Would you like to know how big a square of roofing shingles is? Well, we have researched this question and have answers for you. It is helpful to know how big a square of roofing shingles is, so you know how much space you need to store one.
A square of roofing shingles is 12 inches by 36 inches by 16 inches. There are three bundles of 29 shingles in a square for a total of 87 shingles. Each shingle is standardly 12 inches by 36 inches.
In this article, we will learn how big a square of roofing shingles is. We will also learn the answers to other interesting related questions such as, how do you calculate how many shingles you need, How many ridge cap shingles are in a bundle? Keep reading to learn more.
How Big Is A Square Of Roofing Shingles?
A square of roofing shingles isn't too large. They are 16 inches tall, 12 inches wide, and 36 inches across, which is the length and width of shingles.
Some brands of shingles have each bundle of shingles in the square lengthways, making the dimensions 12 inches by 8 inches by 108 inches.
Each square of roofing shingles can weigh up to 300 pounds. Each square of roofing shingles is made of three bundles of 29 shingles, and each of these bundles weighs 100 pounds.
How many pieces are in a square of shingles?
With three bundles of 29 shingles, a square of shingles has 87 shingles. This is enough shingles to cover a 100 square foot area.
Squares of shingles are packaged in bundles of three because an entire square of shingles weighs 300 pounds. That can be as high as 400 pounds for roofing shingles.
With each square weighing so much, breaking them into three bundles makes each weight only 100 pounds, and that makes these bundles moveable with one or two workers.
How Do You Calculate How Many Shingles You Need?
To calculate how many shingles you need, you need to know your roof's square footage. If you don't already know your roof's area in square feet, you will need to measure it.
Measure the length and width of each panel of your roof. Be sure to include all parts of the roof that have shingles. Once you have the area of your roof in square feet, we can calculate how many shingle squares we'll need.
Let's say that your roof measured 1200 square feet. Since we know that a square of shingles covers 100 square feet, we can take our roof's area and divide it by the area a square of shingles covers to see that we need 12 squares of shingles to cover our roof.
Each square of shingles has 87 shingles which means with 12 squares of shingles, we would need 1044 shingles to cover the roof.
This is an estimate for a house with a roof that is 1200 square feet. You will need more shingles with more extensive roofs, and with smaller roofs, you will need less.
How Many Bundles Of Shingles Does A Typical House Need?
Different roofs will require different amounts of shingles. The roof area will be only a little more than the area of one story of the home if the pitch of the roof isn't too great.
To estimate the area of your roof, multiply the area of one floor of your house by 1.1 to give you a 10 percent increase. If your roof is very pitched, above 40 degrees, you may need to multiply by 1.2 to provide you with a 20 percent increase.
The average home in the united states is 2500 square feet. If you multiply this area by 1.1 for a 10 percent increase, you get 2750 square feet, which means you need 28 squares of shingles for the roof.
Each square has three bundles of shingles, giving you a total of 84 bundles of shingles for a typical house.
If you had a 3000 square foot home with a steep 45-degree roof, you would multiply 3000 by 1.2 to get 3600 square feet of shingles.
You would need to buy 36 squares of shingles, and you would have 108 bundles of shingles.
How Many Ridge Cap Shingles Are In A Bundle?
Each bundle of shingles comes with 45 ridge cap shingles, and this means that there are 135 ridge caps in a square of shingles.
Ridge cap shingles are special shingles designed to fit the ridges of roofs. Ridge cap shingles are thicker than other shingles and work great at keeping water and debris out of your home.
The 45 ridge cap shingles that come standard in shingle bundles are enough to cover 25 feet of edges. You will need to measure the length of all roof edges to calculate how many bundles of shingles you will need to have enough ridge cap shingles.
Once you know the length of all roof edges, divide that number by 25 to know how many bundles of shingles you will need to cover all the edges of your roof.
Typically if you don't have an abnormal amount of roof features, the number of bundles required to cover your roof in shingles will supply enough ridge cap shingles for all of your edges.
What Kind Of Shingles Should I Use?
What kind of shingles you should use will depend on your house's needs. You will need stronger shingles in wet environments than in dry ones.
Let's look at several different kinds of shingles and learn about them. Once we understand the advantages and disadvantages of each of these shingles, we can better understand which type of shingles match our needs.
Asphalt Shingles
Asphalt shingles are the most common type of shingles. They are made of asphalt and come in a couple of main varieties.
3-Tab Asphalt Shingles
3-Tab asphalt shingles are the cheapest of the three types of asphalt shingles. They are made of a single layer of asphalt.
This asphalt shingle doesn't last as long as traditional asphalt shingles but can be acquired for a significantly cheaper price.
Architectural Shingles
Architectural shingles are asphalt shingles made with multiple layers of asphalt. By using various layers, not only can you make a more substantial asphalt shingle, you can make a more decorative shingle.
Since architectural shingles last longer and are made from more asphalt sheets than 3-Tap shingles, they cost more. Despite their increased cost, they are a favorite for homeowners who want their roofs to last many years.
Ceramic Tile Shingles
Ceramic tile shingles are ceramic tiles that overlap to form a waterproof roof. These tiles can be expensive but can last for a long time.
Ceramic shingles can last for over 100 years if properly installed. They come in many colors and can be glazed, giving a glassy appearance.
While one of the more expensive shingles, glazed ceramic shingles are some of the most diverse decorative shingles out there.
Slate Shingles
Slate Shingles are made from flat slate pieces. These slate pieces are held together with mortar to form a waterproof roof.
Slate shingles can be pretty expensive and very heavy, but they will last for many years if you have a roof to support a slate shingles roof.
Metal Shingles
Metal Shingles are metal panels of various shapes and sizes that link together to form a waterproof roof.
The weight of a metal shingle roof can vary greatly depending on the metal used. A steel shingle will weigh much more than an aluminum shingle.
Depending on what kind of metal shingles you have installed, they can last up to 60 years.
Wood Shingles
For a more natural look, you can use wood shingles. Wood shingles are more expensive than asphalt but less expensive than metal shingles.
If installed properly, wood shingles can last up to 50 years. There are many different kinds of wood you can use for wood shingles.
One popular wood for shingles is white oak, and you can also use cedar or redwood for shingles. You can treat the wood shingles with oil to create a waterproof layer but, you can also install them naturally.
Rubber Shingles
Another alternative shingle is rubber shingles. Rubber roof shingles are made to keep heat inside a home and create an insulating layer.
Rubber shingles will help to decrease your heating and cooling bill. While rubber shingles aren't as cheap as asphalt shingles, they aren't too expensive.
Rubber shingles last about 20 to 25 years on average.
Solar Panel Shingles
One more alternate shingle is solar panel shingles. Solar panel shingles are a great way to generate some power in a world where energy needs are higher than ever before.
If your solar panel shingles generate more power than you use in your home in a given month, the power company will pay you for the extra power.
Over a few years, solar panel shingles pay for themselves but have high initial costs. Having solar panel shingles installed on your roof can cost thousands of dollars. Some government grants can help to lower the price.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we learned how big a square of shingles is. We also learned about different shingles to know what kind you should use.
Remember, if you live in a wet environment, you will need stronger shingles than in a dry climate.
We hope you enjoyed this article. If you want to learn more, check out some of these other posts.