Certain conditions can cause asphalt shingles to crack, such as high winds, impact from hailstones or airborne debris. A lesserknown yet equally damaging cause is thermal splitting. The treatment of bituminous roofing waste materials by vacuum pyrolysis was tested in a pilot. Thermal splitting typically happens where shingles bridge the. Bends and resists breaking and cracking in the cold. When you choose atlas shingles with core4 technology, you can be sure that you are sheltering your family beneath some of the. During its lifetime, your roof experiences thermal shock, or wide variations in heat and cold.
Asphalt used in the manufacture of shingles has compounds that are designed to keep shingles waterproof and flexible. Thermal splitting or cracking asphalt roof shingles. Ask the builder why roof shingles can fail prematurely. If the roof is fairly new, cracking may be a sign of a weak mat or lowquality shingles. Shingle splitting due to temperaturerelated expansion and contraction is called thermal splitting. Thermal splitting looks very different from shingle cracking.
Box 860 valley forge, pa 19482 ask about our other certainteed products and systems. All of the defective shingles i have seen have been fiberglass and the cracking occurs somewhere between 9 and 12 years after installation. Roofing company the thomas roofing company shares an indepth look at thermal splitting and how it can be prevented. Craze cracks thermal craze cracks are a result of the mat of the asphalt shingle drying out over time, which causes the mat to shrink and. The life cycle of your roof homeowners guide what to expect from your certainteed roof material concerns cracking through the reinforcement and bald shingles are potential concerns.
Approximately 12 years ago, i was invited to visit an asphalt driveway sealer manufacturing plant. Thermal splitting, or cracking which in fact is in most cases actually a tearing of the shingles is considered by experts to be the principal current problem with. Tips on preventing and treating roof shingle damage. Before installation, consult with your contractor and request to view the actual shingles being installed on your roof to.
A crack, on the other hand, is usually limited to the surface of the. Thermal splitting typically involves a cut running down the entire shingle. Professional roofers, however, can differentiate the two easily. Crazecracking internachi inspection narrative library. Thermal splitting, or cracking which in fact is in most cases actually a tearing of the shingles is considered by experts to be the principal current problem with fiberglassbased shingles. Material concerns homeowners guide cracking through. An asphalt shingle is a type of roof shingle that uses asphalt for waterproofing. Craze cracking in asphalt shingles is random surface layer cracking.
Thermal splitting or cracking asphalt roof shingles asphalt roof. When the thermal expansion of an asphalt shingle product is followed by a thermal contraction such as in cold weather, it will cause. Cracking is definitely a mode of failure, however the time of occurance during the life span of the shingle determines if it is a premature or a natural demise. The first stop in the tour was a large chemistry lab. As a result, the companys shingles routinely deteriorate by cracking, curling and degranulating far in advance of the expiration of warranty periods. If thermal expansion is having an negative effect on your roofing system, this is a good indicator that the asphalt shingles installed on your roof are defective or of low quality. Pdf preliminary investigation of the vacuum pyrolysis of. Craze cracking in organic or fiberglass shingles is an indication of aging.
If you see cracks or hail hits on shingles then you definitely have damage. For the solid residue, the moisture, ash, volatile, and. The heat thats baking your shingles may be the reason why the top floor is so hot. There are quite a few things you can do to extend the life of asphalt shingles. Causing discomfort or distress by extreme character or conditions, as weather, cold, or heat. We prefer the term tearing as a most accurate description of whats probably happening. Its caused by forces similar to those that create shrinkage cracks in concrete and mud. Thermally split shingles arent randomly strewn out across the roof surface. The difference between shingle splitting and cracking. Shingles and construction defects whitfield bryson llp. Cracks are limited to the surface of the asphalt layer while thermal splits go through the entire shingle panel.
Can the thermal resistance factor rvalue be increased by adding more insulation. Thermal splitting occurs due to changes in temperature that cause shingles to expand and contract. Too much filler in the asphalt mix may also cause the same. Untrained eyes wont be able to tell the difference between cracking and thermal splitting of asphalt shingles. Cracked, curled, or missing roof shingles demand immediate attention. Originally observed on the lightestweight 15year life. This thermal expansion and contraction can lead to granule loss and cracking over time. Gaf produces timberline shingles at several plant locations across the country, and uses a different process to manufacture these products at each site. What it looks like thermal splitting looks very different from shingle cracking. Gaf timberline shingles, which are marketed as 30 and 40 year shingles, are asphalt shingles that use a fiberglass material as a base. An affiliate of the canadian automobile association caa and american automobile association aaa. It doesnt hurt to glance over your car as well though this claim.
685 291 174 1023 1438 757 1508 121 1510 430 1132 861 547 709 749 949 612 1263 777 1314 13 181 1537 378 1588 841 658 217 688 1074 990 695 460 624 728 746 909 340 1241 1028 991 190 1269