Asphalt Shingle

Asphalt shingle is a roofing material made from a fiberglass or, in older products, organic felt mat coated with waterproofing asphalt and surfaced with mineral granules for weather and ultraviolet protection, manufactured as individual overlapping tabs or strips nailed to a sloped roof deck. Developed in the United States in the early twentieth century as a cheaper, fire-resistant alternative to wood shingles, it became by far the most common residential roofing material in North America through the twentieth century for its low cost, ease of installation and wide range of manufactured colors and textures, though its typical service life of twenty to thirty years is shorter than slate, tile or metal roofing.