Impact Resistant Shingles

CertainTeed’s line of impact resistant products ensure peace of mind—and solid protection—even during the harshest conditions. Built from the industry’s toughest materials, our impact resistant shingles defend against updrafts, crosswinds and all manner of gusty, blustery weather.

When hail falls on a non-impact resistant shingle, it knocks off granules of the shingle’s outer layer—exposing it to UV damage that can degrade the roof and make it vulnerable to leaks.

In 1996 the Institute of Business and Home Safety (IBHS) and the Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL) developed the UL 2218 classification, a national standard for roof impact resistance by rating materials from Class 1 through 4, based on their resistance to the steel ball simulation test. A Class 4 rating is the toughest.

CertainTeed impact resistant shingles are tough.

And have the evidence to prove it. Each shingle in our line is made from materials that have achieved the highest impact resistance rating—Class 4—during testing performed with steel balls simulating 90-mph hailstones of varying sizes.

• The test evaluates the effect of impact from the steel ball at locations on the assembly selected to be most vulnerable, including the edges, corners, unsupported sections and joints.

• Steel balls are dropped from heights of 12 feet for a 1.25-inch ball, to 20 feet for a 2-inch ball, simulating the impact energy of free-falling hailstones. Our impact resistant shingles remained intact, even when struck by the 2-inch steel ball.

• To meet the acceptance criteria of UL 2218, the roof covering material exposed surface, back surface and underneath layers must show no evidence of tearing, fracturing, cracking, splitting, rupture, crazing or other evidence of opening of the roof covering layer.