Haag's 4.09 Shingle Gauge™ and 1.12 Shingle Gauge™ have very similar names. They also look a lot alike. Both have a basic shape similar to a piano tuning fork, each with a central opening where users slide an asphalt composition shingle to estimate its thickness. However, just as the basic two-prong shape of the gauges does not indicate that they can be used to tune pianos, the similar shape of the two gauges does not mean that they measure the same products. If you have ever heard of the Haag Shingle Gauges™ referred to as “interchangeable” or as two sizes (one ''long,” one ''short”) of the same tool, it is important to know that the two Shingle Gauges are completely different and that ONE SHOULD NEVER BE USED IN PLACE OF THE OTHER.

First came the 4.09

Haag's IAS-accredited Research/Testing lab has been monitoring the shingle manufacturing industry for over 20 years. We saw a need for a tool which could estimate the thickness of asphalt composition shingles and link that thickness to a warranty level. We aimed to support industry pros with measurements in the field so they can better prepare their roof repair and replacement estimates.

The very earliest version of the Haag Shingle Gauge, released in 1993, was shaped more like a key than a tuning fork. As shingle manufacturers updated their products (effectively changing their thickness and corresponding warranty levels), Haag's Research/Testing engineers continued to update this early Shingle Gauge with slight re-designs in 2004 and 2006.

The first major re-design of the tool came in 2009, when the Haag 4.09 was released in its present two-pronged shape. Haag engineers measured hundreds of shingles throughout 2008 and found that warranty-measurement estimates could be correlated for these shingle types:

3-Tab Fiberglass (20-, 25-, 30-, and 40-year)
3-Tab Organic (20-, 25-, and 30-year)
Laminated (30-, 35-, 40-, and 50-year)

Second came the 1.12

For several years, the 4.09 accurately represented estimates on each new batch of shingles manufactured in the U.S. However, 2011 was an important year for shingle manufacturers. Most U.S. makers of asphalt composition shingles changed their from-the-factory warranties, offering limited lifetime warranties on all products rather than warranties spaced in 5- to 10-year increments. Haag's Research/Testing division went to work to determine if the dimensions used on the 4.09 Shingle Gauge remained useful on shingles manufactured after Jan. 2011.

After studying hundreds of brand-new shingles from over 30 different manufacturers, Haag engineers realized that while the 4.09 remained accurate on pre-2011 shingles (of which there are still many installed today), an entirely new tool was needed to estimate warranties on all newly-manufactured shingles. Thus, the 1.12 Shingle Gauge was born.

The “1.12” in the name refers to the newest version's date of release (Jan. 2012 vs. the 4.09's earlier release in April of 2009). It was released after a year of research; Haag engineers studied the changes in the industry and implemented them into a new tool. Haag engineers realized that the thicknesses of shingles provided by various manufacturers starting in 2011 no longer fit into as many measureable categories as pre-2011 shingles. The 1.12 may be used to estimate a single type of asphalt shingle:

3-Tab Fiberglass (20-, 25-, 30-, 35-year and Lifetime)

Why can't I use the gauges interchangeably?

You can't use the 4.09 and 1.12 interchangeably because the incremental widening of each tool's slot is quite different. The slot thickness may not look different to your naked eye, but remember: the tool was designed with specified tolerances to measure what you can't see with your eyes! Though the 4.09 cannot estimate accurately what the 1.12 can, and vice versa, the inability of each tool to estimate certain shingles isn't a failing of the gauges themselves. Instead, it is merely a reflection of how drastically the shingle manufacturing industry changed its products in 2011.

Ryan Holdhusen is the vice president of Haag Education, LLC.

Special Reports /

Advertorial: The 4.09 & 1.12 Shingle Gauge: What's the Difference?

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