Atlas Chalet Did Not Live Up To Promises
More About The Atlas Chalet Nitty Gritty
Atlas Chalet shingles were extremely popular in the Southeast. They were manufactured and sold for about 10 years starting from the year 2000. Their popularity arose from providing the appearance of a high quality, architectural shingle that was manufactured on a more economical, 3-tab shingle platform.
In order to achieve this Atlas added an increased amount of asphalt granules to certain portions of the shingle tabs. Thus raising the profile of the shingle.
Additionally, they added a darker shade of granule to the upper portion of the exposed surface. The combined effort of these designs provided an aesthetically appealing roofing system.
Here is an example of the result.
Marketing And Sales
In marketing the Chalet shingle, Atlas claimed that the shingle was fully compliant with ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) standards. This organization implements over 12,000 standards in efforts to “…improve product quality, enhance health and safety, strengthen market access and trade, and build consumer confidence.”
Furthermore, the Atlas Chalet was approved as possessing the qualities necessary to pass the High Velocity Hurricane Zone standards set forth by the Florida building code.
Being confident in their product, Atlas sold the Chalet with multiple warranty options ranging from 25 – 35 year warranties. These robust warranties greatly contributed to the nationwide frenzy that surrounded their popularity.
It is estimated that roughly 70,000 homes were built with the Atlas Chalet shingle.
The Problems Began Within A Few Years
In short time following installation, the shingle began to show signs of manufacturer’s defect. Some of the early problems included:
- shingle blistering
- tears
- shingle pitting
- cracking
- curling
These issues soon escalated and began to cause:
- asphalt granule loss
- blow offs
- exposed fiberglass matting
- reduced life expectancy
- roof leaks
Main Contributing Cause Of The Problem
It is estimated that the alleged defects came from insufficient care taken during the lamination process of the shingles. This resulted in a high amount of moisture being able to penetrate into the product. With a high amount of moisture trapped within the shingle, gas bubbles are created under the high temperatures that the roof is exposed to.
Due to expansion and contraction of gas bubbles in response to extreme temperature gradients, an intolerable amount of stress is placed on the weather stopping system. This causes the asphalt granules, the roof’s primary line of defense, to begin to fall off. Evidence of such can be found in high amounts of sand-like material found in gutters and downspouts.
As the shingles shed their protective granular coat, the underlaying fiberglass matting becomes exposed. Fiberglass matting is incapable of preventing moisture penetration. Water then begins finding its way into a home or building and destroying everything in its path.
Chalet Continuing In The Courts
Even though an official recall of the product was never implemented, the Atlas Chalet shingle continues to make appearances in courts under various class action lawsuits.
Here is an example of one allegation that was documented in a lawsuit:
“…defectively designed and manufactured … they prematurely fail and cause damage to the underlying structures and other property… permitting water leaks.”
An expert team of Atlas Chalet roofing contractors estimates that another 30,000 homes in the Southeastern US still have the problematic shingle in question on their roofs. There are currently multiple, on-going, class action lawsuits surrounding the Chalet. An Atlas Chalet shingle recall does not currently exist however it also can’t be 100% ruled out for the future. It is essential to call the experts to have your roof examined by the authorities on Atlas Chalet shingles.
