I just received an email from a client that her insurance was being cancelled because she has Atlas roof Shingles. Has anyone heard of an issue with these shingles? and that they should be written up as replace because of the manufacture.
Thanks
Bruce
M.E.D. Home Inspection
How does anyone (homeowner, insurance company) know they are Atlas shingles? Is it the Chalet? Did you do their inspection?
Atlas was the manufacturer, Chalet was the brand. Some were defective which included many lawsuits. Just like many other building products, some insurance companies will not insure them.
As an inspector, you should be able to identify the defects but not required to identify the manufacturer or brand.
Defects consistent with these shingles blistering, cracking, granule loss, and premature failure.
Yes I did the inspection. I know that I am new at this, only been doing inspections 19 years, I try to stay of of things. There were no defects. I guess the insurance company has special tools to tell the manufacture and see the future for defects. If they would only share.
Thanks for your input
Yes, I agree. The shingles were in satisfactory condition, nothing near your picture, that would have made it a easy one. Thanks for getting back to me.
Bruce
This is the problem with insurance companies. Many will not insure Challenger or stab-lock panels, poly pipes, Atlas shingles etc. even though the materials have been installed and performing well for many years on some homes. They look at statistics.
Designer shingles can be identified even without the defects, but I do not know how they “confirm” the manufacturer.
These shingles are actually 3-tab shingles designed to look like architectural shingles. The top laminated layer is actually a false layer, it is just tabs embedded or welded into the 3-tab.
As HI’s, I think it is important to be able to identify this shingle because of its known high failure rate. From there it is up to you how to convey this information to the customer. Be careful in your wording.
If I see this type of shingle showing even one of the tell-tell signs, I write hard.
Might help some;
Because Atlas Chalet Shingles were discontinued in the 2010s, they still exist on some homes. If you’re shopping for a new house, it’s important to know how to identify Atlas Chalet Shingles. Here are some key characteristics to look out for during your house hunting:
If you discover that your future dream home has Atlas Chalet Shingles, there is no need to panic. However, we recommend hiring a licensed roofing contractor like Five Points Roofing Company to install a new roof before settling in. Even slight weather damage to Atlas Chalet Shingles can require a full roof replacement, so it’s best to invest in a high-quality roof rather than risk potential severe damage down the line.
How to Identify Atlas Chalet Shingles | Five Points Roofing (5prc.com)
In my experience, the shadow layer of dark granules is not always present or visible (darker roofs). And they do have a 3-D or dimensional embedded layer/tab. I just wanted to add this for clarity if anyone gets “caught up” looking for the dark layer of granules on a black roof.