for roofing vary. We’re going to show you a few costs, as well as pros and cons in this guide so you can understand how to choose the best asphalt shingle for your home.

What are Asphalt Shingles?

Asphalt shingles from Main Street are actually made of composite layering of fiberglass, asphalt, and mineral grains (usually made of gravel granules that are coated with ceramic to protect your roof against UV damage). After that, there are strips of raw asphalt that gets covered by the following shingle layer.

Some Asphalt Shingle Types

Here are some of the more common types of shingles out there on the market:

1. Three-tab Shingles or Strip Shingles (also called 3-tabs)
   These are usually pretty light and literally what they’re called: 3-tab flat. It’s actually a large single piece that has notches that make them look like three separate shingles. They’re one of the more popular types of shingles out there.

Pros:
They’re flat, and they’re extremely light. You can save money on a budget and still get plenty of coverage for your whole roof.

Cons:
The biggest downside to these, is that because they’re more lightweight, they aren’t designed for heavy wind uplifts, such as high hurricane or tornado activity areas. Not only this, but they don’t act as long, and they normally cost anywhere from $55-$95 (not bad per square)

1. Architectural Shingles
   Dimensional shingles come in various forms. No matter whether you hear the term architectural or laminate, they’re the same thing – the only difference being the new (architectural) or old way of describing them. They’re made with a thicker base layer of fiberglass and usually you have more pronounced notches for each shingle piece.

Pros:
They may cost more, but many people choose these because they look better, and have more resistance to the elements.

Cons:
The downside is that roofs with a lower slope actually make them easier to uplift. If you have a low slope, you may want to opt for a metal roof instead of using shingles.

Cost: $80-$125

1. Luxury Shingles
   Luxury shingles have gained popularity in today’s age, and while they’re ten times as thick and durable, they also have been known to cost more. Some of these have actually been able to replicate the look and feel of slate rock and wood roofing.

Pros:
They’re as good, if not a little bit better than architectural shingles (they actually are, just with more style and classier options).

Cons:
You’re paying more for the appearance of the shingle compared to the actual quality. Therefore, expect to pay a pretty penny for them.

Cost: $120-$180.

Conclusion

Whether you’re choosing standard shingles, or the more luxury premium shingles, you want to make sure the quality you get is good and what you need according to your climate zone. When it comes to roofing, you don’t want to end up spending more than you have to, or need to do repairs too often, but in most cases you can opt for standard shingles to get the job done right (or architectural shingles in this case, since it’s the most commonly used shingle type).

To read more on topics like this, check out the house category.