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If you ask any roofing contractor, you’ll quickly find that asphalt roofing is the most popular type of roofing in North America. It might be hard to believe that modern asphalt roofing was only invented around one hundred years ago, since it’s so predominant in our neighbourhoods today.
The question is, how was asphalt first used and how did asphalt roofing become so popular?
The Original Use of Asphalt
For some reason, we tend to think these materials are an innovation of our time, but we’re not the geniuses who initially used them. The first civilizations discovered asphalt in asphalt lakes and rock mixtures, and it didn’t take them long to discover asphalt’s useful waterproofing properties.
The Mesopotamians sealed their water reservoirs with asphalt and the Babylonians used it as brick mortar. Without asphalt, the Romans also wouldn’t have been able to construct their baths or aqueducts. Nowadays, a roofing contractor can guarantee that asphalt roofing prevents water from entering a home.
Asphalt in North America
It wasn’t until the late 1800’s when the first felt sheet was saturated with asphalt, which would transform into the asphalt roofing that we know today. At the time, felt pieces would simply be laid over rooftops. Gradually, the felt pieces were cut and transformed into shingles, making the job more complex for a roofing contractor.
How Asphalt Shingles have Changed
We’ve come a long way since one hundred years ago in terms of how we make asphalt shingles. Apart from developing a number of patterns, today’s shingles come in different sizes and colours. Asphalt roofing may be the most common roofing choice, but it’s extremely diverse!
By using roofing contractor, it’s easy to pick out emerging roofing style trends. You’ll also have the satisfaction knowing that your roof will be finished professionally.
Newer Eco-Friendly Practices
I’m hesitant to place sustainability as a trend, because sustainability is a permanent change and not a fleeting fashion. You can easily locate a disposal facility by asking your roofing contractor and recycle old asphalt shingles at the end of their useful life.
Why It Remains Popular
Asphalt roofing remains popular because of its timeless appeal and its cost effectiveness. When compared to other roofing materials, asphalt is less expensive due to its wide availability and low manufacturing costs. A roofing contractor usually gives quotes for their service, making it easy to compare different material costs.
There are both pros and cons to using asphalt shingles, and not everything should be based on price. You can find more advantages and disadvantages of asphalt shingles here:
Asphalt has always been a popular construction material because of its wonderful waterproofing capabilities. In the future, it’ll continue being a popular material due to its functional and timeless aesthetic!
Once you have decided to move forward with your project, in order to get started we require payment of 20% down and 80% upon completion of project.