Roof shingles has been around for ages and the word is derived from the German name for roof tiles which is known as shindle although roof tiles or otherwise called roof covering has been around since the start of time. Multiple changes have been seen throughout history and new materials came to the market with the technological changes in each era.
The name shingle was actually used for wood roofing whereas all other material used for shingles was only known as tiles. Shingles make up a great part of any building thus adding to its importance as it is highly visible but moreover provides for protection against extreme weather conditions. It adds great value to a building in addition to the display of texture, patterns plus color that different shingles has to offer.
You will find that particular area's has a greater display of specific shingles due to the ease of obtaining certain material in the different locations around the world. Shingles used for roofing is a common occurrence although they are usually flat they can also come in a rectangular shape and offers a wide range of colors although with the addition for new material used it is now also available in different shapes.
Different materials are used to make shingles and you will surely find a selection of slate, wood, metal, plastic, asphalt as well as flagstone and fibre cement. Commonly shingles will be laid from the bottom of the roof to the top overlapping as they go up to ensure that wind, snow, rain and cold is kept out. Many of these shingles will be laid on top of a primary material to prevent leaking plus it is usually covered at the top where the sides meet. Asbestos was widely used until it was proven to be harmful and is now not seen as much.
Where did shingles come from?
Originally wood and slate was used for all shingles before the 19th Century. These shingles were constructed mainly from the core of a variety available tree types depending on the more commonly tree's in the region.
These tree logs were hand split to produce thin layers which was then draw-shaven in order for the sheets to fit evenly and tight. This was however a long process as the trees had to be cut specific lengths ahead of time to ensure the correct shingle length. It also caused for multiple waste as it was done by hand.
With the 19th century bringing steam powered technology the saw-mill came into effect and shingles could now be produced in uniform even though they were mass produced. The process was refined and all shingles now looked alike. Slate however became very popular during the late 1700s until the start of the 1900s when war, depression and other circumstances caused a drop in the slate industry introducing other roofing shingles such as asphalt and fibreglass to the roofing market.
Asphalt is an American invention and was only introduced to the shingles market during the 19th Century. During 1960's fibreglass shingles was brought into the market but seen very little success due to the fact that they were more susceptible to damage and did not stand strong against adverse weather conditions.
What shingles are available today?
Today there is a much wider selection of shingles available on the market as technology has brought improvements to the previous standing materials and also other materials that can now be utilized successfully for shingles. There are obviously the long standing basics which are wood shingles, slate shingles in addition to asphalt shingles which have all stood the test of time. In addition we now also have metal, flagstone, plastic, thatches as well as fiber cement shingles to choose from and then the latest additions are clay shingles and even glass is being utilized on a range of business type buildings. These materials all offer a variety of colors, textures and provide different aspects to consider when having a look at the different shingles.
Shingle use in the USA
Roof shingles are commonly found on houses as well as other residential housing and businesses as it is a more cost effective weather proofing system for Americans. Tile shingles, wood shingles, metal shingles and asphalt shingles are very widely used in the USA although asbestos is still commonly used in many forms of production like for roofing even though it has been proven to cause life threatening diseases. The difference is noticeably dependent on the region as the weather; structures as well as cost make a great impact of the choice of shingles.
Shingles work well with the wood frame and board build houses that you get in the USA, being easily replaceable and repairable.
Shingle use in the UK
Roof shingles are most commonly found to be used for sheds in addition to outhouses throughout the UK and not as much for business and housing as seen in the USA. The use of asbestos in the UK has been banned and all workers that do have contact with this material need to receive training yearly. Wooden shingles are mainly constructed from Cedar which offers a brilliant rustic look in addition to the use of Red Cedar, Yellow Cedar and White Cedar it also offers a different colour selection.
Weather conditions needs to be considered when deciding on which shingles is bets to use as this will have a dramatic impact on the correct shingles to withstand the region specific conditions. Cedar is naturally repellent to insects and is also widely used in Canada as roofing shingles. Whereas slate is not affected by moss and so each of these materials have their qualities to consider. Each of the different shingles named has its pros and cons that one must consider except for the weather conditions in addition to the contractor that will be used to do the installation.
Your roof type will also have an impact on what you can use; some roofing shingles will need treatments for fire, moss, insects and so forth. Price will also play a big part in choosing the roofing shingles that are perfect for you.
