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Roofing Materials Guide
Choosing Roofing Materials For A New England Home: 3-Tab, Architectural, And Luxury Shingles
Most roofs around Tewksbury are asphalt shingles, but asphalt covers a wide range. Here's how the three main types compare, where metal fits, and the parts of the roof that matter as much as the shingle.
What Most Roofs Around Here Are Made Of
Walk any street in Tewksbury or Billerica and almost every house has an asphalt shingle roof. It suits the colonials, capes, and split-levels that make up most of the area, it costs less than metal or slate, and with the right details at the eaves it handles a Massachusetts winter well. That's why asphalt is what we install on homes, using CertainTeed shingles.
Other materials do show up. Metal roofing is durable and sheds snow, and it's often the right choice for low-slope sections where shingles won't work; that work falls under our commercial roofing services. Slate and cedar shake are on some older and higher-end homes. Both are handsome, both need specialist crews, and cedar needs more upkeep in a damp, shaded yard. For most homeowners, though, the choice comes down to which kind of asphalt shingle.
3-Tab Shingles
The traditional asphalt shingle. Each strip is cut into three flat tabs, which gives the roof a clean, even, brick-like pattern. They're the lightest and most affordable option and built to hold up for 20 years or more.
They're also the thinnest, which means less resistance to wind and a shorter life than the thicker options. 3-tab makes sense on a garage or shed, on a house you plan to sell soon, or anywhere the budget has to come first.
Architectural Shingles
Also called dimensional or laminated shingles. Two layers are bonded together, which makes the shingle thicker and gives the roof depth and shadow lines that 3-tab can't match. They last longer, stand up to wind better, and are the choice most homeowners make when they replace a roof. CertainTeed's Landmark is the architectural line you can try in our Roof Color Designer.
Luxury Shingles
Also called designer or premium shingles. They're the heaviest and thickest asphalt shingles, built to look like slate or wood shake without the weight, cost, or upkeep of the real thing. The extra thickness makes them tougher against wind, hail, and New England storms. They cost more, and they're worth it on a house where the roof is a big part of how it looks from the street.
The Parts Of A Roof You Don't See
The shingle gets all the attention, but a roof is a system, and the layers under it decide how long the shingle lasts.
- Decking. The plywood or boards everything is nailed to. On a full replacement we tear off down to the deck and replace any soft or rotted sections before anything goes back on.
- Ice-and-water shield. A self-sealing membrane laid at the eaves, where ice dams push water uphill under the shingles. It seals around every nail and is the detail that saves the most ceilings in a New England winter.
- Underlayment. The layer over the rest of the deck, a second line of defense under the shingles.
- Flashing. Metal at the chimney, walls, valleys, and vents, where most leaks start. We rebuild it rather than seal over the old.
- Ventilation. Intake at the soffits and exhaust at the ridge keep the attic cold in winter and cooler in summer. Get this wrong and even a top-shelf shingle ages early. Our guide to attic insulation and roof ventilation explains how it works.
This is why the installer matters as much as the shingle. As CertainTeed Shingle Master Certified installers, we can back the whole roof with CertainTeed's 50-Year Materials & Labor Warranty, plus Senco's own 10-Year Workmanship Warranty, both in writing.
Choosing A Roof Color
Color is the part people worry about most, and it's the hardest to judge from a sample board. Our free Roof Color Designer puts any CertainTeed Landmark color on a roof we installed or on a photo of your own house. Only the shingles change, so the light and shadows on your house stay the same.
A few things to think about: the roof should work with the siding, the trim, and any brick or stone you're keeping. Darker roofs hide streaks and staining better. Lighter roofs reflect more of the summer sun. And a roof lasts decades, so a color that's safe with a few different siding colors gives you room to change the house later. Our guide to choosing a siding color covers how the two work together.
How To Choose
Five questions settle it for most people.
- How long will you be in the house? If you're staying ten years or more, the longer life of architectural or luxury shingles pays for itself. If you're selling soon, 3-tab or architectural is the usual call.
- What does the house look like? A plain ranch and a steep-roofed colonial show off a roof differently. The more roof you can see from the street, the more the shingle matters to how the house looks.
- How exposed is it? An open lot or a hilltop takes more wind. Thicker shingles hold better.
- How much shade? Heavily wooded lots grow moss and algae. Ask about algae-resistant options and plan to keep branches trimmed.
- What's the budget? Most asphalt roofs in Tewksbury run about $9,000 to $12,000. Our free roof quote gets you a number for your house, and financing starts at 0% for 12 months through GreenSky, with 10- and 15-year plans.
We'll walk you through all three shingle types at the free inspection, with samples, and tell you which one fits your house and your plans. If you're still deciding whether the roof needs replacing at all, start with our guide to roof repair or replacement. If you're deciding when, see the best time of year to replace a roof. Our roof replacement page covers how we install every option.
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Roofing material questions we get at every estimate
What is the best roofing material for New England?
For most homes, architectural asphalt shingles. They handle snow, ice, and wind well when installed with ice-and-water shield at the eaves and good attic ventilation, they last longer than 3-tab, and they cost far less than slate or metal. Luxury shingles are the step up when looks and storm resistance matter most. Metal is a strong choice for low-slope sections where shingles won't work.
What's the difference between 3-tab and architectural shingles?
3-tab shingles are a single flat layer cut into three tabs, which gives the roof a flat, uniform look. They're lighter and cost less. Architectural shingles are two layers bonded together, so they're thicker, they give the roof depth and shadow lines, they resist wind better, and they last longer. Most homeowners replacing a roof choose architectural.
Are luxury shingles worth the extra cost?
They are when the roof is a big part of how the house looks, or when the house takes a lot of wind. Luxury shingles are the thickest asphalt shingles, made to look like slate or cedar shake, and the extra weight makes them tougher in storms. On a low roof you can barely see from the street, architectural shingles give you most of the benefit for less.
Is a metal roof better than asphalt shingles?
It depends on the roof. Metal lasts a long time and sheds snow, and it's often the right answer for low-slope sections over a porch or addition. It also costs more, and snow sliding off a metal roof can land on walkways and plantings. For the main roof on most homes around here, a well-installed asphalt roof is the better value.