Ok I’m back. Last year I posted some questions about alternate ways to lay out 3 tab shingles. Well I am glad to say the project worked out well.
Well it is time to do the Garage roof. I want to do something a little differant, that would be appropriate for a garage built in the 1930’s. My area is full of old houses, and I have occaisionally seen what I call a “Fish Scale” roof. I like the effect.
I have been told that these “Fish Scale” roofs were made out of Asbestos, simular to the Asbestos siding so popular in the 50’s and 60’s tract houses. I have been told that, they are no longer made.
That is until I saw a garage near my work. I talked to the homeowner, and the roof was done by a previous owner. I also was able to inspect the roof up close. His “fish scales” appear to be made out of asphalt rool roofing. I was able to reach up and touch them, these are defitly mineral roll of some sort.
I have no idea if these are available pre-cut, or if some poor fool cut them out of a 3 foot wide rool of mineral roof.
I have 4 rolls of 3 foot wide roll roof that I bought years ago when “Builder’s Square” went out of business. I am tempted to be a “poor fool” and cut out some fish scales. I would need a pattern. If I can find the shingles pre-cut, I may just use the roll roof as underlayment.
SO… Does anyone out there recognize these fish scale shingles? I am just north of Philadelphia, and I am guessing the shingles in this picture are at least 10 years old.
If I have to go the cutting route, does anyone know where I can get a pattern? It seems that someone has “Google bombed” all of the web search engines, so that searching for “Fish scales” + “Roofing Shingles” only finds web sites selling Viagra. Either that, of the disease called “shingles”.
Replies
They're french lock shingles. Don't know who, if anyone makes them anymore. You can read about them here...http://www.oldhousejournal.com/magazine/2005/jul/amazing.shtml
Thanks a lot! Having the proper name for them has got to help me search more effectivly.
Grommitt, I'm looking too.
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=56076.1
Joe H
I like your's, but they must be asbestos. I wouldn't want to have to deal with the problem of disposing of the old ones. I am guessing the thing to do is nail plywood over them, to seal in the asbestos.
Here is something I did with ordinary 3-tab shingles on my house, that looks just differant enough to please the eye:
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=47907.1
These are standard 3-tab shingles, but with a non-standard layout. What this layout does is get rid of the vertical lines that are made by the cutouts. I have been spending this summer in our tiny pool, admiring how much better this pattern looks over my neiighbors houses with the standard 0-6-0-6 layout. Took a bit longer, but I think it was worth it.
I am considering cutting out the "french lock" shingles out of roll roofing for my garage. The garge is only 4.5 square, but still a labor of love. Need a pattern first. With the pitch of your roof, and the fact that it probably is at least 10 squares, I wouldn't suggest cutting shingles by hand. Roll roofing doesn't hold up that long either, especially on a cape with an insulated ceiling (not enough ventalation underneath).
Good luck! I'll post here if I come across anything.
These have a slightly different shape, but they are locking shingles(click on style and design and then product showcase - the Tite-loc shingles)
http://www.dreamroofs.com/en/03/p_03_01.aspx
There's also Tamko:
http://www.tamko.com/residential/shingles/tam/tam.htm
Great article, but no pictures, no links to manufactures offering anything available now:(
Joe H
Gromittoo - I believe those interlocking shingles are not asbestos, but a mineral surface. I haven't seen them in any yard that I can remember for 20 years. The tamkos look like the closest thing. I doubt that you will cut anything close to that shape with an acceptable nailing tab that can hold down the bottom and both sides.
When I hear "fish scale" shingles, I think about the ornamental wood shingles in different patterns. I worked on a job a bunch of years ago where the owner did something similar (to fish scale) in sheet transite, cutting every one by hand.
You have your work "cut out" for you. <G>
Don
What did you end up doing/finding?
Hello,
I live across the river from Philadelphia in New Jersey & have this same shingle shape on the house I bought. The roof is in dire need of repair, & this shingle shape is impossible to find!
However, as it's also the perfect style shingle for my rather unique home, I'm trying to find a way to match them, just like you were.
Did you find a template somewhere, or did you end up making one from scratch?
Thank you! !
I Googled "interlocking
I Googled "interlocking asphalt shingles" and came up with this right away: http://www.sherriffgoslin.com/tabbed.php?section_url=140
Those are close, but they don't sell them, unfortunately
Thank you for responding!
I had decided to use those shingles, but after 4 months of actively trying to obtain them/get a response from the company, I discovered that the company requires that only they install them & won't sell the shingles by themselves (uninstalled). And (of course), they only install in the Ohio area.
Those are quite pretty, & definitely could have worked - if only they would sell them.
The recent weird 'hurricane winds out of nowhere' damaged so many shingles that I'm getting significant water damage, so I was really, really hoping the OP had found a solution/template/hidden-away-supplier that I could use quickly, too.
Rectangular shingle patches interspersed among these shingles would look terrible, & I can't afford a full new roof for a few more years.
And of course, I love the look of these shingles. They add to the storybook uniqueness of my home.
I found these: http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/2015-hot-sale-high-quality-mosaic_60240556170.html?spm=a2700.7724857.29.361.lVuirY
But they are Chinese, appear to be lightweight, and don't appear to be interlocking.
Very Cool find
Those look cool! I wonder when they'll be adapted for the US?
Maybe you can use these GAF shingles.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_665018-240-0689106_0__?productId=50419220
View Image
GAF Sienna 25-sq ft Harbor Mist Laminated Architectural 3-Tab Roof Shingles
I can't believe I missed these in my searches! They have an Aged Oak color that's a darker version of my current 'desert sand' shingles, but will look a whole lot better than the ripped/dilapidated/missing shingles do right now, & the shape of these will blend in nicely with the current shingles, too!
My local Lowe's even has them in stock - which is a first, as I usually have to special order items I need (a well-known hazard of buying an older home, I've learned).
Thank you! Roof, & home, saved!!!!
If you really want to thank me, show some pictures of them being installed. I always loved that style shingles on the right house of course.