Your grandfather couldn’t have imagined how quickly his wall phone would turn into a wireless mobile computing device. He probably never planned to check the weather instantly and watch international television commercials with a couple of clicks. During this whirlwind of technology advancement, his residential asphalt shingles haven’t changed much and have been performing pretty well. Asphalt is, after all, the time tested leader in cost efficiency, reliability and versatility for residential roofing markets, and has been since composite type materials began appearing in use during the late 19th century.

The idea of shaping asphalt roofing shingles is actually credited to Henry M. Reynolds of Grand Rapids, MI who started cutting stone surface into 8x16 shingles with his knife in 1903. F.C. Overly of the Flintkote Company, first added crushed granules of slate to the shingles in 1914, which helped weigh them down on the roof. The Fire Underwriters Associations push to eliminate the use of wood shingles was also a leading driver in moving the industry forward.

During the next few decades, very little significant changes took place, asphalt shingles became a fairly standardized commodity and residential roofing continued to grow and make use of these products at an acceptable pace.

The last two decades have seen a renewed interest in development of technologies for the advancement of roofing products. Laminated construction, material additives and dimensional styles have all contributed to increased competition with an eye toward more appeal to contractors who recommend and install the products, and consumers who select them.

Atlas Roofing Corporation recently introduced such an asphalt shingle innovation, designed and manufactured with efficiency for the contractor in mind. Atlas now adds the "Built with HP Technology" stamp to its elite architectural shingle line. “HP” stands for High Performance. It means Atlas Pinnacle® Pristine, StormMaster® Slate and StormMaster® Shake not only come with lifetime protection against algae provided by Scotchgard™ Protector, but a new selection of additional features to enhance performance for the product and productivity for the contractor.


The “Built with HP Technology” stamp by Atlas means:

• Oversized shingles—Fewer shingles required per square; Faster installs with fewer bundles to load on the roof.
• Greater shingle exposure—StormMaster® Slate exposure is 8½”. StormMaster® Shake and Pinnacle® are a full 6” exposure; Easier to measure for installers, more curb appeal for homeowners.
• FASTAC® double sealant lines ensure a strong seal that lasts.
• Sweet Spot nailing area provides a larger area contractors use to fasten the shingle firmly; Adds speed and strength to the install.
• Wind speed coverage up to 130 miles per hour using standard nailing—A leading wind warranty in the industry.

Regardless whether your grandfather was a homeowner or a roofing contractor, he would use these shingles. Find out more about what the “Built with HP Technology” means to the asphalt roofing shingle industry at www.AtlasRoofing.com.