James T. Capretz Products Liability Law Blog on Lawyers.com

What are Organic Asphalt Shingles and how do you know if yours are failing?

Tuesday, September 14, 2010 by James T. Capretz

Organic shingles have been
manufactured for many years by several companies. Simply put ,they are
generally paper (waste or recycled paper) saturated with asphalt to make it
waterproof, then a top coating of adhesive asphalt is applied and ceramic
granules are then embedded. Algae-resistant shingles may contain a portion of
copper or tin.

Often times the organic shingle
manufacturer would warrant them for 25, 30 years or longer. However, many
homeowners and businesses with organic shingles noticed the shingles they had
purchased started to curl up or crumble after only a few years from the time
they were installed. The premature failure of organic shingles is particularly
prevalent in, the northern and midwestern parts of the United States and/or
Canada where rain, snow, sleet, hail, high-winds and extreme temperate
variations occur.

Most shingle manufacturers have now
stopped producing organic shingles all together and instead have been selling
more durable fiberglass shingles. There are several pending class action
lawsuits filed against the different manufacturers of organic shingles alleging
they are defectively designed and/or manufactured and that the companies
violated fair trade laws by misrepresenting their lifespan by offering
warranties for 25 years or longer. In August, a global federal class action
settlement agreement was approved to compensate owners of organic shingles
manufactured by CertainTeed Corporation.

BP Canada is a 100 year old Canadian manufacturer based in Quebec province which has manufactured and sold organic
shingles for many years and uniquely continues to do so. BP’s organic shingles
are sold in Canada and the United States, primarily in the northeast part of
the country.

Signs of organic shingle
damage include:

Cracking, blistering or curling of the shingle
Granule loss
Pitting
Discoloration
Loss of shingles

Capretz & Associates successfully led negotiations in the summer of 2010 for improvements to the then proposed CertainTeed organic shingle settlement and is currently
investigating alleged claims of defective organic roofing shingles manufactured
by BP Canada. If you own a home or business with what you believe
to be defective BP of Canada organic shingles, you may contact us for a free
case evaluation. You can call us toll-free at (800) 351-8588 or visit
our website.

Posted at 20:12 PM

Topic: Products Liability