This ubiquitous roofing material dominates residential construction due to its cost-effectiveness and ease of installation. The core mat provides tensile strength, the heavy asphalt layer sheds water, and the embedded ceramic granules protect the underlying bitumen from ultraviolet degradation. They are installed in overlapping courses starting from the eaves and moving up to the ridge.
Get the distributor on the phone and order another three squares of architectural asphalt shingles, because this roof is bigger than the plans said.
When nailing these, hitting the designated nail line is critical, otherwise high winds will easily tear them off the deck.
Also heard as
- composition shingle
- comp shingle
Related terms
Architectural shingle
A premium asphalt roof shingle built with multiple layers to create a textured look.
Dimensional shingle
An asphalt roofing shingle manufactured with multiple layers to create a textured, shadow-line appearance.
Square
A standard unit of measurement in roofing equal to 100 square feet of surface area.
Tear-off
The complete removal of an existing roof system down to the bare wooden deck.