Roof Designs With Fiberglass Shingles

Fiberglass Shingles

• Fiberglass shingles consist of fine glass fibers, which form a material that molds easily into various shapes and textures. The physical properties of fiberglass create a water-resistant shingle that maintains its structure and form in the face of wet, cold or hot weather conditions. Much like the manufacturers of asphalt, metal and wood shingles, fiberglass manufacturers produce a wide range of designs and coatings that vary in price and durability. As a result, some high-end fiberglass shingles come with 50-year warranties.

Wood & Shaker Designs

• Shake roof styles were common during the 1800s. Wood shake tends to break down over time as heat, water and moisture eat away at the wood materials. The versatility afforded by fiberglass can produce a shake look while maintaining shake's water-resistant properties and lasting much longer. When laminated, fiberglass surfaces produce the natural woodlike textures found in shake. With glass fibers as the composite material, fiberglass shingles adhere well to paint coatings that closely resemble the natural colors found in wood shake and shingles.

Slate Designs

• Fiberglass shingle designs can create the same dark, smooth surface of natural slate roofs commonly found on churches and mansion estates. To achieve this effect, manufacturers create a multilayered fiberglass material. By applying specialized paint coatings that resemble natural slate stone, the finished product appears to be the real thing. While natural stone may and its fiberglass lookalike may appear the same, the two materials differ drastically in weight, with fiberglass weighing considerably less. With fiberglass slate, a roof design can include a double-row effect that remains intact in high wind conditions.

Panel Designs

• As panel-size roofing is considerably larger than standard shingles, roofs with panels typically use metal materials such as copper, aluminum and galvanized steel. These types of metals are lightweight and easy to mold into shapes with flat planes, such as the crimped lip of a roofing. The lightweight properties found in fiberglass also make for a suitable panel material that lies evenly. Much like metal panels, fiberglass designs can mold to make different elements, such as corrugated surfaces or tapered edges. As fiberglass adheres well to different textures and paint coatings, a fiberglass panel roof design can easily take on the appearance of a metal panel roof.