Why Minnesota Homeowners Should Switch From Asphalt To Composite Shingles
If you’ve driven through an older Twin Cities neighborhood lately — Kenwood, Linden Hills, Prospect Park — you may have noticed something: Roofs that resemble hand-split cedar shake or quarried slate, but without the larger price tag or the need for specialized structural adjustments.
At Garlock-French Roofing, we’ve been putting roofs on Twin Cities homes since 1932. We’ve seen materials come and go. Composite shingles aren’t a trend — they’re the answer to a real problem that Minnesota weather has been posing for decades. Here’s what you need to know.
The Minnesota Problem (That Asphalt Keeps Failing to Solve)
Let’s be honest about what our climate does to roofs. Minnesota dishes out sub-zero winters, ice dams, freeze-thaw cycles that can crack and buckle standard materials, spring hailstorms, summer UV exposure, and wind events that regularly top 60–70 mph. Standard asphalt shingles are engineered to a price point, not to this kind of sustained abuse. Most carry a 20–30 year rated lifespan, but in our experience, Minnesota roofs push them toward a shorter range of 15-25 years.
Minnesota’s climate is no stranger to extremes, but recent years have brought even more unpredictable and harsher weather patterns. Winters are still fiercely cold, with temperatures often plunging well below zero, but they are now interspersed with unexpected thaw cycles that wreak havoc on infrastructure. Spring and summer months have seen a rise in severe thunderstorms, with hail and high winds becoming more frequent, challenging traditional roofing materials. Moreover, the summer heat has intensified, making UV exposure a growing concern for homeowners. These evolving climate conditions are not only testing the resilience of existing homes but also driving a shift towards more durable roofing solutions, like composite shingles, that can withstand the full spectrum of Minnesota’s weather. As the state continues to experience these shifts, homeowners are increasingly prioritizing materials that promise longevity and protection against the elements.
Natural alternatives like cedar shake and slate are beautiful — we’ve installed plenty of both — but they carry their downside. Cedar needs ongoing treatment to resist fire and moisture. Natural slate is essentially permanent, but it runs 700–1,500 lbs per square, which means expensive structural reinforcement on most homes. If your house is built for that roofing it is a scheduled maintaince that you come to understand, but it is not something new you can do an easy swap of your asphalt shingles.
Composite shingles strike the perfect balance between design and durability, all without requiring significant changes to your roof. They are designed to mimic the appearance of natural materials while excelling past asphalt shingles in nearly every crucial category for Minnesota: impact resistance, wind rating, fire resistance, and durability.
The investment in composite shingles is meaningfully higher than asphalt — but so is the lifespan. When you factor in 50+ years without replacement, fewer repairs, potential insurance discounts for Class 4 impact-rated products, and the curb appeal premium at resale, the math looks different than the upfront sticker price suggests.
Why Installation Quality Is An Important Variable?
Here’s something no manufacturer will tell you in their marketing materials: composite shingles are only as good as the installation. An improperly installed composite roof can void warranty coverage and underperform in the field.
At Garlock-French Roofing, we’ve been installing specialty roofing — slate, clay tile, cedar shake, custom metal — since the Eisenhower administration. Composite shingles require the same level of precision. The products are premium; the installation needs to match.
If you’re comparing quotes for composite shingles, ask every contractor about their certification and how many of these roofs they’ve installed. It’s a reasonable question, and the answer matters.
The Bottom Line
Minnesota doesn’t go easy on roofs. If your home deserves better than asphalt’s 15–20 year ceiling — if you want the look of cedar shake or slate without the weight, and restructuring — composite shingles from Garlock-French Roofing represent the most defensible long-term investment in the residential roofing market today.
We’re happy to walk you through which product makes sense for your home’s architecture, your budget, and your goals. Garlock-French Roofing has been doing this in the Twin Cities since 1932. We’re not going anywhere.
Request a free estimate: garlock-french.com | Call us: 612-722-7129
Garlock-French Roofing Corporation is a GAF Master Elite Contractor serving Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the greater Twin Cities metro area.
