Composition Shingles Are the Most Noticeable

When I was a young man I began learning the roofing trade. I knew absolutely nothing about roofing in Salt Lake or anywhere else for that matter. A couple of roofing contractors took me under their wings, so to speak and taught me the tricks of the roofing trade. First thing they taught me was to use GAF roofing products. GAF roofing materials are the best in the industry. Roofing contractors come to rely on GAF because the products are dependable. Roofing products need to last and they need to bear the wear and tear of industrial use. GAF roofing materials are durable, plain and simple. Composition shingles are the most noticeable, in this writer's opinion. Inferior composition shingles become very brittle and break in cold weather. During the summer months when the weather is hot composition shingles tend to tear and smudge easier with an inferior roofing product. I remember walking on a roof that was laid with inferior roofing materials during a very hot day. You could see my footprints in the shingles. That wouldn't happen with a high quality product like GAF. Back to my first roofing job. The roofing contractors that taught me took the time to teach me well. They showed me how to use a roofing hammer which I had never seen prior to that day. This particular hammer was used for laying composition roofing materials. A small tomahawk is what it looked like. On the head of the hammer were two additional tools. One was a knob that you could loosen and slide back and forth. I soon discovered that this tool was used for measuring the distance the placement distance of each layer of shingle compared to the layer beneath it. Shingles overlap. The other tool was a replaceable blade which was razor sharp. The blade was used for cutting and shaping shingles along the ridges, valleys and vents. If you were not careful, you could easily slice your arm, which I did many times and a newcomer to the industry. Pitched roofing is where composition shingles are used most commonly. They cannot be used on flat roofs. Sitting on a pitched roof and applying shingles is another talent that must be learned. The best way to describe it is that you're sitting on your hip with your legs extended. Roofing products are made to pad your hip while working because composition shingles get hot they can burn through whatever clothing you have on. I have burned my hips many a times. Some roofers sit above the shingles they're laying while reaching down to nail the shingle down. Back in my day, the roofing product used for carrying nails was a simple pouch tied around your waist. As you were nailing, you would just reach inside your pouch and pull out a few nails. I had a habit of putting a few between my lips for easy access. Nowadays, roofing contractors are using air compression to power their hammers. It makes hammering that much easier almost to the point that it takes all the fun and accomplishment out of the job. Using GAF roofing products and materials make the roofing job that much better. I would never use any other line of products or materials. If you want to be the best, use the best.