We look at them every day, but very rarely do we stop to ask ourselves what is it that makes up our roofs. Many parts make up a modern roof, from trusses to Ice and water membrane; roofing is a modern engineering marvel, the most visible of which is the shingle. Often the term "asphalt shingle" is thrown around when discussing the roofing process; because of this, it is natural to think that shingles are made of, well… asphalt. Though asphalt is involved, a shingle isn't made up solely of asphalt. Much like the roof itself, much more meets the eye when it comes to shingles.
The first part of a shingle is the fiberglass base. The fiberglass helps create a light base for the asphalt in the shingle to layover. The fiberglass also helps increase the fire resistance, keeping your family safe. The next aspect of the roof, as the name of the shingle alludes to, is the asphalt. The asphalt is what makes a shingle shed water, and it coats the fiberglass sheet. The final part of the shingle is the granules. If you have ever picked up a shingle or stood on a roof, you may have wondered why it seemed to shed so much material; the external layer comprises specially designed granules. These granules help prevent unsightly algae growth on your roof, and modern granules also help reduce the amount of UV A and UV B radiation that hits the shingle, extending the life of your roof.
As you can see, the modern roofing process is much more complicated than one may initially think, and because of this, you need a trusted roofer that will help ensure that you and your family stay dry for the years to come.
