New technology is pushing shingles’ performance further

By Emma Peterson. 

New technological developments are pushing shingles into a new era. 

In the first Read Listen Watch® (RLW) of 2024,  Heidi J. Ellsworth met with Melissa Dunson of TAMKO® to talk about the science of creating roof shingles that are durable and easy to install. Melissa is the manager of marketing and communications at TAMKO. It's been an exciting time for her, she explained, “We've really had a movement into performance products and performance marketing.” 

This movement is focused on transitioning from traditional shingles into a type of shingle that performs better in both the installation and over its lifespan. One thing that has changed in installation is nailing lines and zones. Melissa explained, “Anybody who's been roofing in the last 15 years has seen how nailing lines have gone from needing to be in the common bond to a much wider nailing zone.” Manufacturers made this shift to make shingle installation quicker while maintaining accuracy. To achieve this, the structure of shingles themselves was redeveloped.  

Melissa spoke to how TAMKO adapted to this with a nailing line reinforcement, saying, “Ours is called the anchor lock layer. It is a proprietary polyester fabric. We embed the two-inch strip into the common bond of the backside of the shingle while the asphalt is hot and the whole thing binds together. It's an incredibly strong fiber.” In addition to improving the installation process of shingles, there has been an effort to create roofing systems with longer lifespans. A key part of this is the sealants below the shingles on the roof.  

A key development in sealants is the use of polymer-based sealants. Melissa elaborated, “These are softer sealants that don't require as long or as high of temperatures to seal down, which is really helpful in colder climates or really windy climates where you need it to seal down quickly.” By keeping the temperature range smaller, it avoids compression or expansion issues, meaning the final seal is more effective. There has also been work on the composition of shingles themselves by developing things like granules that are more UV resistant than before. Melissa explained, “The granules are protecting the asphalt underneath, which is what's causing those shingles to be able to shed water. You must protect that asphalt for longevity on the roof.” Overall, technology is allowing manufacturers such as TAMKO to create more effective and efficient shingle systems. 

Read the transcript, Listen to the podcast or Watch the Webinar to learn more about the science of high-performance asphalt shingles.