Composition (or composite) roofing. Benefits and comparison with other roofing materials.

Last Updated on: 8th March 2023, 09:19 am

A popular choice for commercial and residential roofing, composition shingles, is designed with a fiberglass reinforcing mat that’s coated with asphalt and then embedded with ceramic granules.

Composition roofing is one of the most affordable roofing options available, and each shingle is easy to replace, making repair and maintenance a breeze.

Compare that to the potential 20-year lifespan of traditional asphalt roofing, and it’s easy to see the value of this style of roofing. Besides their affordability and durability, composition shingles shield your structure from harmful UV rays, helping cut down on energy costs. They provide a level of fire resistance and help prevent the growth of mold, algae, and fungus, which can otherwise wreak havoc on your roofing.

What are some of the benefits of composition roofing?

If you decide on composition shingles, you’ll enjoy these benefits of composition roofing:

• Aesthetic appeal of traditional shingled roofs with enhanced durability (30-50 years).
• Offered in an array of colors, shapes, and sizes to complement your unique home.
• Sustainable and environmentally sound, made mostly of reclaimed materials.
• Composition roofing resists moss and algae growth.
• Composition roofing shingles also resist sun damage.
• They are cost-effective.
• Some roofing companies offer composite shingles with a high percentage of recycled materials and other eco-friendly benefits.
• Composite shingles can imitate the look of cedar shakes and shingles, tile, slate, and other roofing options.
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Are you looking to have composition roofing done?

Composition roofing, or composite roofing, combines common roofing materials to create a somewhat superior shingle. Many of the asphalt shingles installed now are composite roofing.

Roofing producers created composite roofing materials due to the ban on using asbestos fibers, which had previously been found in most asphalt shingles. Composition roofs have taken out the asbestos fibers and added other materials to create a durable and robust shingle.

In the center of the shingle is a mat made of fiberglass, which makes composite shingles fire resistant. Many companies offer composite shingles with other benefits, such as mold resistance or a high percentage of recycled material within the shingle.

Price of the composite roofing shingles

Composite shingles are some of the cheapest shingles on the market right now. Roofing is one of the most expensive home improvement jobs you’ll undertake, so it’s no wonder that so many roofs are now made of composite shingles.

These shingles allow you to save money and still get a good quality roof. Composition shingles are a roofing material that can resist fire and further damage.

Composite roofing shingles are potentially very environmentally friendly if you pick one made from the right materials.

If you take a look around any neighborhood in America, you’ll primarily see composition roofs. There are positives and negatives to composition roofing, but first, let’s look at the different shingles types.

Compared to the flat look of the 3-tab shingle, many homeowners prefer the look of the dimensional shingle. Due to the upgraded look, most homeowners choose to upgrade to a laminate shingle when they replace their roof.

Premium shingles can be up to twice as thick as the 3-tab shingle, increasing their wind resistance, hail resistance, and overall lifespan. These shingles’ primary added cost is material cost Class 4 shingles are the highest rated hail resistant shingles.

GAF, the nation’s largest shingle manufacturer, only carries three types of Class 4 shingles. The shingles have Class 4 rated ridge caps to accompany the shingles.

There is no difference between installing regular shingles and Class 4 shingles as long as you use a reputable roofing contractor.

Composition roof price compared to metal roofing.

Composition roofs are much less expensive than metal roofs. Although the benefits of metal roofs outweigh the benefits of composition roofs, you cannot beat a shingle roof’s short-term costs.

Shingle roofs are relatively easy to install because of installing from the left or the right. Unlike metal roofs that have interlocking pieces or overlapped panels, shingle roofs are easily repaired. One downside to fiberglass shingles is they tend to attract algae, making them not only look dirty, but the formed algae build-up can cause the shingles to lose some of their heat-resisting properties.

Due to the shingles’ expansion and contraction throughout the years, the granules can fall off, leaving the exposed fiberglass mat. Excess heat causes the granules to fall off the shingles, and the exposed fiberglass mat starts to deteriorate. Insurance companies are adding endorsements to policies, forcing homeowners to pay for their roofs out of pocket.

Synthetic felt is used on the majority of roofing installations.

Drip Edge is a trim piece installed on the roof’s perimeter to allow water to drain and drip off. Pro-Start is installed along the roof perimeter underneath the first shingle. The adhesive on the shingle helps all of the shingles on the edges to stick to the roof. It is used down the valleys and around holes in the roof, such as pipes or vents.

Asphalt shingle roofing is a dominant material for residences. There are metal shingles and panels that imitate materials like slate, tile, wood shake, and even asphalt.

What are the Pros and Cons of composite roofing material?

Some homeowners prefer to use composition roofing. As the name suggests, this type of roofing incorporates different roofing materials rather than just one. This type of roofing is made up of asphalt shingles, wooden shakes, laminated shingles, etc.

Although not necessarily a benefit nor a disadvantage, having lighter materials on your roof will put less stress on your roof’s supporting structure.

Just like every roofing material in the market, there are disadvantages of using composition roofing. If your metal shingles hat expands faster than your wooden shingles, this can lead to some complicated problems.

Even if you’re mixing in wooden shingles with metal roofing materials, there will still be a good chance that fire will spread towards the nearby wooden shingles. Unless you have decades of experience with roofing and quite knowledgeable on how each roofing materials work, it’s best to leave the planning for roofing materials to professionals.

How about comparing composite roofing and an authentic slate?

Compared to actual slate roofing, composite roofing is much cheaper. Composite roofing materials look good on any house, and they come in a wide variety of colors. Composite roofs are made to resist both, saving you a hassle later on down the line. If any of these factors appeal to you, keep them in mind when considering which roofing material fits your home.

The advantages of a shingle roof are clear. Still, you want to choose the best asphalt shingles for your roof from your many options. More residential customers have some form of metal roofing installed on their homes, with the perceived advantages of metal roofing systems being longer-lasting and more robust than traditional asphalt shingles.

However, when it decides on roofing to have, asphalt roofing shingles are a great idea.

The composition of asphalt roofing shingles in a complete roofing system offers sound protection from external noise. Asphalt shingles can be significantly quieter than metal roofs, depending on the design, and much quieter with large downpours and hail.

In many cases, a synthetic roof can withstand winds of up to 110 mph.

When choosing the material from which a building’s roof will be constructed, you have plenty of options. If you haven’t considered composite or synthetic roofing materials, take a look at the following benefits, which make them a contender for your next roofing project.

Synthetic or composite roofing materials are stronger and longer-lasting than their all-natural counterparts because they’re specifically engineered to outlast cedar and possibly slate and other roofing materials. For instance, a Class A fire rating is achievable with a synthetic shake roof, which makes this material excellent for several building projects, including those related to historic preservation.

Although not all roofs will achieve this highest degree of fire resistance, it is often more plausible with a synthetic or composite roofing system. It is not unreasonable to seek out synthetic roof composite materials with a Class 4 impact resistance qualification.

This top-of-the-class measurement is attainable by several synthetic and composite roof manufacturers. Fade-Resistance Fading is a known problem with many roofing materials. Over time, exposure to the sun can cause a once-pristine roof to look old and unkempt.

Authentic materials such as slate have been used as roofing materials for centuries, but natural items tend to come with reasonably hefty price tags.

Eco-Friendly Synthetic roofs, whether beginning as recycled materials or not, are usually recyclable when their useful life is over.

Polyurethane roofing material?

Many roofing products feature a Class A Fire Rating, but you must use an underlayment system to achieve the Class A Fire Rating. This roofing material is extremely lightweight and durable, with the added benefit of incorporating a fire retardant into the manufacturing process. In a fire, flames spread from roof to roof, with embers being a significant cause of traveling fire damage.

Traditional roofing materials found on aged properties no longer meet modern safety or building codes.

A polyurethane roofing material is a super dense, super-hardened, highly durable, and extremely lightweight foam-based material. The development and manufacturing process allows engineers high-performance roofing shakes that look like natural wood without the inherent fire risk.

Composition roofing warranties

Warranties for composition roofing systems are often between 20 and 50 years. Because composition shingles are incredibly durable and resistant to fading, mold, moss, and stains, they require very little to no maintenance.