Asphalt roofing shingles vary depending on rating which depends mainly on thickness and weight. There is no exact way to tell how long a specific shingle is ultimately going to last. Temperature fluctuation, freezing temps, pitch, sunlight are all things that are going to affect and diminish the life of an asphalt shingle. 25 year three tab shingles are usually going to last 17-20 years. Back in the 80's and 90's you could get a thick, heavy 3 tab. Now days they are the thinnest and cheapest shingle you can get. Your 30 year architectural shingles are usually going to last 20-25. And your 50 year rated shingles or lifetime shingles might last 30 or more. Northern climates do not get as much life out of their shingles as southern climates due to freezing and differing expansion and contraction rates of some of the materials used.

Weight and thickness. More material in the shingle means more cost to produce, which should translate into longer life.

No. You get what you pay for. Your big companies, like Owens Corning, GAF and Certainteed don't really tarnish their names by making cheap products. No matter what class of shingle you get it will perform properly. Some of the off brands can have inconsistencies in the color of their granules and even worse may not seal properly. If you are in a climate that gets high winds I would only use a shingle from one of the three brands mentioned above.

What makes Genesis Roof Repair different? Honesty and a roof by roof approach. There are a lot of bad architects out there. It's a fact. Not to mention contractors who do whatever the homeowner wants even if the homeowner has no idea of the consequences. You can't run a skylight into the valley. It's a bad idea. You can't run water from 2000 ft² of roof into 3 feet of gutter. It's a bad idea. There are many scenarios where standard roofing practices will not work and a custom approach is necessary. If you refer to my "about us" section I go in detail.

Once again, there are some factors here, but typically any roof 50 squares or less I'll get it done in one day. 50 squares is typically a 6000 or more square-foot home. If it's wide-open and easy going, like an apartment building, we can hit 75.

Typically you should get a new roof when you have considerable granule loss, curling shingles or multiple leaks. Having the worst looking roof in the neighborhood is also not a bad time to consider a new roof.

There is never a bad time to get a new roof unless you are in a cold climate. Optimal conditions for proper sealing of the shingles means high temperatures above 45°F. Obviously in the spring or rainy season it's a little trickier dodging rain days but still not an issue.

You should always file an insurance claim if you have missing shingles, unless you like paying retail prices. Insurance companies can't drop you for weather related issues. High winds or hail are great opportunities to get a new roof for just your deductible. That's why you have insurance. I know people that live in the "hail belt" that have never paid for a new roof out of their own pocket. Some have even gotten new roofs in back to back years.

Any weather related damage his insurance claim worthy. Wind blown shingle loss, hail damage, fallen tree, if mother nature did it it's your insurance company's responsibility to fix it. That said, not all insurance companies are the same. Let me say that again, not all insurance companies will approve the same level of damage. There's an insurance company out there that claims you're in good hands, they're probably the worst hands you could be in.

Ahh, the greatest question and mystery of them all. Once again, the type of shingle, how many stories your home is, how steep your pitch is, are all factors that will increase the price of a full roof replacement. I'll just say this, small roof $6000. Medium roof $12,000. Big roof $18,000. Large roof $25,000. Very large roof, more. Obviously those are crude estimations. Call me and I'd be happy to give you a free estimate.