Quality Residential Roof Systems from Pioneer Roofing Company Inc.

3-Tab Shingle Type

Your grandparents’ home was probably covered in three-tab asphalt shingles, since for decades that was the only choice. In the 1970s, manufacturers began producing thicker shingles that came to be called laminate, dimensional and architectural shingles. There’s more to the design than just appearance, so let’s start by exploring each type:

Pros: 3-tab shingles are quite flat and lightweight. They’re +/-30” wide and about 12” tall. The exposed portion of the shingle is notched to produce three tabs that appear separate and are designed to look like slate tiles.

The advantages of three-tab shingles are their lower cost and flat profile which makes it difficult for the wind to get underneath the shingles or catch and lift a shingle.

Curious why this construction material has won over so many homeowners? See the complete list of metal roofing pros and cons below. Weigh them carefully, and you may find that you, too, could benefit from this reliable roofing overhead.

Get free, no-commitment estimates from this professional roofing Company “Pioneer”.

PRO: Metal roofs are durable and long-lasting.

At the top of the list of metal roofing “pros,” the material’s long lifespan is why most homeowners make the switch in either a re-roofing or new construction. Indeed, that recent McGraw-Hill survey found that 26 percent of homeowners cited longevity as their primary reason for investing in metal and another 22 percent said they were swayed by its strength. A properly installed metal roof typically will last as long as the house, with an expected lifespan of 40 to 70 years and, often, a 30- to 50-year manufacturer’s warranty to boot. (By contrast, traditional asphalt roofing typically lasts 12 to 20 years.) Thanks to the material’s unique durability, you can count on it to withstand the elements—including gusts of wind up to 140 miles per hour—and not corrode nor crack thanks to rust-proof coatings.

CON: Metal roofs are expensive.

The many years of service that a metal roof promises come at a high cost. This material can run from $120 to $900 per 100 square feet (or one “square” of material), according to Home Advisor’s Guide to Roofing Costs. Though this range is comparable to the costs of other premium roofing products, higher-end metals run as much as 10 times the cost of asphalt shingles. Then, not only do materials come with high price tags, but the installation labor is also more expensive than what you’d pay for other types of roofing because of the specialized training, knowledge, tools, and equipment it entails. That’s not to say that homeowners won’t recoup money on your initial investment, though. While you might have to pay for replacing a conventional asphalt shingle roof several times over the lifespan of your home, a high-quality metal roof could very likely be the last roof your home will ever need. It’s as the saying goes, “You get what you pay for.”