Asphalt shingles have been in use by shingle roofing contractors as a preferred and economical roofing material for over a full century.
Though they have improved considerably over the decades, the shingles currently used by shingle roofing companies are not terribly different from the first asphalt shingles ever made.
This brief explanation of how they were invented and why shingle roof installation is used on so many homes is worthwhile knowledge for homeowners and contractors alike!
Layered Roofing Fabric - The Predecessor to Asphalt Shingles
The birth of the materials used by shingle roofing contractors today evolved from much simpler beginnings in the form of a layered fabric roofing material developed by brothers Samuel and Cyrus Warren of Cincinnati Ohio.
This process began In the early to mid-1800s, when roofing was commonly done by layering heavy paper or fabric over a building, coating it with pine tar and then sand, the different layers working together to create a more durable and water-resistant coating.
Over time, the pine tar was replaced by coal tar, which was readily available as a waste material of the gas light industry and therefore much less expensive.
That was until the demand for coal tar increased when the chemical industry wanted waste coal tar for use in new developing products and was willing to pay more for the tar.
Asphalt Shingles Before They Were Shingles
With the cost of coal tar rising, the roofing industry sought an adhesive replacement that was more affordable, once again finding that in waste material, this time from the oil industry.
The Warrens learned through experimentation that waste oil could be easily mixed with pulverized asphalt to create a durable roofing pitch that was not only easy to mix, but also inexpensive.
When spread on cotton-based felted fabric, the mixture actually made a better alternative to the original coal tar and sand.
By the end of the 1800s, this asphalt, oil, and felt combination was the standard makeup of the products used by roofing companies to install on most buildings.
Invention of the Asphalt Shingle Still Being Used By Shingle Roofing Contractors
The first asphalt shingles were made by roofing contractor Henry Reynolds of Grand Rapids Michigan, who is credited as the inventor of the product that is still being used everywhere by shingle roofing companies.
His process was simply to cut the rolls of asphalt-saturated roofing material into smaller pieces to make them easier to handle.
He cut them into 8” x 16” shingles and the process was so quickly adopted that within a decade, a die-cut machine to cut asphalt shingles had been developed.
This development went on as various shingle shapes and sizes were tried for shingle roof installations, with the 12” x 36” 3-tab design that is still used today becoming standardized in the 1950s.
Asphalt Shingles - A Tried And True Roofing Material
While the asphalt products used by shingle roofing contractors today are made of higher-quality materials and come in more attractive shapes and styles, they are all based on the same ideas developed by the Warrens and later Reynolds, with only a few differences.
Between the durability and longevity of today’s more advanced products used by modern shingle roof companies, and the convenient size in comparison to heavy, cumbersome roll materials, it is easy to see how asphalt shingles have become such a preferred and dependable roofing material.
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Every shingle roof installation done by contractors such as those at Griffin Roofing, even today, adds another page to the long history of this amazing roofing material!
When looking for experienced and trusted roofers, be sure to contact Griffin Roofing for expert roofing replacement and repairs – call them at (404) 998-8984 to schedule an appointment for a roof inspection!
