Floridian homeowners have three primary choices for which roofing material to use when getting a new roof; there are asphalt shingles, tile, and metal, with the vast majority of homeowners opting for shingles or tile. Asphalt shingles offer an excellent combination of affordability, design flexibility, and durability, especially when you elect to use impact-resistant shingles.
Impact-resistant roofing shingles, referred to often as “IR” roof shingles, are designed to handle intense impacts from debris, be it giant hailstones, or more importantly for Floridians, debris flying from the high wind velocity of hurricanes.
IR shingles are engineered in two primary ways to add strength: one is a reinforcing polymer-based mesh that gets added to the back of a standard shingle, the second is when rubber-like polymers are added into the asphalt composition.
These types of shingles earn themselves a Class 4 Rating. To achieve such status, these shingles need to withstand a test. The testing involves dropping a 2-inch steel ball multiple times from a height of 20 feet. A 4-inch concrete paver will usually crack in half when the steel ball is dropped from 20 feet to put this into a good perspective!
Now, one must realize that these shingles are necessarily more wind-resistant. So a massive hurricane can still tear a shingle off, even though they are more durable than your standard 3-tab or architectural shingle. Where they shine is how they deal with the inevitable debris that flies around during a hurricane that can cause massive damage to the roof.
Some of the main benefits of impact-resistant shingles are:
Reducing or even eliminating the number of roof repairs needed.
Having tough IR shingles will significantly reduce the need to replace shingles over the years and can end up saving you thousands in would-be roof repair bills.
Extent the lifespan of your roof.
Replacing a roof is not cheap; extending the roof life by five or more years is a considerable advantage.
Save money on homeowners insurance.
For example, many companies will offer a discount on the premium for a home roofed in IR shingles.
If you live in the Hollywood, FL area or nearby and are considering
replacing your roof with shingles, we urge you to give a strong look towards impact-resistant shingles. The peace of mind that having a solid roof overhead brings when a massive storm like a hurricane blows through is worth it!