Roof shingle testing laboratory testing services:

This article lists roof materials testing services and laboratories useful for testing roof shingles and other roof coverings for durability, wind uplift, granule loss, roof covering chemistry, and similar parameters.

Directory of Roofing Shingle Testing Laboratories

[Click to enlarge any image]

Roof shingle testing laboratories support roofing manufacturers by testing shingle samples from the production line to maintain shingle quality control and to avoid manufacturing defects. These same laboratories may provide independent test services to roof failure investigators and insurance companies who are examining roofs for hail damage, storm damage, or other failures that may include defective roofing products.

If your roofing problem is a concern about

• Defective roofing product such as manufacturing defects in asphalt shingles:
  
  see EARLY ASPHALT SHINGLE FAILURE and
  
  also SPLICE DEFECTS on ASPHALT SHINGLES
• Granule loss on asphalt roofs that may be from hail damage, mechanical damage, improper storage or any of eight causes:
  
  see GRANULE LOSS from SHINGLES
• Hail damage on asphalt roofs or roll roofing:
  
  see HAIL DAMAGED ROOFS
• Staining on asphalt roof shingles or roll roofing,
  
  see STAIN DIAGNOSIS on ROOFS where we include diagnostic and testing suggestions
• Other asphalt roof shingle failures:
  
  see ASPHALT SHINGLE FAILURE TYPES - you can also see a complete list of types of roof shingle failures
  

Simple roof shingle tests performed by many labs may include moisture and density - in my opinion tests of questionable utility in assessing the cause of a roof failure. Tests of weight and tear resistance and impact resistance and low temperature flexibility are also performed.

A more complex asphalt shingle test performed by some roof shingle testing laboratories is the desaturation test. This procedure analyzes the extent of loss of asphalt from the shingle substrate. As roof shingles age the volatiles are lost from the original asphalt impregnation of the shingle substrate (organic or fiberglass). As the asphalt ages it becomes more dry and brittle and loses some of its adhesive properties.

Roofing tests are guided by a near deluge of ASTM standards - please

see STANDARDS for ROOFING. For example (from the complete list given at this live link)

• ASTM D 3462 / ASTM D3462M - 09a - Standard Specification for Asphalt Shingles made from Glass Felt and Surfaced with Mineral Granules. [DF: refers to fiberglass-based asphalt shingles].
• ASTM D4977 - 03(2009) Standard Test Method for Granule Adhesion to Mineral Surfaced Roofing by Abrasion
• ASTM D6381 - 08 Standard Test Method for Measurement of Asphalt Shingle Mechanical Uplift Resistance [Wind resistance of shingles - DF]

The asphalt roof shingle desaturation test may look at

• Loss of asphalt from the roof shingle
• Loss of mineral granule coating that protects the roof shingle surface
• Loss of other sealants or other treatments from the shingle surfaces or shingle body

Watch out: a desaturation test evaluates the condition of the shingle and may help assess its remaining life but the test alone, without an expert on-site inspection of the building and all roof surfaces, is in my opinion not a complete diagnostic of the cause of roof wear nor an assessment of the condition of the whole roof.

Other critical information is observed on-site such as the condition of different roof slopes exposed to different conditions, variation in roofing over the same roof surfaces, building moisture, roof ventilation, even basement water entry or a history of ice dams that affect roof life. Other critical factors such as original shingle materials and shingle type, thickness, storage conditions, and plies or shingle design are crucial considerations that must be included in any roof assessment of life, condition, cause of damage, etc.

InspectAPedia.com is an independent publisher of building, environmental, and forensic inspection, diagnosis, and repair information for the public - we have no business nor financial connection with any manufacturer or service provider discussed at our website.

Below we list a variety of roof and roofing product testing laboratories who offer roofing durability testing, impact testing, and other roofing material tests.

Laboratories Specializing in Asphalt Roofing Product Testing

• Intertek, offices in North & South America ( Tel: 1-800-967-5352), Europe, the Middle East, & Africa, (Tel: +44 (0) 116 296 1620) and Asia Pacific regions (Tel: +852 2173 8888)
  Website: http://www.intertek.com/
• PRI Asphalt Technologies, Inc., 6408 Badger Drive, Tampa, FL 33610, (813) 621-5777, 831-621-5777
  www.priasphalt.com/ and for roofing in particular: http://pricmt.com/

Other Roofing Materials & Roof Shingle Test Labs

For Materials, Equipment and Devices Relating to Fire and Extended Coverage Insurance and for Impact Resistant Roofing Materials. Unless otherwise indicated, companies in this list are approved by the Texas Department of Insurance for testing the impact resistance of roofing products. Some of these laboratories offer a wider range of roofing product testing besides impact resistance.

• AAA Roof Technologies, 207 Duncan Hill Road, Hendersonville, NC 28792 USA Office: 828-696-0755, Toll Free: 877-474-ROOF
• Applied Research Laboratories,
  5371 Northwest 161st Street,
  Miami, FL 33014
  Phone: 305-624-4800
  Fax: 305-624-3652
• Haag Research & Testing
  Steven R. Smith, P.E.* Director of Research & Testing
  800-527-0168 (toll free) 214-614-6500 (main) 972-814-3554 (mobile) 214-614-6501 (fax)
  1410 Lakeside Parkway, #100 Flower Mound, TX 75028 |
  
  Website: HaagResearchTesting.com
  
  Email: ssmith@haagglobal.com
• Architectural Testing Inc.
  130 Derry Court
  York, PA 17402-9405
  Phone: 717-764-7700
  Fax: 717-764-4129
  or
  
  2865 Market Loop, Suite B
  Southlake, TX 76092
  Phone: 817-410-7202
  Fax: 817-424-8463
  Web: www.archtest.com

NOTE: listing for Architectural Testing Inc. applies only to the testing of roofing products to determine compliance with UL Standard 2218.

• Factory Mutual Research Corporation
  P.O. Box 9102
  Norwood, MA 02062
  Phone: 617-762-4300
  Fax: 617-762-9375
• Intertek Testing Services
  24 Groton Avenue
  Cortland, NY 13045-2014
  Phone: 607-753-6711
  Fax: 607-756-6699
• *SGS U.S. Testing Company, Inc.
  (Formerly United States Testing Company, Inc.)
  291 Fairfield Avenue
  Fairfield, NJ 07004
  Phone: 973-575-5252
  Fax: 973-575-7175
• *Quality Auditing Institute
  2825 Murray Street
  Port Moody, B.C. V3H 1X3
  Phone: 604-461-8378
• *NOTE: The product certification program (listing, labeling and follow-up inspection service) for SGS U.S. Testing Company will be conducted by Quality Auditing Institute, Inc. However, this recognition applies only to wood shakes and shingles tested in accordance with UL Standard 2218.
• **Quality Auditing Institute
  2825 Murray Street
  Port Moody, B.C. V3H 1X3
  Phone: 604-461-8378
  Fax: 604-461-8377
• **NOTE: The Quality Auditing Institute is listed only for the testing of wood shake and shingle products to determine if they meet Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Standard 2218.
• Southwest Research Institute
  P. O. Drawer 28210
  San Antonio, TX 78238-5166
  Phone: 210-684-5111
  Fax: 210-522-3547
• Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.
  333 Phingsten Road
  Northbrook, IL 60062
  Phone: 708-272-8800
  Fax: 708-272-8127

Testing Laboratories Serving a Wider Audience than Roofing Products & Roofing Industry Manufacturers

• Applied Technical Services
  http://www.atslab1.com/
• Chemir Analytical Services
  http://www.chemir.com/
• EMS Lab, the megalith of testing in the U.S.: materialstestinglaboratory.com/

Asphalt Roofing & Roof Shingle Testing Research

• Also see additional citations atReferences or Citations at the end of this and other InspectApedia roofing articles.
• Cullen, WILLIAM C. "Research and performance experience of asphalt Shingles." In 10th Conference on Roofing Technology, NRCA, Gaithersburg, MD, USA, pp. 6-12. 1993.
• DuPuis, Rene M., Ph.D., P.E., "The Ins and Outs of Laboratory Testing of Roofing Materials", [PDF] interface (2000), retrieved 3 Dec 2015, original source: http://www.rci-online.org/interface/2000-07-dupuis.pdf
  Excerpt:
  
  To begin with, there are many commercial testing labs available today. There are fewer labs with roof material testing experience and only a handful that can perform serious research. If product testing on a new roof material is needed, most commercial labs can provide that service. Weathered, non-performing roof materials are much more difficult to analyze since the ASTM product standards assume that new materials are being tested. One can test the weathered or aged material according to the new material standard but cannot declare failure if the results fall below. Roof materials change as they weather and heat age; the ASTM product standards cannot quantify this rooftop change. Judgment, experience, and comparative reasoning are used to opine the condition of aged roof materials.
  
  Beware if the testing lab cannot provide an interpretation of the results. That may be a tip off that they know how to conduct the test but really do not understand what they are testing for and how the roofing material may respond. A roof consultant may want to interpret the results, since the test lab may not have experienced staff or get to see the roof in question. A knowledgeable roof consultant will use lab test results to help explain what happened to the roof system.
• Garcia, Ruben G., Ray L. Corbin, Richard J. Gillenwater, Jim Compton, Cliff Patenaude, Brian Anthony, and Jim Hunter. "Roofing Materials." Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology (1997).
• Koontz, Jim D. "The effects of hail on residential roofing products." In Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Roofing Technology,” NRCA/NIST. 1991.
• McNulty, Raymond A. "Asphalt Roof Shingles - Composition, Performance, Function, and Standards." [PDF] Interface (2000). - retrieved 2015/12/03, original source: http://www.rci-online.org/interface/2000-01-mcnulty.pdf
  Abstract:
  This paper describes the composition and function of each of the layers of a shingle. The various types of shingles and their application are discussed. The more common problems associated with asphalt shingles and the probable causes for these problems are reviewed. The various standards pertaining to asphalt shingles are also discussed.
• Noone, MICHAEL J., and W. KENT Blanchard. "Asphalt Shingles–A Century of Success and Improvement." In 10th Conference on Roofing Technology, National Roofing Contractors Association, Rosemont, Illinois, pp. 23-33. 1993.
• Parker, Danny S., and John R. Sherwin. "Comparative summer attic thermal performance of six roof constructions." TRANSACTIONS-AMERICAN SOCIETY OF HEATING REFRIGERATING AND AIR CONDITIONING ENGINEERS 104 (1998): 1084-1092.
• Weiss, John Morris. "Asphalt Shingles." Industrial & Engineering Chemistry 23, no. 2 (1931): 168-170.
  Abstract:
  Asphalt shingles surfaced with mineral granules have become an important roofing material, and the published specifications now in use do not appear to be sufficient to secure adequate quality. The results of the examination of sixteen brands of asphalt shingles that are sold for roofing are presented, together with comments on the different compositions which are encountered. Certain recommendations as to the direction in which specifications should be changed are suggested.

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Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2019-12-30 by (mod) - looking for roof test lab to send samples from time to time- TPO test cut

George

Thank you for contacting us, as I certainly share your interesting in roofing installation, failures, inspection, diagnosis, and repair - but our forensic lab does not work with roofing test cuts, though we do refer our readers to the roof test labs listed on this page.

In my opinion your tape shows a damaged section that would certainly not give a reliable bond.

For other readers:

TPO Roofing or Thermplastic Polyolefin Roofing is an example of a single ply or membrane roof covering currently widely used on low slope commercial buildings.

See

TPO ROOFING OPTIONS

On 2019-12-30 by George Wilson - example roofing sample TPO Roofing Test Cut

We are looking for lab to send samples from time to time. I teach a roofing course for industial flat roofing membranes.

This [photo above] is a sample of a TPO cut test.

I show the class cut tests every course.

Please see photo attached. Would your lab consider this a pass or fail? George Wilson, Cindott Inc, 416 606 3270, gwilson18@cogeco.ca. www.roofingtrainingcourse.com

On 2019-05-23 - by (mod) -

Re-posting from private email:

Anonymous asked:

would your lab test reveal the age of a 3-tab shingle

Moderator reply:


At TEST LABS - ROOF SHINGLE https://inspectapedia.com/roof/Roof_Shingle_Test_Labs.php you can find roof and shingle test labs that can do what you need

- keep in mind that nobody is going to tell you the absolute chronological age of a shingle unless you have a receipt or manufacturing date; rather one can tell the wear-age.

On 2019-01-10 by Dennis Klager

I guess what I'm asking is, how evenly spread out is abestos in roof shingles? Could I miss it?

On 2019-01-10 by Dennis Klager

How many samples should I take off of a roof to have tested in a lab for asbestos. Is one sufficient?

On 2017-03-04 - by (mod) -

Possibly, Steve though that sounds odd to me. Usually the minerals in asphalt roofing are copper or possibly zinc, both of which are not particularly attracted to a magnet. There might be metallic fragments in slag or other waste products that might be used in the production of some mineral granules used to coat asphalt shingles. And there might be other metals used in some reflective roof granule coatings.

• Blalock, Christopher, and Larry Nelson. "Products useful as roof shingles and a process for making such products." U.S. Patent 6,194,519, issued February 27, 2001.
• Bretz, Sarah, Hashem Akbari, and Arthur Rosenfeld. "Practical issues for using solar-reflective materials to mitigate urban heat islands." Atmospheric environment 32, no. 1 (1998): 95-101.
  

On 2017-03-04 by Steve Ruiz

I passed a magnet through a pile of granules in the gutter and found many flakes of metal. Are metal flakes part of the "mineral" coat?

On 2016-10-12 by (mod) - shingle product ordered vs installed.

Here are some easy things to check to see if what you paid for is what you got on your roof before looking closely at the shingles themselves

Check what you think you ordered - and what is written in your roof installation contract - against the roofing manufacturer's product catalog. Some shingle types can be immediately distinguished, such as notched 3-tab shingles vs. laminated architectural shingles.

Look at the roof covering material packaging to identify the brand and product model and even the production run number

Ask your contractor for proof of purchase: an invoice from her building supplier, showing what was bought to put on your roof

On 2016-10-12 by Homeowner - product I ordered is not the product that was actually installed.

I feel like the product I ordered is not the product that was actually installed. How do I get a verification. I am certain it is not the same color as I have photos and pieces of my previous roof that was installed less than 1 year ago. The product was the exact same invoice order but the shingles themselves are very thin and as before WRONG color (beyond a variation). Is this a service provided by your company?

...

Continue reading at STANDARDS for ROOFING or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• ROOFING INSPECTION & REPAIR - home
• STAIN DIAGNOSIS on ROOFS
• WORKMANSHIP & WIND DAMAGE

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TEST LABS - ROOF SHINGLE at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to BUILDING ROOFING

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