Asphalt shingle roofing in Las Vegas

Asphalt shingle is the most common roof covering in the United States and a large share of valley homes have it. It is affordable, fast to install and easy to repair, which is a genuinely good combination.

Its weakness is the one thing Las Vegas has in abundance. Asphalt shingle ages primarily through heat and ultraviolet exposure, and a shingle roof here works considerably harder than the same roof would in a milder climate.

How shingles age in the Mojave

Shingle failure here follows a recognisable sequence, and knowing where your roof is in it tells you roughly how much time you have:

• Granule loss first, which shows up as coloured grit in gutters and at downspout outlets. The granules are the ultraviolet shield, so losing them accelerates everything after
• Colour fading and patchiness across the slopes, particularly on south and west facing sections
• Curling and lifting at the edges and corners of tabs as the mat dries and shrinks
• Cracking and brittleness, at which point shingles snap rather than flex when handled
• Broken seal strips, so tabs no longer bond down and lift in monsoon wind
• Bare spots where the asphalt mat is exposed, which fail quickly once they start

South and west slopes go first

This is not subtle in this valley. The slopes taking direct afternoon sun routinely age several years ahead of north facing slopes on the same house. It is common to see a roof where one elevation is clearly finished and another looks serviceable.

That does not usually mean replacing half a roof. It does mean an inspection should look at each elevation separately rather than judging the whole roof from the easiest slope to see.

Choosing shingles for this climate

If you are replacing, the specification conversation is worth having properly. Ask about the wind rating, which matters for monsoon microbursts, about high temperature rated underlayment, and about whether a cool roof rated shingle is available in the colour you want.

Ask too what happens to the manufacturer warranty if the roof is not ventilated to their specification, because that condition is in most of them and it is the clause that gets invoked.

Who actually does the work

An independent roofing contractor, working under their own Nevada licence and insurance, not Best Vegas Roofer. They inspect your roof, quote you directly, and warrant their own work. Roofing in Nevada falls under contractor licence classification C-15, Roofing and Siding, issued by the Nevada State Contractors Board. (Nevada State Contractors Board, License Classifications)

Before work starts, check them yourself. The Nevada State Contractors Board publishes a free public licence search, so you can confirm a contractor is licensed, check the classification they hold and see their licence status before any work starts. (Nevada State Contractors Board, Contractor License Search)