Shingles - 3-tab vs. "architectural"?

[Home Guy]

Lighter-colored shingles last longer, have lower surface temperature than dark shingles.

Bullshit.

As I've stated before, any heat-transfer that you *hope* exists in the winter to gain attic heat into the house will bite your ass in the summer as that same heat transfer will be an extra load on your AC.

Dark shingles in northern climates can add to the ice-damming effect where snow melts on a dark roof, runs down to the eves where it's colder and freezes, creating water backup under the shingles and huge icicles hanging off gutters.

[rlz]

tions pertaining to shingles.A roofer/siding guy who looked at things and g ave me an estimate mentioned something about "Timberline" or "Timberlane" s hingles as what he regularly used. Not sure of the name; I have found a web site for Timberline shingles but not for "Timberlane".I had previously been considering what are commonly called "3-tab" type shingles (I was interest ed in them because of their "lay-flat" look), but he recommended that I NOT use them, because they have a limited lifespan when compared to other type s of shingles.I _think_ he was referring to what are called "architectural" type shingles. He said they'll last longer and come with a better warranty .Would anyone comment on the longevity of 3-tab vis-a-vis the "architectura l" type shingles? Was he telling me the truth?I'd also like to ask about sh ingle COLORS. I'd prefer a charcoal or darker-colored roof, as the houses o n either side of me are grey and brown. Just something different.But I was wondering about shingle color and heat transfer. Will a darj roof "absorb" considerably more heat from the summer sun? Or does it make little differen ce? If heat IS a factor, I'll choose a lighter color. (Note: my attic has i nsulation installed underneath the rafters, pretty well-wrapped)Thanks,- Jo hn

I recently built a workshop in the backyard, which was permitted and inspec ted by the city. When it came to shingling the roof, the city recommended Architectural style shingle, since they have a longer life span. They also required that I had to use 6 nails (instead of 3-4)for high winds. They a ctually came out and inspected it for the 6 nails.

[trader4]

Then show us a manufacturer's product line where the length of the warranty is based on the color. And how good do light colored shingles look after 10 or 15 years compared to dark ones. The few light colored roofs around here look like hell in 5 - 10 years because they show dirt far more than dark ones.

Why, just because you say so? If darker shingles make the attic a little hotter, then the effect you have that increases cooling in summer will reduce heating costs in winter.

Oh, so is it or isn't it BS, make up your mind.

Yawn... Dark shingles are by far the most popular color in northern climates, probably 90%+ of the roofs out there. There have been black shingles on my roof for 30 years and no ice dams.

[John Albert]

Very interesting that you responded to a post I put up 5 years ago!

Actually, I put off doing the roof 4 more years. Had it done in 2012 - I had the roofer put on the architectural shingles.

I was wondering how good the job was overall, then we had the tropical storm Sandy blow through. Other houses on the street had their shingles ripped up, but the roof I had put on held tight.

The old roof had one layer of wooden, and at least two layers of asphalt up there (I though there were only two layers, but the guys doing the roof said "three"). The last job had been done on the house in the year (or years) preceding 1978. The old roof lasted from 1978 until 2012 -

34 years. It was getting pretty bad in spots, though. Some of the "skip sheathes" were rotting over the garage. Luckily, I had some 1x4 lengths of pine from an old model railroad table I built in the 1970's, used them for patches where needed!