With all the manufactures of asphalt composition shingles there really isn’t a formula to help you decided which asphalt shingle is best for you. Understanding the different styles and colors will be the most beneficial in helping decide which asphalt shingle will best suit your needs. Almost all manufactures have gotten away from categorizing the shingles by warranty period and made most of their popular products come with a limited lifetime warranty. The asphalt shingle you choose now needs to be chosen by what appeals to you and what you can afford. The cost of installing what used to be considered an economy shingle is no longer the case because you can now have an architectural shingle installed for less then the economy 3-tab asphalt shingle. The demand for the architectural shingle has increased in popularity enough that the manufactures are beginning to think about phasing out the 3-tab shingle.
When deciding what asphalt shingle you would like on your home take these thoughts into consideration:
1) How long do you plan on owning your home? If you plan on owning the home for the rest of your life then you might want to consider spending more to get a heavy weight shingle. The heavier the shingle, with consideration to design, the longer that shingle will last.
2) Does you neighborhood require a certain shingle style? Check with you homeowners association with regards to the specifications in your neighborhood. If you don’t have a homeowners association then just take a look around the neighborhood to see what has already been installed. Try keeping within the same style or better so as to not negatively affect the value of yours or your neighbors home.
3) Will you change the paint color of your home? Once your new roof is installed the color can not be altered for the life of the shingle without installing a new roof.
4) How much of the roof can you see? If your roof is steep then chances are you can see a lot of roof area. If you can see a lot of roof area you might want to consider a designer or higher end architectural shingle as these types of shingles tend to be more aesthetically pleasing.
Asking your roofing contractor to explain the benefits of each shingle will also prove to be a good tool to help you decide which shingle best fits your wants and needs.