Shingles | PJsRoofing

December 20, 2022 in Shingles

Picking the Right Color Shingles for Your Roof: Depend on the 3 Ss

The right color shingle is a subtle but significant ingredient in your home’s overall curb appeal. Taking a few moments to hear the experts’ advice on how to choose the right shingle color for your house is a good investment of time and money.

Choosing the right roof shingle color—one that coordinates with your home’s siding and shutters—is key to achieving a cohesive aesthetic. When making the selection, keep in mind the three Ss: Style, Siding, and Surroundings.

STYLE

Your home’s architectural style plays a key role in selecting a shingle color for your house. Here are a few ideas for finding the right match.

A Cape Cod house is a classic style home design originally built of oak and pine and covered with cedar shakes or clapboard with one-and-a-half stories, a high-pitched roof, and a central front door with windows on either side. As a nod to their historical color palette, many modern Cape Cods have retained weathered wood exteriors, making lighter shingles like gray and tan a complementary choice.
Tudor homes are known for their dark brown color palette, often with cream accents. Choosing a shingle color that is a softer shade of brown bridges the gap nicely between the rich brown Tudor beams and the cream stucco accent walls.
Contemporary homes are often distinguished by the use of strong structural angles, resulting in a crisp and clean overall vibe to the design. Emphasize this unique architectural style with dark shingles.

SIDING

Colonial homes are one of the most popular house designs in the US. Built in a traditional style that dates back to the late 1700s–early 1800s, they are usually built on a rectangular foundation, and feature gabled roofs, symmetrical windows, flat exterior walls, and a neutral color scheme. Their look tends to be classic, with light colored siding and dark shutters. When choosing the right color shingles for this style home, taking your cue from the window shutters works well. Grey roof shingles complement a Colonial Home with white siding and black shutters, while a shade of brown roof shingle works well with a more earthy palette.

SURROUNDINGS

The natural colors that surround your home are another key factor in choosing the right color shingle. You don’t want your home to stick out like a sore thumb, but giving it presence without looking out of place is a good design goal.

For homes located in desert areas, consider choosing colors in a muted shade of red and brown. A cooler palette of pale gray or blue, or earthy tones of light cream, pale yellow, or a sandy brown complement seaside and lakefront homes. Darker toned shingles can make your house look perfectly at home in a wooded setting. Reds, browns, and even black shingles will add a pop of color and style to your home without detracting from the lush green that surrounds a mountain home.

If you live in a warmer climate, choosing lighter colored shingles may be a wiser choice. Lighter shades won’t absorb as much heat in the summer, saving you money on air-conditioning. If it’s often cold where you live, dark shades will add a bit of heat to your home while also melting snow more quickly—always a plus for the longevity of your roof.

Do the shingles you choose really make that much of a difference in the overall style and appeal of your home? Absolutely! By making a choice that takes into account its style, siding, and surroundings, you can create a bold, dramatic statement or a warm welcoming vibe for your home. And by relying on the efficient and affordable residential roofing installation services of PJ’s Roofing, homeowners in Maryland and Pennsylvania can have a new roof installed without breaking the bank. As a locally trusted contractor, PJ’s experienced team of residential roofing professionals will complete your job on time and on budget, without disrupting your life.

November 28, 2022 in Roofing, Shingles

Benefits of Architectural Shingles for Your Roof

This is the time of year, we find ourselves feeling incredibly grateful—for the family around us, for the food on our table, and for the roof over our heads. Speaking of the roof over your head, if there’s a new one in your future, you’d be well advised to consider your options carefully. PJ’s Roofing is here to help.

Given their durability, cost, warranty, and aesthetics, asphalt shingles are popular choices for roof materials in Maryland. But choosing an asphalt roof isn’t the end of it. You’ll still need to decide on which type—classic 3-tab or architectural—will be the best choice for your needs.

Let’s compare the advantages of 3-tab versus architectural shingles, as each provides different benefits.

Composition

Both 3-tab and architectural shingles are made with asphalt, adhesives, granules (for the outside layer), and fiberglass (for the backing). The difference is in the proportions of each element used, which affects the overall quality of the shingle. Architectural shingles are typically about 50% heavier than their 3-tab counterparts. Compared to 3-tabs, architectural shingles are made with a better-quality asphalt and stronger adhesives. They also have a thicker base mat and a denser layer of granules on their outermost surface, making them more substantial overall than 3-tab shingles.

Aesthetics

Both 3-tab and architectural shingles come in a wide array of colors, textures, and styles. However, these two types differ significantly in their appearance. A standard, 3-tab shingle is flat with a single tab shape and size, giving it a flat, one-dimensional look. Architectural shingles, also known as dimensional shingles, have several layers of materials adhering to the base. This design feature allows them to be installed to resemble cedar shakes, or even slate—adding to your home’s curb appeal without the increased expense or weight.

Wind Ratings

Standard 3-tab and architectural shingles vary widely in their wind resistance ratings. Since architectural shingles are thicker and of higher quality, they are more wind resistant than the 3-tab variety. Architectural shingles are typically rated to withstand winds of between 80–120 miles per hour, while 3-tabs are generally rated for winds of up to approximately 60 miles per hour.

Durability

With a thicker, higher-quality composition, superior wind rating, and their ability to withstand ice, snow, and high temperatures, architectural shingles generally last longer than the 3-tab variety—usually 18 to 20 years, and sometimes up to 30 years depending on conditions. When 3-tab shingles are exposed to severe summer temperatures, high winds, or extreme winter weather, their lifespan is typically 7–10 years. In mild climates, 3-tabs can last up to 12–15 years.

Cost

Both 3-tab and architectural shingles are affordable, making them a popular choice for homeowners in Maryland and Pennsylvania. While 3-tab shingles are often less expensive to install, the money you save upfront may not offset the need for them to be repaired or replaced sooner than architectural ones.

Warranty

Since 3-tab shingles typically have a shorter lifespan, they often have shorter warranties—usually in the 25–30 year range. An architectural shingle installation typically comes with a warranty of 50 years—and in some cases, a lifetime warranty.

Our team at PJ’s Roofing talks to homeowners in Maryland and Pennsylvania every day about what type of roofing material will best fit their needs. When they decide that a roof using architectural shingles is the best choice for their home, we confidently recommend CertainTeed’s beautiful, durable, color-blended offerings. Available in a wide variety of colors to suit any siding, stucco, or trim color, the benefits they provide make them a solid choice and a great value for many years to come.

February 19, 2021 in Shingles

What Are Roof Shingles Made Of? | All About Asphalt Shingles

What makes asphalt the shingles of choice for so many modern homes?

Besides being affordable and economical, asphalt shingles for homes are versatile, durable and long lasting—providing maximum protection for your roof while minimizing cost. And while they may look basic in design and fabrication, don’t be fooled: asphalt shingles are actually carefully engineered, multi-layered components whose simple appearance belies their complex structure and function.

What does an asphalt shingle consist of?

The typical asphalt shingle is composed of three distinct layers:

Fiberglass Mat

The strength for which asphalt shingles are known is a function of the fiberglass base layer, or mat, which helps give them their signature durability. As the name suggests, fiberglass is made from tiny pieces of glass that are heated to extreme temperatures, and then extruded through narrow holes to create glass filaments. The filaments are woven together to create a flat sheet, which is cut down to the size needed to create the base layer for the asphalt shingle.

Asphalt Layer

Placed over the fiberglass mat, the primary purpose of the asphalt layer is to keep moisture from seeping through. Rather than relying on the blown-in method of years past, the asphalt layer is built up through the application of a specialized asphalt compound known as styrene-butadiene-styrene. This material increases the durability of shingles by making them more impact-resistant and helping to hold the top granules firmly in place.

Granule Covering

The gritty material on the top of the asphalt shingle is typically crushed rock sealed and protected with a ceramic coating. These granules protect the asphalt layer against damaging UV rays, help make them fire-resistant, and give shingles their color—allowing consumers to create a unique aesthetic for their home’s exterior. Because granule loss can compromise the integrity of the roof, manufacturers typically apply up to 50 percent more granulations than required to cover the asphalt shingle. This overage compensates for granular erosion that can compromise the integrity of a home’s roof.

Why Choose Asphalt Shingles?

When it comes time to upgrade your roof, modern asphalt shingles are a wise choice. Their tri-layer construction of a fiberglass mat, asphalt layer, and granules contributes to excellent longevity and performance—making them a durable option that prevents damage from water and impact that can be installed affordably.

December 24, 2020 in Roofing, Shingles

Why Asphalt Shingles Are Still a Great Home Roofing Choice in 2021

Just because something’s new doesn’t mean it’s better.

New roofing materials have entered the market place this year, giving the thoughtful homeowner even more choices for repair and replacement. Progressively engineered materials have potential, but conservative, dependable roofing companies like PJ’s Roofing will still be directing consumers to evaluate their options in light of durability, dependability, affordability, ease of care, and curb appeal—likely keeping asphalt shingles in high demand in the next five years.

Durability

Asphalt roofs are leak-resistant if properly installed, and they can last up to 30 years or more. Because the material is neither too light (which means less chance of uplift problems) nor too heavy (requires no reinforcement), this type of roof is likely to last a long time.

Dependability

When installed with fiberglass matting, asphalt shingle roofs are also fire-resistant. They bear up well under strong winds, typically staying put in even the gustiest summer storms or winter blizzards.

Affordability

Asphalt roofing systems offer an excellent value for the money, and are one of the most cost-effective options available to Frederick area homeowners. A reputable contractor will give you complete pricing up front, as well as payment options and financing plans if needed.

Easy Care

In addition to offering one of the simplest installation processes, asphalt roofs are among the simplest for homeowners to maintain. They can be easily adapted to fit angled or steep roofs, and repairs are usually straightforward and relatively inexpensive when performed by a knowledgeable, reputable professional.

Curb Appeal

Asphalt shingle roofing isn’t a cookie cutter solution. From natural looking, rough-hewn shingles to overlapping designs with 3-D effects, your choice of shingle and installation are many and varied. You can choose from a wide variety of colors to complement your color scheme or select asphalt shingles that resemble slate roofing or cedar

How the newly engineered roofing materials are integrated into residential design, and how well they perform, remains to be seen. Asphalt shingles, while perhaps an old stand-by, continue to offer some of the best value on the market in terms of longevity, attractiveness, and affordability.