Designer Shingle

A designer shingle, also marketed as a luxury or premium shingle, is a heavy laminated asphalt shingle made of three or more layers. Its tabs are cut and coloured to suggest natural slate, hand-split wood shakes or other high-end materials at a lower weight and cost than the real thing.

Characteristics

Designer shingles are the heaviest asphalt products on the market. Reference material for roofing contractors lists weights of about 350 to more than 450 lb per square (roughly 17-22 kg/m²), compared with about 190-230 lb for basic three-tab shingles. Many carry the highest available ratings: wind resistance of 130 mph (209 km/h) or more, and UL 2218 Class 4 impact resistance. Manufacturer warranties on these products are often 50 years or described as "lifetime", but such warranties are normally prorated and conditional on correct installation.

Appearance

Common styles include:

• Slate-look: narrow, flat, often staggered tabs in grey, black or mixed colours.
• Shake-look: deep, irregular tabs with strong shadow lines to imitate hand-split cedar.
• Scalloped or rounded tabs: used to suggest historic fish-scale or beaver-tail patterns.

Considerations

The weight is still far below natural slate, which commonly weighs 700-900 lb per square (about 34-44 kg/m²), so designer shingles can usually be installed on a conventional framed roof without reinforcement. However, the extra thickness makes them stiffer to handle in cold weather, and dedicated starter, hip and ridge products are normally required to complete the look. As with all asphalt shingles, heat ageing and granule loss, rather than the mat, usually limit service life.