Shingle Roof Replacement
Owens Corning and GAF asphalt shingle systems built for high heat and high wind.
Kellum Roofing installs asphalt shingle roofing systems across Glendale, Peoria, Phoenix and the wider Valley. Shingle is less common here than tile, but it is on a large share of the newer subdivisions and it behaves very differently under Arizona sun than it does anywhere else in the country. We install Owens Corning and GAF systems specified for this climate rather than whatever the supply house has on the shelf.
What Arizona Sun Does to an Asphalt Shingle
An asphalt shingle is a fiberglass mat saturated with asphalt and surfaced with mineral granules. Those granules are not decorative. They are the shingle's sunscreen, and they are the only thing standing between ultraviolet radiation and the asphalt underneath. In this valley the granules are under attack essentially year round, and once they start shedding, the asphalt begins to oxidize. Oxidized asphalt loses its flexibility, and an inflexible shingle in a climate that swings sixty degrees between a July afternoon and a January night will curl, crack and lose its seal. That is why shingle roofs in Phoenix age on a different curve than shingle roofs almost anywhere else. If you are finding granules accumulating at the bottom of a downspout, that is your roof telling you where it is in that process.
The Signs Your Shingle Roof Is Done
Curling or cupping at the shingle edges. Bald patches where the granules are gone and the mat shows through. Cracking across the face of the shingle. Shingles that have lifted or blown off entirely after a monsoon cell. Dark staining on the deck visible from the attic. Repeated small leaks in different locations rather than one consistent spot. Any one of those in isolation might be a roof repair. Several of them together, especially across the south and west facing planes that take the most sun, generally means the system is at the end of its service life and patching it is throwing money at a roof that is going to need replacing anyway.
The Systems We Install
We install Owens Corning and GAF architectural shingle systems. Architectural, sometimes called dimensional or laminate, means a heavier multi-layer shingle rather than the old three-tab. They carry higher wind ratings, they last longer, and they look considerably better on the house. Wind rating is not a detail to gloss over in this market. Monsoon outflow winds regularly produce gusts well beyond what a basic three-tab is rated to hold, and a shingle roof fails at the seal strip before it fails anywhere else. We specify systems rated for the gusts this valley actually produces. A shingle roof is also a system rather than just the shingle: starter strip at the eaves and rakes, correct underlayment, ice and water shield in the valleys and around penetrations, proper drip edge, ridge ventilation, and a matched ridge cap. Skipping any of those is how a roof with a good shingle on it still leaks in year three.
Ventilation, Attics and Your Power Bill
Attic ventilation is where a lot of Valley shingle roofs are quietly underbuilt. Air needs to enter low at the soffit and exit high at the ridge. When that path is blocked or undersized, the attic becomes a heat trap, and heat trapped against the underside of a roof deck cooks the shingles from below while it also drives your cooling costs up. During a replacement we look at the whole ventilation picture rather than just what is on top. Correcting intake and exhaust while the roof is open costs very little and extends the life of what we just installed.
Our Shingle Replacement Process
We start with a free inspection with photos of the shingle condition, flashings, valleys, penetrations and attic ventilation. You get a written proposal specifying the exact system, wind rating and warranty, with any ventilation corrections listed separately. We pull permits where the municipality requires them. We do a full tear-off down to the deck. We do not install over an existing layer. Layering over old shingles traps heat, hides deck damage and shortens the life of the new roof. We inspect and replace any damaged sheathing, then install underlayment, ice and water shield at valleys and penetrations, drip edge and starter course. Shingle installation follows with correct nailing pattern and exposure, which is where most wind failures actually originate. We finish with ridge ventilation and ridge cap, then a magnet sweep of the property for nails, full cleanup, and a walkthrough with you.
What a Shingle Roof Costs in the Valley
Shingle is generally less expensive per square foot than tile, but the total depends on the same variables: the size of the roof, the pitch, how many valleys, hips and penetrations there are, whether the deck needs work once the old roof is off, and whether ventilation needs correcting. Tear-off and disposal is a real cost line and one reason a roof with two existing layers costs more than a roof with one. We list all of it out. Jeremy prices jobs to be done properly, not to be the cheapest bid on the driveway, and we would rather lose a job than win it by leaving out the ice and water shield.
Shingle, Tile, or Something Else
Plenty of Valley homes could reasonably go either direction, and some have both. The short version is that tile costs more up front and lasts longer, while shingle costs less and will need replacing sooner in this climate. Structure matters too, since tile is significantly heavier and not every framing package is built for it. If your home has a flat or low slope section, which is extremely common on Valley architecture, that portion needs a different system entirely and we cover it under flat and foam roofing. We will give you an honest recommendation based on your house, your framing, how long you plan to be there, and your budget. Not based on which one has a better margin.
Not sure what your roof needs?
Get a free inspection with photos from a licensed Glendale roofer. Call (480) 258-0925 or request an estimate online.
Free InspectionOther Services
We walk the roof, photograph what we find, and give you a written estimate, often the same day.
(480) 258-0925
Built to endure
Arizona heat.
BBB Accredited
Accredited Business since 2024.
Licensed, Bonded, Insured
Arizona ROC 352782, Specialty Dual.
Locally Owned
Based in Glendale. Not a franchise and not an out-of-state storm chaser.
Manufacturer Warranties
Underlayment warranties from 10 to 30 years.
We were incredibly pleased with Jeremy and his crew! They did a great job putting on our new roof at our current house and we are also going to have them do work on our new home. The crew did a great job with cleanup and was prompt to show up! Highly recommend using this company!!
See the Work
A montage of a full roof replacement by Kellum Roofing, showing the project from start to finished installation in the Phoenix Valley.
Roof replacement montage by Kellum Roofing