Roofing Shingles: The Facts and The Myths

Misconceptions of shingles

When new technology is introduced to the market there tends to be a lot of myths surrounding it due to lack of information.These myths often mislead us.

We tend to believe what we hear and don’t research more on what we know. It’s important to understand about a product before we buy it. Both the pro’s and cons.

Why are the laminated shingles popular?

The main reason is that homeowners like the depth and texture of the two-layer laminated shingle look. Laminated shingles, such as those in IKO’s popular Cambridge line, offer highly contrasting colour blends to give roofs a more dramatic impact.

Contractors like the way they’re installed because their random appearance. This means that the shingle alignment is simpler than that of traditional three tab shingles.

After my new roof was installed, and we had a downpour, I saw some of the tiny coloured stones from the shingles at the bottom of my downspout. Should I be concerned?

During the manufacturing process, the asphalt roofing sheet is literally flooded with those small coloured roofing granules, which are naturally mined, to ensure as many granules as possible will adhere to, and therefore cover, the sheet. Not all of the granules can stick; most of those are reclaimed and reused in the process. There are always a few extra granules that hitchhike on the surface of the shingles. Once the shingles are installed, it is absolutely normal for these extra granules to weather off. If you’re concerned, ask a roofer to check the shingles themselves to make sure there is still good granule coverage.

Can I harvest water when I install shingles

Shingles are perfectly safe for harvesting water as they are not composed of any harmful materials. The granules coating the shingles are naturally mined. All of Rexe roofing products are environment friendly. In fact we promote  green products such as gutters and solar panels to compliment our products.

• Will shingles catch fire or melt when exposed to heat?

The asphalt shingles are actually more fire resistant than the traditional shingles.Most insurance companies will be hesitant to insure the wooden shingles because of their chances of catching fire.

• Is it true that my home cooling costs will be higher if I choose dark-coloured shingles for my roof?

While it is true that darker-coloured shingles will get warmer than lighter-coloured shingles on sunny days, this does not necessarily translate directly to higher home cooling costs. Shingles have an efficient ventilating system that allows for effective cooling.

• Will thieves break in through the roof?

Surprisingly most people ask us about this. Reason being the shingles are light weight roofing material and give the idea that metal sheets or other roof covers are more heavy duty.
Roofing shingles are nailed on top of a decking called OSB boards. More on shingle installation here.

In order for them to break through they will need a circular saw or something similar to cut through the roof cover which, in this case, they might as well knock on the door and tell you they are robbing you.