JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Asphalt shingles may not protect Florida homes against hurricane-force winds past 10 years, according to state officials.
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That information was presented to a panel of lawmakers at the February Senate Committee hearing on Banking and Insurance.
State officials cited a report completed in June by the Applied Research Associates (ARA).
“Asphalt shingle roof covers will not survive 100 mph winds after 10 years of age,” Michael Newman said at the hearing. Newman is general counsel for the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety.
Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky says the evidence shows these roofs don’t last 30 years as many manufacturers claim.
The commissioner is talking specifically about flat 3-tab roofing shingles which lay flat and have a more uniform look. They are not as commonly used as architectural roofing shingles, which are layered and considered significantly more durable, with a longer lifespan.
The ARA report highlights the impact of aging on asphalt roofing shingles, particularly in the context of hurricane damage in Florida. Some of the researcher’s key findings include:
- Increased Vulnerability with Age: Observations from Hurricanes Ian, Michael, and Irma show that older asphalt shingles perform worse than newer ones. Roofs older than ten years have about a 50% probability of sustaining damage during high wind events.
- Partial Unsealing and Adhesion Loss: Studies indicate that as asphalt shingles age, their sealant strips degrade, leading to partial unsealing, especially near end joints. This weakens their wind resistance, making them more prone to damage.
- Higher Wind Uplift on Aged Shingles: Wind load tests reveal that partially unsealed three-tab shingles experience greater uplift forces than fully sealed shingles. This effect is more pronounced in older shingles, contributing to increased failure rates.
- Empirical Loss Modeling: Updated loss models indicate a clear correlation between shingle age and hurricane damage probability. Roofs older than 14 years show significantly higher loss ratios compared to newer ones.
- Insurance and Mitigation Considerations: Insurance models and mitigation strategies now account for shingle aging, recognizing that Florida Building Code-compliant roofs from the early 2000s have now aged to the point where their performance is significantly reduced.
Overall, the study emphasizes that asphalt shingle aging is a critical factor in wind damage risk, advocating for improved maintenance and possibly shorter replacement cycles in hurricane-prone regions.
Marr Carlucci Jr., an insurance agent with Brightway Insurance, agrees with the report’s findings. He says the 10-year life span is already widely used in the insurance industry adding that some insurance companies won’t even insure homes with older flat-tab asphalt roofing shingles.
Because of that, Carlucci doesn’t expect this research to change insurance costs for most homeowners.
“There’s what the roof manufacturers say, and then there’s what insurance companies data says. And in Florida, I think the longest you’re probably going to get out of any roof life expectancy wise, is 25 years,” Carlucci said. “A 50-year roof may last 50 years in a state that doesn’t have any hurricanes or hail storms, but in Florida, it’s just not going to last that long.”