How Are My Roof Shingles Made?

Each day, receiving docks and freight yards at leading roofing facilities spread throughout the U.S. receive thousands of tons of manufactured and raw materials.

These materials are eventually converted into top-quality, durable roofing shingles and specialty products that have become well respected amongst industry experts and property owners. 

Currently, the most popular types of shingles in the United States are asphalt shingles. Hence, the asphalt utilized at these roofing facilities is processed to meet the strict standards of quality required to produce durable and flexible shingles.

Limestone rock, which is usually delivered to the plants using trucks or rail cars, is processed into fine limestone powder using crushing mills. The limestone powder is then added to the asphalt and then mixed into a product known as a filled coating. Miles of rolled fiberglass mat (used as the 'backbone' of the shingles) are spread out on the production line an fed into a coater. Here, the filled coating, which is superheated to over 40 degrees Fahrenheit, is applied on both sides of the mat to create a base sheet.

Next, we have the shingle granules. Natural rock that has been crushed down into granules undergoes a process in which it is applied a specialty ceramic coating. This coating is colored to ensure that the granules produce the expected shingle colors. Additionally, the granules are designed in such a way as to preserve their appearance for the service life of the shingles. The base sheet is then applied a thin sand coating as it is passed through a press that embeds the granules. A fine mist of water is usually sprayed on the sheet as it winds through a series of rolls. This is meant to cool off the sheet as the water evaporates. Later on, in order to protect the shingles from wind damage, a strip of sealant is applied to the sheet.

Sophisticated cutting machines are then used to cuts the base sheet into regular-sized shingles that are then stacked and packed into bundles. The final stage involves wrapping the shingle bundles in packaging, placing them onto palettes, then transporting to warehouses before being shipped to homes all over America.