Toasted... a word that comes to mind when you see a roof surface from a distance, and you already know what's happening up there before you climb that ladder. This one the other day was that way, or so I suspected as I arrived at the location. This house was built in 1936, and had the looks of a house that has been added on to, remodeled, and handy manned to the max.
So when I climbed up on the roof, my suspicions became reality. The shingle tabs were fried to a crisp, many of them had cracked and fell off. Someone decided they were going to fix that roof, replace the missing shingle tabs and viola... Sold! I could pry up the corners of those shingles ands they would snap off in your hand. A lot of the protective granules were gone and the sun really fried these babies! Where the shingle tabs were cracked and broken off, the guy got some loose shingles somewhere and cut some tabs to fit the areas they were missing. So he slipped the tab under the old one that was broken and nailed them down.
Right
through everything, leaving the nail heads exposed. Nice! So the owner is trying to patch things together and hope someone will let that slide and buy the property as is. That may happen, but my client will understand what is happening up there and why!
To better understand, an explanation of how an asphalt shingle is constructed and some things that will help your roofing investment last is in order.
The terms "asphalt" shingle and "composition" shingle are general terms for the same thing. The term “composition” is used because the shingles are a composite product made from either a fiberglass or a cellulose mat, and 
asphalt and minerals, as opposed to a single material, such as wood shingles or clay tiles.
All modern shingles manufactured in North America have mats made of interwoven fiberglass strands, so you may also hear them called "fiberglass" shingles. A modern shingle consists of a fiberglass mat embedded in
asphalt, and covered with granules on the surface that faces the weather.
The mat, asphalt and granules act together to form a durable, flexible and waterproof assembly. The mat provides the reinforcement that gives shingles the strength to help resist splitting, tearing and pulling over the heads of fasteners. Fiberglass shingles are designed to be resistant to heat and humidity. Warm air can hold more moisture than cold air. Because they absorb less moisture, fiberglass shingles deform less as they age, making them more stable in warm or damp climates.
Granules embedded into the weather surfaces of shingles are made from fine-grain,
opaque, crushed rock particles. Opaque granules don’t allow light to pass through.
The uniformity with which granules are applied can affect the way they look on the roof. Granules have four main purposes: 1-They reflect sunlight, which helps keep the roof cool. Keeping the roof cool will help slow the loss of volatiles which keep shingles flexible, durable and waterproof. Reflecting sunlight also helps protect the asphalt from the damaging ultraviolet or UV radiation in sunlight. 2-Granules add weight, which helps the adhesive strip to bond well and improves wind resistance. 3-They also make shingles more durable by protecting them from weathering and abrasion. 4-Lastly, granules improve shingle fire-resistance.
Many different forces and conditions affect the long-term service life of an asphalt shingle roof. Shingle Quality, Proper Installation, Multiple Layers, Directional Orientation(does it get full sun or all shade), Roof Design(angles and roof pitch), Thermal Cycling(which is a big factor here in our location), Shingle Color, Home Site Conditions(such as tree limbs touching the roof surface), Elevation... so there are many factors that contribute to the life 
expectancy of a shingle roof.
Attic ventilation can also play a factor, is your attic ventilated well, or does your attic become blistering hot in the summer? You can actually fry them from both sides.
Because of these factors, shingles rarely last the "as advertised" life the manufacturer suggests. A 25 year shingle may only last 15 years, and not because the shingle failed, but because of conditions on that specific installation. Go figure... Nobody can predict the remaining life of a shingle installation accurately, of course every home buyer wants to know that. Know this... it is a guestimate at best! Or, in the case of my inspection above... it's time to talk to a roofing contractor!
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