Certainteed Shingles?? Junk??

Has anyone had a similar issue with Certainteed shingles? We have alot of large areas that were shingled and most of our Certainteed branded shingles are lacking the tar that holds them down. So they blow right off, since theres no tar to hold them down...

We look at other brands and the obvious need for the tar strip is well.... obvious.

Basically asking if any of you out there have issues like this?

And yes... we did ask certainteed to look at this issue, but they seem to think that you dont need a tar strip to hold shingles down. I really think its the fact theres alot of money on these roofs, but thats my opinion.

Any help would be appreciated!

There is also a problem with some of there color blends. they were bought out a few years back by a French company called San Gobain or somthing like that. I do like some of there shingles though like the Grand Manor and Hattaras.

RooferJim

Some of the super heavyweights do not need a tarstrip...the lighter flimsy shingles do.

What shingles are they?
Maybe the place where they were purchased had seconds. Meaning they were manufactured improperly and were to be disposed of, but weren't and sold at a cheap price. I have seen a few trucking outfits that have done this along with some big time suppliers.

As far as the laminate shingles Certainteed Landmarks are the best you can buy.

As for being French, who cares. They are made here. My Sony TV is great along with my Kawasaki atv and Hitachi nailer. I don't think any of them are American companies.

The Woodscapes and Landmarks are no way near as good as a Timberline or Elk. they also dont look as good. O.C. Oakridge is also pretty good. Ive tried them all.

RooferJim

I do like the colors of Timberlines, but that's it. I did two houses last week and one this week with Timberlines. Finished one today with Landmarks and they are much heavier, thicker, better nailing. Everything about them is better. The Elks are also pretty good, but real rocky. I have tried using Timberlines many times and they are just not a good shingle. GAF has always made an inferior product. The only thing they make that I have used and liked is the shinglemate felt, but it doesn't fit with the Certainteed system. I have pictures of Timberlines that after 6 years never sealed down. I also did a 6 plex last year where Timberlines cracked from top to bottom, but they did pay some towards a warranty claim on the new roof. Hold a Timberline 30 next to a Landmark 30 and you will see the difference.

I have and I beg to differ. although my Timberlines are made in either Millis,Ma. or Baltimore maby there different. there also standard not metric since most of us yankees up here dont want metric.

RooferJim
www.jbennetteroofing.com

Well, maybe there is something different. I have never seen a standard sized Timberline. I hope they are better than the ones I see. As far as rank (for me) Landmarks are #1. There is no second or third. Timberline and Elks are in the #4 and #5.
I also like the standard size better. When the Landmarks were standard, they were 4 bundles/sq, they were tougher, and they looked better with the black shadow line.

You bring up a point of interest. Those new aritectual(spelling) shingles are heavy especially getting into the 40 or 50 years. My point is this. Those are heavy meaning a lot of weight on the roof. I would think they shouldn't be put on a 2x4 constructed house only 2x6 construction. It seems to me that would be alot of weight on a 2x4 constructed house. I think if any person has a 2x4 house they should go with a 30 years. What do you guys think of this point.

Don't we have like 6 topics discussing the quality of cert. shingles?

I only specify GAF shingles, and I have not ever had a single product failure.

The only time I have ever seen a shingle crack (aside from being too cold during install) was when they were racked straight up the roof instead of the right way, and the 4th nail left out on the under shingle. Sometime the 4th nail AND the 1st of the next shingle, but never when installed properly in a stairstep configuration.

I can't believe you haven't seen GAF shingles cracked. I have seen it on their 3 tabs and Timberlines. They are in lines from 10 ft. to the whole roof top to bottom. I have only been roofing for 10 years and I have seen probably 20-30 houses like this.

Yes Gaf,Certainteed,Celotex, Owens Corning, and most especialy Bird all had cracking problems in the 1980s to early 1990s
But the Gafs now are very different than in 1988.
yes I was installing them back then too. Bird was the worst, and its too bad,they invented the asphalt shingle. an old American company that was bought out and went bad.
Oh Well

RooferJim

The only one product failure I have ever had was from a GAF timberline 25 shingle. It had some kid of weird blistering of the asphalt under the granuals (rumor has it this was caused due to installation aerror placing the shingles over wet felt)... This is why I am always shocked when people talk about product failures.

I no longer specify the GAF since they have had 3 years with 15% price icnreases while all their competitors have had the standard 5% increase... and GAF has done nothing to warrant this increase. No changed formulas. No improved anything, just higher price to recoup expenses from purchasing every roofing manufacturer in the world that was for sale.

Really? I have heard of many price increases, but have only seen a couple, and they were on par with everyone else. My Tamko and Timberline shigles are almost the same price, but Tamkos are .50 more per square.

I am in the north east and a week doesnt go by without iether measuring a failing timberline roof orhaving a call for warrentee work on one.these roofs are usually in the 10 to 15 year range.Also the people that have contacted gaf over the cracking issues are treated poorly,dragged through a long process.On the 2 O.C. warrentee issues we had the roofs were replaced "AT NO CHARGE" and resolved quickly.This is over a 19 yr period

What were the cause of failure? I have seen shingles fail for many reasons, such as improper installation, but not for installing properly with material failure. Not since Globe, anyways.

I have seen OC shingles fail, too. like baked to a crisp, but not because of material failure. There was no ventilation.

I have seen any number of three tabs blown off, not due to material failure, but because of high nailing or skip nailing or repeat repair work where the repairman did not seal the surrounding shingles back down.

I have seen whole roofs mis-installed and the owners trying to blame the shingles or claim storm damage instead of the installer.

I see a lot of crap, but very rarely material failures.

AAron all was cracking at the key.Where the shingle above croosses over where the shinngle's below meet they crack vertically.This is on GAF timberlines,and 3 tabs.The roofs are naled properly for the most part.I have not seen this issue with any other manufacturer.The other GAF,Tamko,and the old Bird shingle problem i have seen is not sealing down well.We have done jobs whre whole sides never sealed because of no consistant direct sunlight.

I, too have seen whole roofs not seal down, but these were all done below the mfg recomended temps of 40 degrees and rising.

From what I have seen and read, that cracking at the keyways on the 3 tabs is from racking and skip nailing the under shingles.

It's all just weak, brittle, fiberglass shingles. They aren't made heavy enough to move and not crack. It's not just GAF, one Certainteed does this also....New Horizons. You can add them to the junk list. I bet the XT's will be next if they still are making them.