Is there a "best" architectural shingle?

[kwschumm]

I'm getting quotes for roofing, both steel and architectural asphalt shingles.

Is there a BEST brand of premium architectural shingle or are they all pretty much the same? Any brands to avoid?

The new roofing will be exposed to lots of northwest rain and high winds that gust to 60-70mph a couple of times each year. Moss/algae/mildew is a problem here and shingle blow-off has been a problem in the past.

 

[The Cobbler]

some people I know in the insurance restoration business claim "GAF" shingles are holding up better than other brands

 

[LXCam]

Can't help ya on a name but there are plenty of roofers here that probably can. I went with a 30yr dimensional that I installed 15yrs ago and it still looks like almost new. What I would pay attention too is the thickness of the tile which is directly related (well at least it seems to be) to the life span rating.

 

[Scott H in Wheaton]

GAF Timberline - best

Owens Corning Oakridge - also okay

IKO - the Kmart of shingles

Certainteed - may be a good shingle (now) but the company will run and hide if you ever have a warranty issue. They had the biggest class action suit over "organic" shingles with a 30 yr warranty that started to disintegrate after 10-12 yrs

Just my opinions after 12 years selling rsidential roofing. Others experience may vary

 

[gnpenning]

All most all the manufactures have been in class action suits at one time or another. google is your friend.

They all have bottom and upper lines of products.

Call your local distributors and see what they say is working in your area, also get recommendations for installers. They will know who pays their bills and if they buy cheap products. Ask the installers what is working for them.

IKO has a regional office in Seattle.

This winter we had a re-roof done for a customer. The installer gave a written warranty for labor and one for the product. He wanted to use Ceartianteed. He's covering the warranty so we went with it. The house I live in and my last house I used IKO, no issues with either. One is ten years old the other 30.

Question them on install. Weight of paper, ice shield, how many nails, placement of the nails, etc. Yes, where the nail is placed makes huge a difference. Most manufactures are very strict about where the nail needs to be to hold, that is where they put the reinforcement for the nail. Outside of that it is not a warranty issue, it's a install error. Not a fan of staples. At one time I lived in a high wind area, the ones with staples and or few nails lost the roofs. A poor install on a great product is worse than a great install on a poor product. I like 5 nails per shingle. Others will say that is a waste. With your area it would be worth the extra money.

 

[matt_i]

I like 5 nails per shingle.

That's exactly what I was going to add. The installer also has to know how to nail. High nailed shingles (meaning those that don't pin the shingle under it also) in big groups are very susceptible to fails.

I also did metal "W" valleys instead of the "cut" valleys one sees almost everywhere else around here.

The "under" is all Grace, I+W and then the tri-flex underlayment. I was shocked at how well the underlay by itself resisted water from strong rains.

I installed Timberline HD if it matters. Maze hot dipped galvanized ring shank nails. It probably sounds like I'm bragging. I just researched every piece of it and tried to use the best materials I could find for each step.

 

[Scott H in Wheaton]

I agree with gnpenning on 5 nails per shingles and no staples, it is what GAF specifies for Timberline HD. If you need 130 mph resisitance use Timberline Ultra and 6 nails per shingle.
Timberline has a faint white line where the nails have to go...it is supposed to be idiot-proof and yet I know there are installers that somehow miss the white line.
Use a synthetic underlayment instead of "paper".

As for class action suits, yes any large company can have one filed against them, doesn't make them a bad company or even validate whether the suit is ******** or not. But I spent a few years where the majority of my estimates were sob stories of people who bought roofs in good faith only to have the shingles disintegrate after 10 years and the manufacurer claim it was not a materials issue.

 

[jon2014]

Metal cedar shake look that lock in on both top and bottom.

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk

 

[ItsNemo]

I had GAF Timberline with the ice and water and deck armor and the rest of it put on my old house. I was quite happy with it but didn't stay in the house long enough to know how it will hold up in 30+ years. The installer I used was also GAF certified or whatever, they did an outstanding job.

 

[kwschumm]

Thanks guys, I looked at Certainteed and Owens Corning but forgot all about GAF. If nothing else they sure have a nice web site. Products seem great, I'll definitely put them at the top of my asphalt list. It seems like all of them have certified installers, if that's what it takes to get a warranty that's what I'll do. If (when) pieces blow off I want to get it repaired free!

 

[kwschumm]

Metal cedar shake look that lock in on both top and bottom.

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk

Thanks, I'm also looking at steel shakes. That's what I want most but we have to try to stay within budget (driveway cost is double what was planned, gotta make it up somewhere).

 

[longez]

We just installed Certainteed Presidential TL on our new construction home - 475#/square!!

 

[Mustang1167]

I've done the garage and house over the last 2 years. When I was comparing I came to the conclusion that Owens Corning #1 and GAF #2. The certainteed I seen were sub par quality. I liked Owens surenail technology. The shingles also seemed a little thicker and heavier.

 

[CNGsaves]

OP . . . there will be a predominant brand in your area that gives you bast value for your money. Where there's a plant, shingles are cheaper as not paying transportation from out-of-state.

Here in midwest . . . Tamko is good brand for architectural shingles, yet affordable.

GAF Timberline are indeed very good shingles but EXPENSIVE . . . unless you catch a deal for enough shingles for your house . . . ie end of color run, etc.

Make sure INSTALLATION is proper as described above, Including TAR on all penetrations to the roof . . . ie underlayment tarred to the pipe, then the shingle also tarred to the pipe. Good luck.

 

[kwschumm]

That's a good idea. I didn't know of any manufacturers around here but googling turned up two - PABCO and Malarkey. I'll check them out. Cost is important but I want a roof that looks great and lasts for the rest of my life, which would likely be somewhere between 0 and 35 years! Seems that in our area that the typical architectural asphalt shingles need replacement after 20 years or so. Of course the installation has to be done right for any of them to last so a "lifetime" warranty, use of the entire required branded system of products, and installation by a certified installer of the brand is worth extra to me.

 

[Scott H in Wheaton]

OP . . . there will be a predominant brand in your area that gives you bast value for your money. Where there's a plant, shingles are cheaper as not paying transportation from out-of-state.

Here in midwest . . . Tamko is good brand for architectural shingles, yet affordable.

GAF Timberline are indeed very good shingles but EXPENSIVE . . . unless you catch a deal for enough shingles for your house . . . ie end of color run, etc.

Make sure INSTALLATION is proper as described above, Including TAR on all penetrations to the roof . . . ie underlayment tarred to the pipe, then the shingle also tarred to the pipe. Good luck.

Ice & Water adhesive membrane shield at all penetrations....roofing tar dries out and cracks eventually. And no rubber boots for plumbing vents...the rubber will deteriorate in the UV rays from the sun and will need to be replaced in about 20 years...use lead jackets over the whole pipe.

 

[kwschumm]

Ice & Water adhesive membrane shield at all penetrations....roofing tar dries out and cracks eventually. And no rubber boots for plumbing vents...the rubber will deteriorate in the UV rays from the sun and will need to be replaced in about 20 years...use lead jackets over the whole pipe.

For the lead jackets over pipes, is that done by the plumber?

 

[barks]

Standing seam. 50 year warranty.

 

[kwschumm]

Standing seam. 50 year warranty.

Yeah. Our house now has standing seam and it looks horrible because the color is chalked over. We're building a new house and I want to avoid chalking finishes. Have looked at some steel roofing that is not supposed to chalk but it's spendy, I'll get a quote and compare.

 

[ryan20021982]

GAF Timberline is all we put on and they just recently made some improvements to them, they feel even thicker now and the dimensional look stands out more also than the ones before.

Home Depot always has the bulk discount for shingles, you have to buy more than a pallet which is only 12 square, it saves you around $200 a pallet.

 

[Scott H in Wheaton]

GAF Timberline is all we put on and they just recently made some improvements to them, they feel even thicker now and the dimensional look stands out more also than the ones before.

Home Depot always has the bulk discount for shingles, you have to buy more than a pallet which is only 12 square, it saves you around $200 a pallet.

They started putting more of the asphalt on the side of the shingle exposed to weather, instead of on the underside that faces the decking.

If we install Owens Corning Oakridge instead of GAF Timberline there is only a $5 / square difference. But we do the first 50 years non pro-rated on GAF (25 years on workmanship) and we make the warranty transferrable. On OC we do 10 and 10.

 

[polizei1]

I'm starting a house soon, using GAF Timerbline (recommended by the builder).

 

[TOOLS4WORK]

Da vinci polymer roofing , it 8 years or so and it is great looking and looks very nice, kinda pricey though

 

[duneslider]

I know some have said it but the install is just as important, or more so, than the shingles. Poor install and the the shingles warranty won't matter.

If you can, call the area rep for the shingles you are looking at and ask the rep who the best contractor is in the area. I talked to a James Hardi rep recently and I asked him who he would use to do Hardi on his house...he only gave me one name. I called that guy and he is so booked out I will have to do it myself, which the rep was also helpful with getting me all the info I needed to do that.