What is shingle roofing?

If you’ve ever asked yourself what exactly shingle roofing is; it’s basically what
you might inspect on other homes in your Montreal neighborhood as you drive to work
or to the grocery store. A shingle is typically flat and rectangular in shape, and it’s
normally composed of asphalt, composite or other roofing materials. Also, asphalt
shingles will normally be applied from the base of the roof towards the top of the roof
and they’ll often overlap to provide a full coverage. Not only are shingle roofs in
Montreal extremely common but they can easily be identified as well because of the
overlapping style of the shingle roofing installation.

Advantages of shingle roofing

There are many advantages of opting for asphalt shingles for your roofing
installation in Montreal and like many other homeowners, it’s normally the roofing job
that’s most chosen. A few advantages of choosing asphalt shingles are the price,
quality, and reliability of the material. As for the price of an asphalt shingle roof, this
material tends to be very affordable which is why many homeowners opt for asphalt
shingles. Also, with the affordability comes reliability because choosing to go with
shingles, means that your roof can last a few decades before having to change it
completely which is not the most you can get for a roofing material but in other words,
you get what you pay for.

If you’re choosing your roof based on an appearance standpoint, a shingle roof
will also come in many different colors, and textures so you can get the ideal look that
you want by choosing an asphalt shingle roof.

Another advantage that many Montreal homeowners might not be aware of is
asphalt shingle roofing can actually reflect sunlight. In fact, the asphalt shingles tend to
reflect UV rays from the sun instead of absorbing the UV rays which ensures that your
home stays comfortable during hot temperatures in the summertime and this can
potentially lower your cooling expenses.

An asphalt shingle roof is also very lightweight and it’s actually a benefit to opt for
lightweight roofing materials because if you have a large amount of weight on your
property, it can result in adding an additional strain on your building which can result in
larger problems in the long run. Especially during the winter when your roof is piled up with snow and ice because the snow will also put additional weight on your roof. Very
different from a steel roof however, an asphalt shingle roof is sound dampening which
means it can reduce the amount of sound that can penetrate through your roof making it
a quieter and more comfortable environment inside your home.

Not to mention that these roofs typically have better insulation which ultimately
reduces your energy expenses.

To put it simply, there are many advantages of choosing asphalt shingles
because they’re affordable, reliable, they come in a variety of colors, they reflect UV
rays, they’re lightweight, and they reduce sound penetration.

When to use asphalt shingles on your roof?

If you’re not sure what type of roof to settle for, it all depends on what your end
goal is. Asphalt shingles are extremely common in Montreal because of all of their
benefits. Asphalt shingles are very common within residential housing because of their
low cost compared to other roofing materials, and asphalt shingles are mostly seen on
pitched roofs due to their versatility. The asphalt shingles can also be laid out in different
angles and shapes, and they also come in a wide variety of colors. If ever you want a
material to be durable, your best bet might also be asphalt shingles because they can
withstand a pretty large amount of direct impact from hail and falling branches for
example. Lastly, if ever a fire were to start in your home, the asphalt shingles can
prevent it from spreading up and out.

Comparing shingle roofs to other type of materials like metal roof and slate roof

Before comparing shingle roofing to metal and slate roofing we need to take into
consideration some advantages and disadvantages of shingle roofing. The advantages
are simple. Asphalt shingles are cheap to make, cheap to get, and cheap to install.
Asphalt shingles are also easy to work with, they’re relatively durable and they come in
a variety of colors. However, they are susceptible to damage in certain weather
conditions and they have a low snow retention. As for a metal roof, the advantages are
their low maintenance, they have an extremely high longevity, and they can procure
some energy savings for homeowners. But, they are much higher in cost to install
compared to asphalt shingles, and the installation can be more challenging because the
material is much heavier than asphalt shingles. If you want to dive further into metal roofing, here you can learn more about Metal roofing in Montreal.

Next up, we have slate roofing. A few advantages of selecting a slate roof are the wide variety of customizations that a homeowner can choose from. Slate tiles can be sized in different shapes to create
patterns and geometric designs which can add texture to your home’s overall appearance. As for the color, slate tiles can come in a few different colors but slate tiles that are sourced from Quebec are typically black. More advantages of choosing a slate roof are the low maintenance and high durability of slate tiles. This material is built to last so it’s extremely durable. As for the disadvantages of a slate roof, the slate tiles have a very high installation cost because of how heavy the slate tiles are, not to
mention how fragile they are once it’s time to install since they can fall and break easily.

So, at the end of the day, it all depends on what you’re willing to spend and what
you want the overall look of the roof to be.

Shingle roof installation Montreal

How to install a shingle roof in Montreal? Ultimately the first step that needs to be
taken is roofing safety. Make sure you’re wearing the appropriate safety gear for the job
such as a hard hat, gloves, and eye protection. The right shoes are very important as
well because you never know if you’ll be working on slippery surfaces. And of course,
don’t forget your tool belt! As for environmental safety regulations, you want to make
sure you’re working with a dry roof and not a wet or icy roof which can result in injury.

Next up, asphalt shingle installation takes a little planning because you need to make
sure you have the right permits and the right amount of shingles for the job. Once it’s
time to install the roof shingles, the first step is to remove any existing shingles. Then
the following steps would look as follows, you want to clear the roof of any debris,
inspect the roof deck, install the eave drip edge flashing and a leak barrier, install the
underlayment and the rake drip edge flashing, install starter shingles, begin installing
shingles, install additional courses of shingles, fit shingles around pipes, vents and other
features, finish installing the shingles and then clean up the work area.

Shingle roof replacements costs

According to Roof Replacement Costs in 2024 – Toronto vs. Montreal written by
Jason Pagliuca for RenoAssistance, “Cost-wise, asphalt shingles are least expensive –
going for approximately $6/sq. ft. on the lower end of the scale – which would come out
to about $6,000 for an average-sized bungalow.” It obviously depends on where you live
in Montreal and what types of quotes you receive from different contractors within
Montreal but the minimum is about $6 per square foot.

How to pick a shingle roofing contractor in Montreal

Choosing a shingle roofing contractor in Montreal can be quite daunting but it can
easily be gone about by using the same tips you might use to find other workers in different professional fields. The first recommendation I have is to ask around. Ask your friends, family, coworkers, etc. to see if they know of any reliable shingle roofing contractors in Montreal. Another tip to select the right shingle roofing contractor in Montreal is by price. Depending on what you’re willing to spend on this roofing job, the price can be a huge factor in selecting the right contractor for the job. With
word-of-mouth and price also comes patience. It’s normal not to find your contractor
right away and it’s actually recommended to take your time in finding one because it will
give you better results in the long run. Also, according to 10 Tips For Choosing A
Roofing Contractor by Mike Holmes, not accepting cash deals should be a given. “I
don’t ever encourage cash deals but they still do happen – please remember the risk
you are taking, no paper trail, no guarantees – nothing! In the event of an issue or a
dispute, documentation always wins. Stay away from a contractor who insists on cash
payments. Cash is not traceable.” Other quick tips to finding a shingle roofing contractor
in Montreal are to make sure the contractor you’ve selected has the right licenses for
the job, and make sure you have the right permits as well.

Maintenance tips for shingle roofing

As for maintenance, it’s very important to check up on your roof every once in a
while in order to increase the lifespan of your roof. According to Select The Right
Asphalt Shingles published by Rona, it is advised to, “Inspect your roof every two or
three years, though not more often since every time you walk on the roof you cause
some damage;” The article also suggests inspecting the attic of your home to make
sure the insulating wool and wood are both dry because if these materials appear to be
humid or wet, it may be due to inadequate ventilation in your attic which can ultimately
result in larger problems. Another maintenance tip is to clean and maintain your gutters
because your gutters are what protect your roof since they direct water and debris away
from your roof and the foundation of your home. If your gutters are not cleaned and
maintained, the gunk will build up and create damage to your roof and even worse, to
the foundation of your home. Also, trim any branches hanging near your roofline. This
tip can be self-explanatory to many homeowners but to others, it might not. By trimming
branches, you’re keeping this debris away from your roof but you’re also preventing the
branches from causing damage if ever a natural disaster happens such as a heavy
storm and/or earthquake and the branches were to fall on your roof to create damage.
The last maintenance tip is to replace the caulk around flashings as needed. Your roof
should have flashing around the chimney and vent pipes to prevent water from leaking
into your home so to ensure that water doesn’t leak through, it’s recommended to
inspect and replace the caulk on an annual basis. As you inspect if you notice that the

caulk is missing or starting to lift up in certain areas, simply scrape away the old caulk
and apply a new bead to fill the gap.