Your roof is getting old, or the last hailstorm left it looking rough, and you’ve decided it’s time for new shingles. Then the questions start. Three-tab or architectural? Is an impact-rated shingle worth it here? And how do you know the crew will install it the way the manufacturer intended, not the fast way?
Asphalt shingle roofing in Kansas City has to put up with a lot: spring hail, summer storms with strong gusts, and winters that freeze and thaw the same roof dozens of times. The shingle you pick matters, and so does what goes under it. You deserve a roofer who explains both in plain words and lets you decide.
APC Roofing is a GAF Certified contractor, in business since 2017, licensed and insured, with an office in Shawnee, Kansas. Your inspection and estimate are free.
What an asphalt shingle is made of
A modern asphalt shingle has three layers. A fiberglass mat in the middle gives it strength. Asphalt coats the mat and keeps water out. Ceramic-coated granules pressed into the top protect the asphalt from the sun and give the shingle its color.
When those granules wear away, the asphalt underneath dries out, cracks and curls. That’s why you’ll hear roofers talk so much about granule loss. It’s the first sign a shingle is aging, and hail speeds it up.
Asphalt shingle roofing in Kansas City: the three grades
Three-tab shingles are flat, single-layer strips with two notches cut along the bottom edge. They lay in neat, even rows. They’re lighter and thinner than other options, and fewer colors are made than there used to be. You’ll still see them on garages, sheds and older homes where a repair needs to match.
Architectural shingles (also called dimensional or laminated) bond two layers together, so the roof has more texture and depth. They’re heavier, they usually carry a higher wind rating, and they hide small dips in the roof deck better than flat three-tab. Most full replacements around the metro use them now. Our architectural shingle roofing page goes into more detail, and so does our page on 3-tab shingle roofing.
Impact-rated shingles are built to take hail better. Manufacturers test them by dropping steel balls from set heights, and some add rubber-like polymers to the asphalt so the shingle flexes instead of cracking. In a region that sees hail most springs, they’re worth asking about. No shingle is hail-proof, though, and we’ll tell you honestly whether the upgrade makes sense for your house and budget.
What Kansas City weather asks of a shingle roof
Hail is the obvious one. A hard hit can knock granules loose or bruise the mat underneath, and that damage often shows up as a leak a season or two later.
Wind is the quieter one. Gusts pull hardest at the eaves, the rakes and the corners of a roof. Each shingle has a strip of factory sealant that the sun warms and bonds to the row above. Once that seal breaks, the tab flaps in every storm until it creases or tears off.
Then there’s winter. On a cold day the sealant may not bond at all, so shingles installed late in the year can sit loose until spring unless they’re sealed by hand with roofing cement, which is what the manufacturers’ instructions call for. Snow melting over a warm attic can refreeze at the colder roof edge and form an ice dam, pushing water back up under the shingles. That’s why the underlayment matters as much as the shingle.
What goes under the shingles
A shingle roof is a system, and most leaks start at the details, not in the middle of a slope.
- The deck. Plywood or OSB has to be solid for nails to hold. Soft or rotted sections found during a tear-off get replaced.
- Ice and water barrier. A self-sticking rubberized membrane along the eaves, in valleys and around chimneys, where water backs up or runs heaviest.
- Underlayment. A synthetic sheet over the rest of the deck that sheds any water that slips past a shingle.
- Drip edge and starter strip. Metal along the edges keeps water off the fascia, and a proper starter course seals the first row down at the eave.
- Flashing. Step flashing along walls, aprons and counterflashing at chimneys, and new boots around plumbing pipes.
- Nailing. Nails go in the manufacturer’s nailing zone, at the count the instructions call for. A wind rating only applies if the shingles are nailed the way the maker specifies.
We’ll walk you through each of these on your estimate, so you can see what you’re paying for.
Repair or a new asphalt shingle roof?
A few missing or creased shingles, a cracked pipe boot or a loose piece of flashing is usually a repair. Our shingle roof repair page covers that side.
Asphalt shingle roof replacement in Kansas City starts to make sense when the whole roof is cupping, curling or bald, when the same leak keeps coming back, or when hail has bruised shingles across every slope. Old, sun-dried shingles also get brittle. Try to lift one to slide a new piece in and the neighbors crack, so a small repair keeps growing. When that’s where your roof is, we’ll show you the photos and explain why.
How it works with APC Roofing
- Book your free inspection. Call 913-398-5020 or request a free estimate online. We’ll check every slope, the flashing, the edges and the attic.
- Get a clear, honest assessment and estimate. You’ll see photos, hear whether it’s a repair or a replacement, and get a written estimate that spells out the shingle line and the layers underneath. Financing is available through Aqua Finance, Fortifi, Hearth and Home Run Finance.
- Your roof gets done and the site gets cleaned up. Many residential projects are finished in a single day, and the crew cleans up before leaving.
If hail or wind caused the damage, you file the claim with your insurance company and pay your deductible. We document the damage, give you an estimate and work with your adjuster.
Asphalt shingle questions from Kansas City homeowners
Are architectural shingles worth it over three-tab?
For most full replacements, yes. They’re thicker, usually rated for higher winds and hide minor deck flaws. Three-tab still makes sense for matching a repair on an older roof.
Should I get impact-rated shingles in Kansas City?
They’re worth a conversation here, since hail comes through most springs. They handle hail better than standard shingles, but they cost more and they aren’t hail-proof. We’ll lay out the trade-off for your house.
Can shingles be installed in winter?
Yes, with care. In cold weather the sealant strips may not bond until it warms up, so each shingle should be hand-sealed with roofing cement per the manufacturer’s instructions.
Can new shingles go over my old ones?
Sometimes building rules allow one overlay, but it hides the deck, adds weight and leaves old flashing in place. In most cases we recommend tearing off down to the deck so we can see what’s there.
Do you work in Overland Park, Lee’s Summit and Independence?
Yes. We serve homes across the Kansas City metro on both sides of the state line, including Overland Park, Lee’s Summit, Independence and Blue Springs.
Book your free asphalt shingle roof inspection
Call 913-398-5020 or start your estimate online. You’ll find the rest of what we do on our Kansas City metro area page.
A new shingle roof should mean you stop watching the forecast. Solid shingles, the right layers underneath, a clean yard and no surprise on the bill. Your satisfaction is our reputation.
