Even if you don’t know anything about roofing, you’ve probably heard about shingles before. But what are shingles, and how are they made exactly?
Roof shingles are a common type of roof covering which consists of individual overlapping elements. These elements are usually flat rectangular shapes that are laid in an overlapping series starting from the lower edge of the roof upwards, with each following row overlapping with the joints below.
Shingles are commonly made with fiberglass, saturated with asphalt, and then coated in minerals to help resist weathering.
Every day, millions of pounds of raw and manufactured materials are brought to shipping yards and receiving docks at roofing manufacturing plants all across the country. These materials are then transformed into top-of-the-line roofing shingles, which are highly durable and resistant.
In this article, we will discuss just how these shingles are produced so you can truly understand how strong the material is before you choose your next roofing material.
How Shingles Are Made
When it comes to producing shingles, the process comes into three parts. First is gathering the raw materials, then manufacturing those materials, and then finishing by packaging and delivering the finished products upon completion.
The raw materials it takes to produce shingles are either organic felt or fiberglass, which is ground down to a water-based pulp formed into sheets that are dried, cut into strips, and wound onto rolls. These rolls are then oxidized and chemically treated to produce a final shingle product through manufacturing.
In the manufacturing process, asphalt shingles are made by passing the base material through a machine that adds successive component layers.
This process begins by dry looping, which takes a jumbo roll of organic felt or fiberglass mat and pressing it through a dry looper. Then the base material goes through a pre-saturation chamber where it is sprayed on one side with hot asphalt to get rid of any moisture present. The material is then soaked in the asphalt coats to fill the void between the coat and the mat.
This is followed by wet looping when the asphalt coating on the mat cools down to create a greater degree of saturation. With the asphalt coating stabilized by powdered minerals, the mat will then pass-through coating rolls which are separated by an appropriate distance to ensure an adequate amount of coating asphalt is applied to the mat.
After the coating process, granules of ceramic-coated minerals of the desired color are applied to the mat’s surface. The sheet of treated mat will then pass through a series of rollers that put the coating particles into the asphalt and cool off the material. The strip of finished shingle material is then put into a cutting machine to cut it into desired shapes and sizes.
From there, the machine stacks the shingles into bundles, where they are transferred to special equipment that wraps them and assigns labels. Then the shingles are sent off to various locations all across the country to be used in local neighborhoods like your own.
Curious About Shingles?
Are you a Florida resident in the market for a roof replacement? Are you possibly considering shingles as your material of choice? Whether you are looking for shingles specifically or just want to get your roof replaced, the good people at AWS Roofing can help you get your roof looking good as new.
Our team of highly experienced roofers are experts in all things roofing. Our expertise allows us to inform our customers of the many different types of roofing options available so that you can make an educated decision when it comes to choosing the right kind of roof for you and your home. No matter the roofing material our team can let you know everything you need to know and can get you quotes before we begin so you know exactly what you’re getting.
Call Today For A Free Estimate
Are you a Florida homeowner looking for new roofing solutions? If so, you should give us a call. At AWS Roofing, we offer a wide range of roofing services and have many different options to pick from. In addition, we are state-licensed, fully insured, and bonded. Let us help you get started today.
For a free estimate today, give us a call at (386)-423-3076 or visit our website at awsroofing.com.
