Shingles go on top of your roof to stop water and other external elements from entering. They protect the wooden deck of the roof so the wood does not rot or deteriorate as quickly as it would if it were exposed to rain, snow, and the damaging effects of storms.
Shingles are made from different materials. The most common shingle materials are asphalt, fiberglass, fiber cement, granules of hard rock that have been crushed and bonded together, and wood, clay, metal, and plastic, among others.
How Much Do Shingles Weigh?
The average shingle weighs somewhere in the ballpark of three pounds. Their weight fluctuated depending on thickness, materials they are made from, and size.
How Much Does A Bundle Of Shingles Weigh?
The many different materials that shingles are made from affect the weight of those roofing materials.
Three-Tab Asphalt Shingles
This variety of shingles is flat and they have a single tab shape. They are uniform in size. They are up to 50% lighter than architectural asphalt shingles.
A square of shingles is enough shingles to cover a 10’ x 10’ area.
A square of three-tab asphalt shingles weighs between 230 and 250 pounds.
A bundle of shingles is made up of anywhere from 15 to 29 individual pieces. You need about three bundles of shingles to cover one roof square. A lot of people who install shingles for a living get paid by the bundle or by the square.
A bundle of three-tab asphalt shingles weighs between 50 and 80 pounds.
Architectural Asphalt
The architectural asphalt shingles are thicker and much longer-lasting than many other varieties. Many people refer to these as dimensional shingles because they are not flat and uniform like the three-tab asphalt variety are.
They are designed to look like the old cedar shakes that were commonly used on roofs.
A square of the architectural asphalt variety will weigh between 400 and 430 pounds.
A bundle of this variety will weigh between 65 and 80 pounds.
Shingle Thickness and Longevity
When you buy shingles, you will notice that they are given a life expectancy of 10 years, 15 years, 20 years, or maybe 30 years. The longer the life expectancy is on the shingles the thicker the shingles will be.
Thicker shingles weigh more than thinner shingles. If you are buying your roofing material by weight then buy the heavier shingles. If you are buying your roofing material by life expectancy buy the 30 years or higher.
The Average Cost Of Shingles
One of the major concerns that people have about shingles is how much it is going to cost them to buy enough to cover their roof.
The thinner and lighter shingles cost less to buy. When you hear a really cheap quote on a bundle of shingles you need to consider how thin they are, what they are made of, and other factors. Do not simply buy the cheapest if you can afford to get the higher quality ones.
A typical bundle of shingles is going to cost between $25 and $30. That means a square of these items will cost you about $75.
The average home in the US requires about 16 squares of shingles. Just the cost of the replacement materials will be close to $2400.
When replacing shingles you will need felt or some kind of underlayment, ventilation, nails, a ridge cap, and a drip edge. You may also need ice and water barriers.
By the time you hire a contractor and buy the materials your new roof covering will cost you about $4000 to $6400. If you break it down a square of shingles costs about $250 to $400 after you consider material costs and labor costs.
If you do the work for yourself you are going to need to hire a dumpster to be brought out. When you tear the old shingles off of the roof you put them in the dumpster to be hauled away and properly disposed of. Shingles do not deteriorate and disintegrate easily so they last in the ground for many years.
Did You Know?
- Shingles are marked with lines that tell the carpenter where to install the roofing tacks to hold them in place
- Shingles are installed by overlapping them’
- Shingles will not protect a flat roof
- When installed on a slope that is greater than 21:12 the shingles should have no fewer than 6 roofing tacks per shingle
FAQ’s
How Long Does Fiber Cement Shingles Last?
The fiber cement variety will normally last about 25 years.
What Is The Purpose Of House Shingles?
They protect the roof of your house from wind and water damage. They stop water from entering your attic space.
Why Do People Prefer Light-Colored Shingles?
The lighter-colored shingles reflect the sun from the house so they help maintain a cooler temperature inside the home.