There are many different types of shingles on the market today. A shingle roof consist of two main components, the underlayment layer and the shingle layer.
The underlayment layer will consist upon 1 layer of #30 felt on slopes of 4/12 or higher. On slopes 3/12 and lower 2 layers of felt are installed as per the new 2014 building code. Additional layers can be installed on slopes greater than 3/12 at an additional cost. The top layer of the roof will be the shingle layer. The two most common types of shingles are 3-tab and Dimensional (3D). Either shingle will provide a long lasting roof for your residential home. While both shingles come in similar colors there are several differences in the two.
A 3-tab style shingle gives the roof a flatter more linear look and this type of shingle is typically rated to 60-70mph from the manufacturer. The most common 3 tab shingles used are GAF Royal Sovereign and Owens Corning Supreme. Other manufacturers such as Tamko, IKO, and CertainTeed also make 3-tab style shingles.
Dimensional shingles can go by a few different names such as 3D, Architectural, and Laminated.