Roofing company the thomas roofing company shares an indepth look at thermal splitting and how it can be prevented. 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. A lesserknown yet equally damaging cause is thermal splitting. 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. For the solid residue, the moisture, ash, volatile, and. When you choose atlas shingles with core4 technology, you can be sure that you are sheltering your family beneath some of the. Material concerns homeowners guide cracking through. Box 860 valley forge, pa 19482 ask about our other certainteed products and systems. Cracks are limited to the surface of the asphalt layer while thermal splits go through the entire shingle panel. Certain conditions can cause asphalt shingles to crack, such as high winds, impact from hailstones or airborne debris. 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.
Professional roofers, however, can differentiate the two easily. The treatment of bituminous roofing waste materials by vacuum pyrolysis was tested in a pilot. Thermal splitting or cracking asphalt roof shingles. During its lifetime, your roof experiences thermal shock, or wide variations in heat and cold. The first stop in the tour was a large chemistry lab. Thermal splitting occurs due to changes in temperature that cause shingles to expand and contract. Its caused by forces similar to those that create shrinkage cracks in concrete and mud. The heat thats baking your shingles may be the reason why the top floor is so hot. A crack, on the other hand, is usually limited to the surface of the. Gaf timberline shingles, which are marketed as 30 and 40 year shingles, are asphalt shingles that use a fiberglass material as a base.
Shingle splitting due to temperaturerelated expansion and contraction is called thermal splitting. Bends and resists breaking and cracking in the cold. All of the defective shingles i have seen have been fiberglass and the cracking occurs somewhere between 9 and 12 years after installation. This thermal expansion and contraction can lead to granule loss and cracking over time. There are quite a few things you can do to extend the life of asphalt shingles. An affiliate of the canadian automobile association caa and american automobile association aaa. Pdf preliminary investigation of the vacuum pyrolysis of. Thermal splitting looks very different from shingle cracking. Thermal splitting or cracking asphalt roof shingles asphalt roof. 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. As a result, the companys shingles routinely deteriorate by cracking, curling and degranulating far in advance of the expiration of warranty periods.
Asphalt used in the manufacture of shingles has compounds that are designed to keep shingles waterproof and flexible. 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. When the thermal expansion of an asphalt shingle product is followed by a thermal contraction such as in cold weather, it will cause. 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. Untrained eyes wont be able to tell the difference between cracking and thermal splitting of asphalt shingles. Crazecracking internachi inspection narrative library. An asphalt shingle is a type of roof shingle that uses asphalt for waterproofing. Ask the builder why roof shingles can fail prematurely. Thermally split shingles arent randomly strewn out across the roof surface. Shingles and construction defects whitfield bryson llp. If you see cracks or hail hits on shingles then you definitely have damage.
Approximately 12 years ago, i was invited to visit an asphalt driveway sealer manufacturing plant. Craze cracking in asphalt shingles is random surface layer cracking. The difference between shingle splitting and cracking. Craze cracking in organic or fiberglass shingles is an indication of aging. What it looks like thermal splitting looks very different from shingle cracking. Thermal splitting typically happens where shingles bridge the. Originally observed on the lightestweight 15year life. Causing discomfort or distress by extreme character or conditions, as weather, cold, or heat. Cracked, curled, or missing roof shingles demand immediate attention. Thermal splitting typically involves a cut running down the entire shingle. Can the thermal resistance factor rvalue be increased by adding more insulation. We prefer the term tearing as a most accurate description of whats probably happening. 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. Gaf produces timberline shingles at several plant locations across the country, and uses a different process to manufacture these products at each site.
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