Asphalt tiles are made of fiberglass sandwiched between asphalt and ceramic granules. Fiberglass provides strength, while asphalt, often mixed with minerals, is impermeable. Ceramic granules give color to tiles and also help to divert UV light, which has harmful effects. Relatively lightweight, inexpensive, and easy to install, asphalt shingles are the best choice for most homes.
They come in sheets that are layered over the roof to give the impression of more expensive individual tiles, such as cedar and slate, which are installed one tile at a time. Asphalt shingles fall into three basic categories. Standard entry-level three-tab shingles are the cheapest and thinnest. Architectural tiles are a step forward compared to three-blazed tiles.
They're a bit thicker and made to look like more expensive wooden milkshakes. Multi-layer architectural tiles are the most expensive and thickest of the group, and give an appearance similar to that of wooden slats. Only three-tab tiles can be installed on a single layer of existing tiles, but check with the manufacturers to ensure that you are entitled to the full warranty before doing so. StoneCrest steel tile lines offer the luxury styles other brands have, but with metal instead of asphalt.
While they have luxury shingles that mimic slate, Owens Corning doesn't have the same variety of other luxury styles, such as CertainTeed and GAF. GAF makes asphalt tiles and is one of the only brands that sell their products in domestic centers, such as Home Depot and Lowe's. This means that Atlas StormMaster Shake, StormMaster Slate and Pinnacle Pristine tiles have a lifetime guarantee that they will never leave marks. Malarkey is a small company compared to the others on this list, but when it comes to roof tile performance, Malarkey has one of the best, if not the best, reputations in the industry.
IKO manufactures residential and commercial roofing products, including asphalt shingles and asphalt tile roof accessories, low-slope modified bitumen systems and recessed roofs, as well as insulators, roofing panels and other accessories for low-slope roofs. The best shingles on the market are going to be tiles from one of the best performing lines from one of the leading tile manufacturers. IKO shingles have scored well and have appeared on the short list of the best roofing tiles that Consumer Reports compiles every year. Usually, you'll need three to five packs of shingles to cover one square of your roof.
The exact number of packages needed depends on the type of tile you purchase; the heavier the tile, the less you will receive per package. With Owen Corning's 5 architectural lines of asphalt shingles, you can find the look and color you want. Of course, you won't be able to observe how your tiles are made or see the actual quality standards that apply in the factory, so you'll have to trust the manufacturer's words. GAF manufactures residential and commercial roofing products, including asphalt shingles and accessories for asphalt roof tiles, rolled roofs, real slate roofs, solar roof products, ventilation products, single-layer TPO and PVC low-slope roof systems, bitumen modified with SBS and APP, a variety of roof coatings and fiber cement coatings.
If you can't find the exact look you want on the others, you'd do well to take a look at the tiles available at Atlas. By law, each package of shingles must clearly state how many square feet it covers so that you can calculate the number of packages you need and budget accordingly.
