SBS shingles are the hot new trend in residential roofing. Made from a polymer modified asphalt (PMA), a lot of roofing companies are starting to offer this type of shingle as their upgraded or premium option, while most standard roofing shingles are still made with blown asphalt. Why? It comes down to a “bend but don’t break” attitude. The “SBS” stands for styrene-butadiene-styrene – a rubber-like ingredient used to modify the pliability and weatherability of the roofing asphalt. The SBS-enhanced shingles look like regular shingles, but they come with enhanced performance characteristics such as impact resistance, tear resistance and surface granular adhesion. Surface granules are the shingles first layer of protecting against the elements, and CertainTeed’s Northgate SBS composition provides a better layer of protection. Over time, exposure to the elements can also cause roofing asphalt to crack or shrink. But CertainTeed’s product comes with the highest impact rating available, and shows enhanced crack and shrink resistance, thanks to the rubberizing aspect. This allows for greater flexibility so that the shingle is immune to cracking. These shingles also come with the added benefit of being algae-resistant, especially in damp regions of the country. The product is composed of a fiberglass mat base. Ceramic-coated mineral granules are tightly embedded in carefully refined, water-resistant asphalt. Two pieces of the shingle are firmly laminated together with a special asphaltic cement, and all CertainTeed-produced shingles have self-sealing adhesive strips for wind uplift resistance. NorthGate products carry a lifetime limited, transferable warranty to the consumer against manufacturing defects. In addition, NorthGate Shingles carry a 50-year limited transferable warranty against manufacturing defects on group-owned or commercial applications, 10 years of SureStart™ Protection, 15 years of algae resistance and 15 years of 110 mph wind-resistance. Improvement of SBS-modified vs. standard asphalt shingles Physical Property                        Improvement Tear Strength                                    40 percent Granule Adhesion                            15 percent Nail Pull Resistance                          40 percent Cold Flexibility (0°F)                        Passes   For more information about NorthGate’s designer SBS roofing shingles, contact us for a free estimate or check out the CertainTeed website.