Enviroshake rubber shingles resemble real shakes thanks to the presence of authentic wood fibers in their core. These fibers are the reason why Enviroshake shingles feature the same thickness and look like natural cedar shakes.
The shingles resist insects, mildew, mold, as well as peeling. They require no maintenance, and aren’t prone to erosion, cracking and delamination, issues brought about by freeze and thaw cycles.
What Are Enviroshake Rubber Shingles?
(Image: Courtesy of Enviroshake Roofing Corp)
Enviroshake Roofing is one of the pioneering manufacturers in the composite roofing market.
The most innovative and unique feature of their rubber roofing shingles is that they are made using 95% recycled materials. Yet they maintain the durability, longevity and aesthetics of other similar products made with new materials.
Enviroshake shingles are made primarily using recycled tires, cellulose fiber, as well as various types of plastics.
Roofing pros that specialize in installing rubber shingles as well as other types of composite roofing materials, consider Enviroshake products to be one of the top in the industry.
Average Cost of Enviroshake Shingles
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On average, homeowners can expect to spend $5-8 per square foot on Enviroshake shingles, depending on the local cost of installation, roof complexity and local work permit prices.
For an 1,800 sq.ft. roof the total cost of installing Enviroshake roofing is $9,000 – 14,400.
To find out the exact cost of Enviroshake shingles themselves, its best to contact the manufacturer, as they do not advertise their product prices online.
Keep in mind that the cost of professional installation can greatly increase your overall roof installation cost.
Local roofing labor rates vary by as much as 20-30% depending on where you live in the US. The highest roofing labor costs are found in affluent cities along the East and West Coast.
Its important to request free roofing estimates from reputable roofers in your area, to make sure that you can get the best price on the install, without compromising quality.
Advantages of Enviroshake Shingles
Here are the top reasons why so many homeowners choose to install Enviroshake shingles on their roofs.
They are an especially good roofing material for people living in areas prone to severe weather and here is why:
Highest Rated For Wind Resistance
Enviroshake rubber shingles have passed the Testing Application Standard (TAS) 125 and have a 180 mph wind resistance. This means that their rubber shingles remain in place even during conditions of a category five hurricane.
In this regard, rubber shingles outclass most of their competition that resists winds of up to 110 mph.
Best of all, you don’t need to pay for additional installation to upgrade your Enviroshake shingles to high wind resistance levels.
This level of wind resistance can only be rivaled by a high quality metal roof, such as standing seam roofing panels.
Enviroshake shingles have been tested multiple times during real hurricanes across the states. These are just some hurricanes they’ve withstood:
• Hurricane Sandy (winds of up to 115 mph)
• Hurricane Harvey (winds of up to 130 mph)
• Hurricane Haiyan (winds of up to 143 mph)
• Hurricane Gonzalo (winds of up to 145 mph)
• Hurricane Maria (winds of up to 175 mph)
• Hurricane Katrina (winds of up to 175 mph)
• Hurricane Irma (winds of up to 177 mph)
Did You Know: The damage roofs sustain due to hurricanes includes missing roof sections, damaged downspouts and gutters, severe leakage, etc. Hurricane damage usually requires full roof replacement and costs thousands of dollars in repairs.
Top Notch Fire Resistance
Enviroshake rubber shingles also deliver outstanding fire resistance. In particular, all their shingles have Class A fire ratings – the highest rating in the industry.
Their rubber shingles are nearly impossible to set ablaze, even when struck by lightning. Even if the shingles catch fire, they have great defense mechanisms that can slow down the blaze until firefighters arrive.
To achieve exceptional fire resistance, Enviroshake shingles don’t come with topical chemicals, unlike most synthetic products. Instead, the shingles’ water runoff is completely potable, and doesn’t harm the environment.
Superior Impact Resistance
Enviroshake products are of the top rated Class 4 impact resistant shingles, meaning that they passed the UL 2218 testing. Accordingly, their impact resistance is also second-to-none.
Their shingles have a proven track record of enduring extreme hailstorm conditions. Namely, the company received no warranty claims following a powerful hailstorm in 2010 in Calgary that saw hailstones nearly four centimeters wide.
Although the storm resulted in more than $400 million in material damage, Enviroshake rubber shingles weren’t among the casualties.
UV Rays Resistance
Owing to their specially designed composite blend, Enviroshake rubber shingles have built-in UV protection.
They contain powerful anti-oxidants and hindered amine light stabilizers (HALSs) that reflect UV rays. Consequently, their rubber shingles aren’t susceptible to composition degradation or discoloration over time.
Cool Roofing Technology
To estimate the shingles’ coolness, the Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) is used to measure thermal and solar emissivity. To obtain the rating of a Cool Roof, shingles’ SRI must be higher than 19.
As for Enviroshake rubber shingles, they have an excellent SRI rating of 31. In fact, their custom-made color Bermuda White boasts an amazing SRI value of 80.7
Eco-Friendly Shingles
95% of Enviroshake rubber shingles are recycled materials. The company recycles any scraps created during the production process, and diverts its waste materials.
In addition, their shingles are 100% recyclable. Thus, you can dramatically reduce your carbon footprint by purchasing Enviroshake products.
Thermal Contraction and Expansion
You can expect Enviroshake shingles to thermally contract and expand no more than 2% between seasons.
Their products always meet this standard regardless of the harshness of your climate and the severity of the temperature fluctuations in your area.
Accordingly, there are no pops or loud creaks caused by changes in temperature. There’s also no risk of melting, curling, or warping.
Very Low Maintenance
Rubber shingles are known for their almost non-existent maintenance requirements. Enviroshake is no different in this respect.
Their shingles resist insects, lichen, and moss. This can save you a lot of money down the line, given that there’s no need for frequent and costly repairs of degraded roof areas.
Superior Protection from Rain
Enviroshake shingles are nearly impermeable to torrential rain. More specifically, they can withstand rainfall amounts of up to 225 mm per hour.
To give you a better picture of the level of Enviroshake shingles’ rain resistance, Hurricane Harvey featured rainfall of 96 mm per hour, and it was the most extreme rain condition ever recorded in the US.
Its important not to confuse rubber roof shingles with a flat rubber roofing membrane EPDM, which is extremely prone to leaks and is one of the least reliable roofing materials.
Did You Know: 623 gallons of water runs off a 1,000-square foot roof during 1” rainstorms.
Impressive Curb Appeal
Most homeowners want a roof that is beautiful and can enhance the curb appeal of their home. This is where Enviroshake shingles shine – they provide a very impressive imitation of real cedar shingles, which are on par with high-end dimensional asphalt shingles as well as metal shingles.
Disadvantages of EnviroShake Rubber Shingles
Of course, Enviroshake shingles are not without their downsides, and although there are not many, here are the ones worth considering:
High Cost – even though it is a rubber roof, which is one of the cheaper roofing materials, rubber shingles, including Enviroshake are actually expensive.
The cost of Enviroshake shingles is on par with cedar shake roofing, as well as metal roofing, which are both premium roofing materials.
So if you are looking for an affordable roofing material, you may need to consider other alternatives, such as architectural asphalt shingles.
Strong odor – while this is not a huge deal breaker, its important to know that rubber roof shingles will have a very strong smell when newly installed. Naturally, this smell will fade over time and will not be an issue.
Are There Good Alternatives To Enviroshake Shingles?
If you have your mind set on trying out rubber shingles for your roof, you can look into a few other manufacturers, besides Enviroshake, to see which product is the best fit for your needs.
Top manufacturers that make high quality rubber shingles include:
– Euroshield
– CertainTeed
– Malarkey
– Atlas
Enviroshake Roofing Shingles Testimonials And Reviews
The overwhelming number of homeowner testimonials who have installed Enviroshake shingles is very positive.
Most people point out the shingles tremendous durability and capacity to withstand strong winds. One homeowner reported that their Enviroshake roof has successfully been through 4 major hurricanes in the Bahamas.
Homeowners from Texas report their Enviroshake roof being able to stand up to hail, sleet as well as strong heat waves, all while looking like new.
Others report that the shingles boast excellent water retention.
Many homeowners install Enviroshake shingles after owning one or sever real cedar shake roofs. They report the tremendous positive difference – natural cedar shake degrades much faster than expected in severe weather, shingles are lost, get warped, split and crack. None of these are an issue with an Enviroshake rubber shingles.
Homeowners are also very pleased with the beautiful and natural look that Enviroshake shingles offer. This roof is reported to be the best value natural looking roof that is very affordable compared to the competition.
A lot of people, including professional roofing appraisers cannot tell the difference between real cedar shingles vs Enviroshake.
Importantly, homeowners have great things to say about customer service that Enviroshake offers: staff is very knowledgeable, helpful, always follows up and there is no need to chase anyone.
Owners of Enviroshake roofs report that their gas bill dropped by 10% and their home insurance premiums have gone down because of the material’s fire resistance.
One of the downsides reported by some homeowners, is that Enviroshake looks a bit too dark, when newly installed. It takes about 6 months on average for the shingles to start looking like real cedar shake, and over the years they grey very nicely.
Who Should Install Enviroshake Shingles?
(Image: Courtesy of Enviroshake Roofing Corp)
Here are a few tips to help you figure out whether or not Enviroshake rubber shingles are right for your house:
– You are looking for a highly durable roof that can protect your home against severe weather, strong winds, and fire.
– You like the look the natural cedar shake but want the stronger protection of rubber roof shingles
– You want a very durable roof, but would prefer not to install metal roofing
– Having a 50 year roofing warranty is an important feature that you want to have in a new roof
– You prefer eco – friendly roofing products that do not harm our environment
For over 20 years Leo has run a successful roofing business in New England, specializing in metal roofing, as well as cool flat roofing technologies. Having replaced and installed hundreds of roofs in New England, Leo has first hand experience with pretty much every residential roofing material and roofing manufacturer available in the US.
