i need help picking shingles

[pmalavolti]

i know i want a long lasting architectural shingle. should i use the GAF timberlines or Owens Corning Durations. I will be doing the roofing my self. The GAF is cheaper but i dont mind paying more if it will last longer. Both have Limited Lifetime warranties. Is 1 brand better than the other?

 

[McFarmer]

We used the Timberlines, four bundles per square. Five years and still happy, time will tell.

When shopping roofers I asked one fellow about lifetime shingles. His reply :

"Thirty year shingles are a lot cheaper."

Turning to look at me he says:

"That's good enough for you isn't it?"

 

[ilovevocs]

It depends how you quantify "quality" in a shingle. Being a home owner self performing the work, you will have little luck making a warranty claim IMHO. If you have an issue they are going to come out and examine the roof until they find a installation defect in an effort to deny your claim. I have seen it happen time and time again to individuals who consider themselves professionals. Not trying to degrade you or your workmanship in any way, it's just the reality of our industry. The warranties are prorated and the proration is exponential, not linear. After 7 to 10 years the covered value of the roof is so minimal it's will likely not be worth the cost of paper to prepare a formal rebuttal to their assessment.

Personally I would look at the timberline ultra HD.

 

[mechanic217]

I used the Timberlines, did the roof myself, flashing , valleys etc. attention to detail and your location count for a lot, I was happy with a thirty year shingle, I know I won't be doing the reroof!

 

[pmalavolti]

I used the Timberlines, did the roof myself, flashing , valleys etc. attention to detail and your location count for a lot, I was happy with a thirty year shingle, I know I won't be doing the reroof!

that is my goal as well. the owens corning warranty looks like there are a lot more catches to it.

 

[mds5951]

Shingle warranties are useless... They always seem to find a way out of it... And even if you do somehow get them to warranty them your still getting stuck with the labor and other materials... It's not like they're gonna cut you a check for a new roof, installed.... It's more like oh well here's a square, patch it in.

 

[coljar]

I'm getting ready to have my roof done with the 30 yr. Owens-Corning when my roofer gets to it. I'm 55, but I'm going to do my best to outlive 'em.

 

[nit2wn]

We're getting a new roof thanks to a recent hailstorm when the roofer gets to it. We picked the 30 yr architectural shingles. They're called Duration premium shingles by Owens Corning, well I say we picked them, that the brand the roofer uses and there's only two in our area. He seemed to be the one I wanted to use.

 

[Cemoto]

Check the weight/ square, this will give you a better idea of durability.

 

[HotRodMan]

Have you thought about not putting shingles on the roof and going with a metal roof? I have installed both and if you are planning on doing this yourself, the metal roof will go up much faster and easier, and will last the rest of your life if its not hit by a tornado. If you decide on shingles try to get all the help you can, ahead of time. Its also a good idea to wear a safety harness while you are on the roof. An air nailer will speed the process with shingles greatly.

I agree with the other posts, the warranty is worthless. The only thing it is good for is giving you an idea of the quality of the shingle. If you look at a 30 year shingle, you can see it is better made than a 15 year shingle and would hold up longer.

Also, what ever you decide on, call your insurance agent and discuss the shingle vs metal roof to see if it effects your premium one way or another.

 

[atfulldraw]

I've been in the roofing and insurance business for over twenty years.

You could cut off three of my fingers, and I'd still be able to count on one hand how many times I've seen a manufacturer stand by that roof warranty.....

 

[Average_Joe]

I like the look of Certainteed the most, but the quality of the three brands seems to be about the same. 30yr architectural (now called lifetime) is the best price point.

 

[Too_Many_Tools]

Please note the info in this link....before buying your shingles.

http://www.certainteedshinglesettlement.com/faq.cfm

 

[rsa]

In Consumer Reports Roofing Ratings, no other laminated roofing shingles scored lower than the Duration (58) and Duration Premium (53). The GAF Timberlines scored barely better, Timberline Prestique Lifetime (60) and Timberline Natural Shadow (59). Highest scores were for CertainTeed Grand Manor and Owens Corning Berkshire, both (87).

Owens Corning Oakridge (67) and CertainTeed Landmark (66) were best buys.

I know, CR *****.

 

[NUTTSGT]

As a homeowner DIY'er I have Owens-Corning shingles. They are made here in Ohio and get the granuals from the local stone quarry.

I did the shed roof on my garage when we first bought the house, 13 years old no problems. I replaced it last year when I added on and wanted it to match the dimensionals like the house. The house and garage shingles were done in 2004-2005 and are still fine.

I've seen newer roofs done by professionals that have come off during storms. Maybe I'm lucky or just did it right following their instructions.

 

[Jack90210]

I know I'm in the minority here but 40-year shingles aren't much more than 30-year, and much of the cost/effort is in the labor to install them. Plus I greatly prefer the look of 40-year shingles (they have a heft to them that is pleasing to the eye). I'll never use 30-year shingles again.

I'm also a fan of the solar shingles. They definitely cut down on the heat load in the summer.

 

[where2]

Having just spent the last week disassembling half of my second story roof, I will do every home I own from now on with Decra metal roofing. My house will literally have to be torn apart in a hurricane before that roof will come off. Menard's sells the stuff, and it's not complicated to install.

 

[Average_Joe]

Please note the info in this link....before buying your shingles.

http://www.certainteedshinglesettlement.com/faq.cfm

They stopped making those in '05, don't think that should be a consideration.

 

[ilovevocs]

I know I'm in the minority here but 40-year shingles aren't much more than 30-year, and much of the cost/effort is in the labor to install them. Plus I greatly prefer the look of 40-year shingles (they have a heft to them that is pleasing to the eye). I'll never use 30-year shingles again.

I'm also a fan of the solar shingles. They definitely cut down on the heat load in the summer.

This was in line with my recommendation as well. The upgrade is minimal when given the cost or in this case time for installation. The added thickness decreases the likelihood of uplift failures in addition to the other longevity benefits. I always give building owners a ad alternate for a premium shingle. The customers shopping solely based on price never consider it, but those who are concerned with quality and longevity always opt for the option. I don't cater to the customers looking for the lowest price any how. Good is never cheap, and cheap is never good..

 

[Automatic Slim]

I go by wind tolerance b/c I get some hefty gusts and strong storms where I live and the 40y arch was the best rated, fwiw (prob not much).

Had some old 3 tab prior (old farm house), everytime it stormed would pick up shingles, filed a couple of claims and then the "big one" hit and totalled the roof after a couple of DIY spot repair jobs.

Found a deal at a resale shop that had archectual shingles for $25 square that claimed wind tolerance up to 80 mph - haven't had one come of yet and there has been some nasty weather over L5. It was an insurance job, so the xtra money went towards putting in ridge vent and other. Turbine just doesn't do it for me and my house is cooler in summer fer sure.

Have a friend who does roofing, and the ones mentioned are both good "brands." He swears by the ice & water shield around flashings and whatnots, and has used as underlayment. Time will tell - but dry for now, GL.

I don't know why someone would want to roof it themselves, labor has been cut here to below minimum wage and they can bring a crew of hondurans in that finish in a day or so. I drank beer on my deck and watched, lifting that beer was demanding, LOL.

$0.02

 

[Blk88GT]

I did my shop with Owens Corning Berkshire, without knowing the CR scores. Looks like I dodged a bullet there

 

[Falcon67]

I used Owens because they were the low priced ones here. We don't buy 30 year units - don't have to. Most roofs don't last that long out here before they get beat to **** by hail or torn up by high wind. An old roof around here typically means they were too lazy/scared to file a claim, they are a renter or they don't have insurance. I thought it might be time for a new roof on the house last night but it only got to moth ball/marble size and the wind didn't get over 50. The bad part of the storm went a bit NE of the house. This might be the year we get a new roof, paid for by Geico.

We had Owens on the old house. The ones put on in 1999 cracked across the exposure in 2001. We filed a claim and they compensated us for the damage. Our roofing company guy said leave 'em and take the money, we'll fix it next hail storm. 2006 - all new again and those look just fine still.