Asphalt Shingles Introduction

1 Overview

This section of the manual is concerned with those roof systems that are:

• commonly used in British Columbia but are not covered by the Built-Up Roofing section (Section 4) or Flexible Membrane Systems (Sections 5 & 6); and
• with the exception of concrete tile and slate roofing, covered by the RoofStar Guarantee Program.

For the most part, this concerns steep slope roofing (also referred to as “water shedding roofs”). For a discussion of the design considerations involved in steep slope roofing see Section 3.14 Steep Slope Roofing Systems.

Asphalt shingles are the most widely used system for steep sloped roofing, especially in the residential market. Fibreglass Asphalt shingles must comply with CSA A123.51-98. Organic felt based asphalt shingles that conform to CSA A123.1-98 are not accepted for use in the RoofStar Guarantee Program and are only manufactured on a limited basis in Canada.

Fibreglass reinforced asphalt shingles are fabricated from thin glass fibres that are bonded together with plastic binders. The glass reinforcement mat is saturated with refined asphaltic flux (obtained from the distillation of petroleum products as discussed in Section 3.9). The saturated glass felt is then coated on both sides with asphaltic coatings, which may be compounded with a water-insoluble mineral stabilizer (inorganic materials such as limestone). Typically the weathering surface (plus 50mm (2”) beyond) is coated with mineral granules and unexposed surfaces are coated with a fine mineral parting agent in order to prevent shingles sticking together in the bundles (packaging).

NOTE: Organic felt reinforced asphalt shingles that were previously popular in Canada, were fabricated from fibres of vegetable origin ( i.e. rag, wood or other cellulose fibre).

2 Manufacturers Material Warranties

All asphalt shingle manufacturers listed in this manual provide limited material warranties for their products. Material warranties for asphalt shingles will vary in term or length of coverage (years) with various conditions depending on the manufacturer and specific brand of product. Many asphalt shingle products include the term or length of coverage, in years, as part of the product brand names.

The asphalt shingle materials listed in this manual are those, which have been accepted by RCABC Guarantee Corp. (RGC) upon application by the manufacturer, in compliance with RGC policy A-041 and are materials for which RoofStar Guarantee Certificates are available.

The acceptance of these materials by RGC is only for coverage under the RoofStar Five (5) or Ten (10) Year Guarantee Programs. Such acceptance by RGC in no way reflects on the long term in service performance or expected service life of these products in comparison to the term or length of warranty coverage provided by asphalt shingle manufacturers.

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Asphalt Shingle Roof Systems

Definition and Terms