Thermal Splitting Roof Shingles

These conditions create stresses between the two assemblies that if extreme enough can result in shingle splitting or buckling.

Thermal splitting roof shingles.

It may also form a diagonal pattern up the roof following the stair up pattern of the offset joints made during installation. Thermal splitting is due to the contraction and expansion the shingle experiences as a result of changing temperatures. Thermal splitting happens when the shingles on your roof expand and contract at quickly. January 8 2019 by brienne gebhart.

Thermal splitting occurs due to changes in temperature that cause shingles to expand and contract. This usually happens where the roof shingles connect to the joints in the underlying layer of shingles. What it looks like thermal splitting looks very different from shingle cracking. The catastrophic early shingle splitting failures like the ones illustrated earlier in this article were principally a problem of lightweight fiberglass mat based asphalt roof shingles made during the period discussed above.

What is thermal splitting. Common asphalt shingle failure factors include improper storage and handling of the asphalt shingles before installation improper nailing improper flashing which pertains to any roofing material and defective asphalt shingle product material leading to thermal splitting cracking blistering staining and in some cases curling or cupping shingles. A lesser known yet equally damaging cause is thermal splitting. Certain conditions can cause asphalt shingles to crack such as high winds impact from hailstones or airborne debris.

Thermal splitting is common in low quality asphalt shingles. Craze cracking in organic or fiberglass shingles is an indication of aging. If the roof is fairly new cracking may be a sign of a weak mat or low quality shingles. Rogers roofing the leading roofing company discusses facts about this unwanted shingle damage and how to prevent it from occurring.

But thermal splitting is particularly a problem with fiberglass mat based asphalt roof shingles. Thermally split shingles aren t randomly strewn out across the roof surface. Thermal splitting typically happens where shingles bridge the joints in the. Too much filler in the asphalt mix may also cause the same.

How thermal splitting happens. Unless the shingles are extremely heavy duty this can lead to thermal splitting. Whether you have conventional 3 tab shingles or laminated asphalt shingles you may have to deal with thermal damage like this if your home is exposed to extreme temperature swings. Roof shingles are exposed to heat rain and humidity.

Changes in temperature cause the material components of the shingles to warp then split apart. If thermal expansion is having an negative effect on your roofing system this is a good indicator that the asphalt shingles installed on your roof are defective or of low quality. A variety of factors lead to this problem including thermal cycling and the adhesive that holds each shingle in place. Shingle splitting due to temperature related expansion and contraction is called thermal splitting.