You are doing some research on a home that is either yours or you are considering making your own and you discover that the roof is made of organic roofing shingles. These shingles showed up many years ago as a more natural alternative to something like fiberglass or asphalt shingles. Many homeowners chose these shingles because they wanted to do their part to be environmentally conscious homeowners. However, there are some pitfalls to these more natural shingles, and you should know about both the advantages and disadvantages of roofing materials. Here is a look at some of the pros and cons of organic roofing shingles.
Pro: Initially, organic asphalt shingles were rather inexpensive.
One of the reasons so many homes were outfitted with organic asphalt shingles in spite of their pitfalls was because they were initially an inexpensive option. The shingles were made out of things like recycled cloth and paper coated with asphalt to improve resiliency.
Con: It's not been uncommon for these shingles to fail long before their expected life span.
According to HomeAdvisor, organic shingles often do not make it to their 20-year life rating, and many homeowners have to get these shingles replaced earlier than they expected due to breakdown. Even though many of these shingles were advertised as waterproof, the composition did not allow them to stand up to long-term moisture exposure.
Pro: These shingles can be covered up with more resilient options.
If a house you are considering buying or already own does have organic shingles, you probably should go ahead and have an expert roofing company take a look to see what your next steps should be. If there is no water damage present but the roofing materials are starting to deteriorate, the roof can be covered with a different type of shingles for more adequate protection. Much like other asphalt shingles, they can make a good insulative base for a new roof if there is no water containment.
Con: Some organic shingles contribute to moisture damage on the roof.
The absorbent nature of the organic shingles makes them not a good option for areas that get a lot of rain or that have higher than usual humidity levels. The shingles will break down with the exposure to high levels of moisture and heat, so they can absorb water and hold it on the roof and create a lot of potential for water damage if the problem is not caught early on.
For more information about roofing, go to sites like http://osmusroofing.com/.
Share7 August 2019
When it came time to install a new roof on my home, I had no idea where to start. In fact, I was exploring roofing options that were a really poor fit in my climate. It wasn't until I reached out to a local roofer that I got some lessons on how to choose the right roofing material for my home and the weather exposure it is subjected to. I built this site to share my journey, including the mistakes I made and the things that I learned along the way. If you are considering replacing your home's roof, I hope that the information here can help to guide you through the process.
