ROOFINGMATERIALS.
Shingle types, impact ratings, and what survives Calgary hail.
- GUIDES
- 4
- GLOSSARY TERMS
- 27
Two shingles can look identical from the street and behave completely differently in a hailstorm. The differences are in the mat, the asphalt, the granules and the way the product was tested, and most of that is printed on a spec sheet nobody reads.
This shelf covers the materials themselves: what the ratings mean, what the categories are, and what trade-offs you're making when you pick one.
- What's the difference between 3-tab, architectural and designer shingles?
- What does Class 4 impact-rated actually mean?
- Is metal or synthetic worth it in Calgary?
READ THEM IN THIS ORDER.
- 01Asphalt shingle types, explained3-tab shingles are a single flat layer; architectural shingles are two layers laminated together, thicker, and with longer warranties; designer shingles are laminated shingles made to look like slate or shake. The real differences are on the spec sheet, the product standard and the fire, wind and impact ratings, which matter more under Calgary hail than how a shingle looks.
- 02Impact ratings explained: UL 2218 and FM 4473An impact rating tells you how a new roofing product handled a lab test: under UL 2218, Class 4 means a sample survived a 2-inch steel ball dropped from 20 feet without cracking. It's a useful guide in a hail city like Calgary, but it isn't a hail guarantee, weathering lowers it, and any insurance discount is up to your insurer.
- 03Class 4 Impact Shingles & Alberta Insurance DiscountsClass 4 is the top impact rating under UL 2218: a new sample survived a 2-inch steel ball dropped from 20 feet without cracking. It doesn't make a roof hail-proof, and an Alberta insurance discount for it isn't automatic, so confirm with your insurer in writing before you count on one.
THE BASICS
Plain-language primers. Assume nothing.
DEEP DIVES
For when you're mid-decision, mid-claim or mid-argument.
Impact ratings explained: UL 2218 and FM 4473
An impact rating tells you how a new roofing product handled a lab test: under UL 2218, Class 4 means a sample survived a 2-inch steel ball dropped from 20 feet without cracking. It's a useful guide in a hail city like Calgary, but it isn't a hail guarantee, weathering lowers it, and any insurance discount is up to your insurer.
Roofing materials compared for Calgary
Asphalt shingles cost the least and are the easiest to repair, but they're the most exposed to Calgary hail unless you choose an impact-rated product; steel, stone-coated steel, rubber composite, cedar, slate and tile each trade cost, weight, fire and hail performance differently. Compare specific products and their ratings, not just material families.
Class 4 Impact Shingles & Alberta Insurance Discounts
Class 4 is the top impact rating under UL 2218: a new sample survived a 2-inch steel ball dropped from 20 feet without cracking. It doesn't make a roof hail-proof, and an Alberta insurance discount for it isn't automatic, so confirm with your insurer in writing before you count on one.
THE MATERIALS GLOSSARY.
- 3-tab shingle
- A flat, single-layer asphalt shingle with cutouts that make each piece look like three separate tabs.
- Algae-resistant shingle
- An asphalt shingle with treated granules that hold back the algae behind the dark streaks on some roofs. Often marked AR.
- Architectural shingle
- An asphalt shingle made from two or more bonded layers, giving a thicker, dimensional look. Also called a laminated or dimensional shingle.
- Asphalt shingle
- A roofing shingle made of a fibreglass mat coated in asphalt and surfaced with mineral granules.
- ASTM D3161
- A shingle wind test that blows air across a test deck for two hours. Class A passes at 60 mph, Class D at 90 mph and Class F, the top class, at 110 mph.
- ASTM D7158
- A shingle wind test that measures the force needed to break the sealant bond and compares it to calculated uplift. Class H is its top classification.
- Cedar shake
- A thick roofing piece split or sawn from cedar that weathers to grey over time. Untreated shakes have no fire rating, while fire-retardant-treated products can reach Class A, B or C.
- Class 4
- The highest impact rating under UL 2218, meaning the product withstood the largest steel ball in the test without cracking. It means better impact resistance in the test, not a hail-proof roof.
- Class A fire rating
- The highest fire-resistance rating for roof coverings under standards such as ASTM E108 and UL 790. A manufacturer may require a full layer of underlayment for its shingles to qualify.
- Designer shingle
- A laminated asphalt shingle made to imitate slate or shake. It's chosen for appearance first.
- Fibreglass mat
- The reinforcing core inside a modern asphalt shingle. Impact tests such as UL 2218 check the shingle for cracks after each impact.
- FM 4473
- FM Approvals' impact test for rigid roofing such as tile and slate, which fires ice balls at the product. Like UL 2218, it rates products in Class 1 to 4.
