Asphalt shingle roofs lose wind resistance after 10 years, Florida officials say [View all]

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.