Roofing shingles are something that most every homeowner has,

but few spend enough time thinking about them. Roofing Shingles provide a single layer solution to a leak proof roof. Roofing shingles are generally laid out from the bottom edge of the roof upward, with each higher row overlapping the lower row . Early shingles were made of wood and were capped at the top with a row of copper or lead sheeting. In modern shingle roofs this is replaced by a row of roofing shingles that includes a plastic underlay.

In the old days wood roofing shingles were considered good. But in time modern materials such as asphalt and asbestos cement replaced wood as common materials. Today fiberglass based asphalt shingles are the most popular roofing shingle used in the United States. The obvious issue with wood is fire, and fire is the reason wood and paper backed shingles are used infrequently in modern construction.

Most people have seen a special type of wood shingle, but wouldn't be able to identify it. It's called a shake, a wooden shingle made from split logs. Shake roofs were commonly used in building log cabins, and with many wood frame homes. They're still in use today, most commonly transported by helicopters, but it wasn't always done that way. Before the invention of helicopters the shakes were tied into packs and transported by pack animal or even by human power. Often cut in hilly areas, they were carried down the slope with the help of a long line run from the bottom to the top. This line served as a kind of railing so people carrying the shake packs wouldn't fall.

Many people wonder what is the difference between a shingle and a tile. Tiles are generally made from ceramic. They're brittle and ill suited to locations where tree limbs might fall on a roof. Shingles are flexible and therefor better able to stand up to tree limbs. Wood shingles rot, while ceramic tiles don't., but modern materials such as the asbestos base for most shingles don't rot. Another difference is in the shape. Shingles are flat, while ceramic tiles commonly have an “S” profile to allow them to interlock for strength.

Believe it or not slate is also used for roofing shingles. Because of both cleavage and grain slate can be easily split into thin sheets. Such sheets, the slate shingles, make for an antique look for a roof. Slaters, tradesmen trained to work with slate, cut and install slate roofing shingles. Because slate is fireproof and an electric insulators, qualities that make it excellent for roofing shingles, slate was used for early 20th century switchboards and relay controls for large electric motors . Imaging making a phone call on your roofing shingles.