Materials & Shingles · FAQ

Why do roofs rarely last their full warranty period?

The warranty year is a material-life rating in lab conditions. Actual installed life in Illinois runs 65 to 80% of the warranty number for most asphalt shingles. A 30-year shingle typically delivers 20 to 24 years in our climate; a 50-year delivers 35 to 40.

The gap is mostly attic ventilation, exposure (south and west slopes degrade faster), and tree cover (more shade = more moss, less UV damage, but more debris). Trill’s record on installed roofs we’ve inspected past 15 years: well-ventilated attics with no tree shade hit 90% of warranty; poorly ventilated attics under tree shade hit 60%. The single biggest lever a homeowner controls is ventilation, not material.