Asphalt shingle roofs lose wind resistance after 10 years, Florida officials say

[Zorro]

Last edited Mon Feb 10, 2025, 10:50 AM - Edit history (1)

Degradation from the sun will weaken the shingles, which are petroleum based, after a decade, state officials said at a hearing.

Asphalt shingle roofs only provide full protection against hurricane winds until they are 10 years old, state officials told a panel of lawmakers on Tuesday.

After they hit 10 years, degradation from the sun will weaken the shingles, which are petroleum based, to the point where they offer less and less protection, the officials said at a hearing of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee.

Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky expanded on the topic of asphalt shingle roofs that he first raised late last year when he said that they don’t last for 30 years in the state as some manufacturers claim.

“Maybe it’s time to start writing them out of the plot in Florida,” Yaworsky told the Florida Chamber’s annual Insurance Summit in December.

https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida/2025/02/09/asphalt-shingle-roofs-florida/

Shingle roof repairs/replacements are a primary source of insurance claims in Florida, especially after major storm events; I've even heard that companies are not writing policies or dropping homeowner coverage if roofs are 15 years old or older.

Don't know if this article is more a promotion for metal roofs or not, but yeah, asphalt shingles do degrade over time. Metal roofs also have their drawbacks under the Florida sun -- they'll get hot as blazes and I suspect transfer a decent amount of that heat to the underlying roof structure.

No mention of tile roofs in the article; I suppose it may be because they are a more expensive option and probably require stronger subroof support.

[Oneear]

1. I do Believe We need to have Asphalt Shingle Grinders for Florida

Roofers are now given a foot in the Door to reroof houses in Florida Insurance

[radical noodle]

3. Insurers in my area are dropping coverage

for homes with old roofs, or at least not covering the roof.

A few years ago there was a roofing scam going on in our area (not sure whether it was widespread) where roofers claimed storm damage when it was actually just an old roof that needed to be replaced. Insurers don't plan to be taken like that again.

[radical noodle]

2. People who have lived in Florida any time at all

should have known this. Planned communities generally have requirements about materials used to build homes and it's almost always asphalt shingles.

There are currently advertisements for "roofing renewal treatments" that are supposed to extend the life of asphalt shingles. I'm not sure how or if they work. I'd be interested in hearing from someone who has actually had it done and what they think of it, or if it's just another cosmetic treatment that does nothing useful.

[mitch96]

4. After being thru a bunch of "near miss" hurricanes I can attest that the streets and lawns are covered with

shingles that had blown off..
As for the insurance Our townhome association went to renew our insurance 2 years ago. The insurance company said our "25 year roof warranty" was really only good for 20 years. We were at 19 years and the roof had to be replaced or they would not insure us.. Needless to say they have got you by the short hairs.

We jumped on this real quick and got some good prices before the "rush"..It was still a good chunk of change. Many inmates in our complex were upset needless to say. We had a "roof reserve fund" but still had to pay a good bit. Some condo/townhomes did not have reserves and are now screaming about the high cost....
m