Does Weight Determine How Long Shingle Will Last?

MJW

I'll agree somewhat with this statement. Only in the last few years has GAF had a decent shingle. They had alot of problems with them cracking and being way too dry. Elks are nice, but very rocky. Looks like a hail storm hit when you looks in the gutters after installing them. Owens Corning....Wow I was really surprised they had a decent Laminate. Their 3 tabs and GAF 3 tabs are about the worst shingle on the planet.
Landmarks had a few short term problems with the widetracks, but was fixed very quickly. We sell Landmarks and Elks almost 10:1 compared to timberlines. Just too many problems in the past with them. If I was choosing, I wouldn't mind any of the brands mentioned, except Tamko. I would just go for my color choice.

SteelToe

Tamko is certainly American as its name is derived from its original location in the US. T=Texas A=Arkansas M=Missouri K=Kansas O=Oklahoma. Just a little trivia for you. Certainteed is a French owned company that manufacturers some products in the US.

It is my opinion that your ability to get a warranty payout is solely based on your relationship with the Manufacturers rep and your volume of use.

Additionally, most shingles made these days are vastly superior to what was made even 10yrs ago. The quality is dependant on your local plant. Each manufacturer has its problem plants.

apkole

Many years ago ( on a planet far, far away) it was demonstrated that the amount of filler used in the construction of a shingle would impact the weight. (Makes sense to me). A certain amount of filler is needed to stabilize the asphalt in the shingle. However, during the time when shingle weight was used as a marketing tool, some companies would load their product a little heavier to give them an advantage.

My father showed me a picture of a 3 sq stack of Fry shingles next to a competitor. The competitor,s stack showed about one bundle higher. However, it was the Fry shingle which weighed more. The difference was in the amount of (limestone?) filler used in the competition's shingle.

Shingle weight today probably is a better indicator of longevity, but "back in the day" you had to be really careful about that claim.

Wow, SM, Grumpy, RRD, so this is where the gang moved to, eh?

hailyes

Great info here, I work and chase storms Hail mostly I only put on GAF/ELK Products and include a 20 year labor and Material warr on each home, I have been very happy with GAF/ELK line, and have yet had a problem. Just my 2 cents

BamBamm5144

Although this post is more than 3 years old, I am wondering how you can give a 20 year warranty if you chase hail storms. Are you really going to go back to a house in Oklahoma that has a problem when you are working in Tennessee? I doubt it. Is it really just a selling point to scam uninformed homeowners?

hailyes

Yes. Before I go into a fresh storm i research codes pricing etc and once i land at that storm i set up shop and hire local people and stay there for the duration while trying to grow our company at the same time, seems to work out well for me so far I try to set up a perm shop in 2 states a year.

Framer53

The thicker the longer it should last.

In my opinion more important to lasting is the pitch of the roof. The steeper the longer they last. I just did my roof over that was in excess of 40 years old. But I have a gambrel roof with the lowest pitch a 9/12. Highest, around a 24/12.

MJW

He's just a salesman. Not a Contractor.

I've cleaned up work for guys like this before with our storms. Some of them pay our price, some just leave the HO stranded. Either way, still a fly-by-night, IMO.

Grumpy

I agree with you and MJW. Certainteed is actually an American corporation owned by a French conglomerate.

I like Tamko and certainTeed. Yes CertainTeed has paid warranty claims, but I haven't had one yet with tamko, so I'd prefer not have a warranty claim than have someone who stands behind theirs. Anyways the only failures we have had is with their sealdons and hallmarks. Sealdons are almost a moot point since they have been replaced by the fiberglass shingles and the hallmarks have been re-engineered. On the back end CertainTeed offers ALOT of support in the form of training.

Grumpy

This is not true of CertainTeed in my experience.

robert

Ive seen thirty,forty and fifty year shingles fail prematuraly here on the gulf coast,i recommend a thirty unless your looking for more definition in the roof.I pretty much believe 15 to 25 years no matter what kinda shingle it is

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commercial,residential and industrial roofers, southern louisiana.

TheRoofingTech

It has been about a year since I last read it, but does it not say in the Certainteed "Quality Master" book, right near the front, that the thickness or weight is not the determining factor in the longevity of a shingle but the quality of the saturants or oils used to coat the shingle base. Mind you the longer duration shingles are thicker.
P.S. my vote is for Certainteed

MrRoofer

I also do not have confidence in the 40 and 50 year shingles. The only reason I would recommend those is as already stated, for definition. Personally I wouldn't go more than thirty (industry standard nowadys, no?)

I also do not believe weight or thickness is a merit on longevity, moreso what materials go into the product and how well it is applied.

I also trully believe, some things are engineered to fail quite prematurely, especially some of the heavier items.

__________________
'I'm living on the edge!'

Grumpy

Mr Roofer, i tend to agree with much of what you have said. Weight used to be a determination many years ago. Infact that's what people cared about. However no more. It's no longer a determination. For example there are some shingles on the market, and I won't name named, but they put fine granuals on the back side of the shingles. For what purpose? To add weight. Does that weight add any quality or value? I personally can't think of a way that it would add any quality or value to the shingle. Let's not get that confused witht he fine talks typically placed on the back side of shingles to aid in the manufacturing process. I am talking about actual granuals, not chalks.

Now we have another manufacturer on the market claiming to be the heaviest. They are doing this in response to GAF's deduction of weight, a hidden but true fact that GAF is using less asphalt in the manufacturing of their shignles since middle of 2008. I don't know if anyone will come out and say it, but the delivery trucks are carrying more squares, and the bundles are feeling lighter. THAT concerns me because the reduction in weight is from a reduction of asphalt, not a reduction of granuals. We all know the purpose of the surface granuals, do we not? To protect the asphalt from UV, scuffs and minor impact damage. Also some granuals are reflective, some resist vegetative growth, etc... but the asphalt in the shingle is what does the water shedding, not the granuals. Only time will tell, but I won't use GAF because of their reduction in asphalt content. Maybe some guys like it more because it's easier to work with... and if you buy them at home depot are currently the cheapest shingles on the market, even cheaper than IKO, again if you buy the GAF's at home depot (around here anyways). What professional contractor shops routinely at a big box for their materials, other than to pick up a few odds and ends?

Joe Roofer

I've used mostly GAF in the last 15 years and I've not had any problems with them here in the desert. I probably get differnet one than most of you guys do with me being in the southwest. They seem to take the desert heat very well. Further north I see more TAMKOs. I have TAMKOs on my 80 year old house.

BamBamm5144

Grumpy - Concerning the Home Depot thing, the GAf Natural Shadows they sell are around 21 dollars in this area. To have them delievered is an extra 6 dollars a bundle. To have them dropped on the roof is another 6 dollars. Basically 99 dollars a square for a shingle I could get for 2/3rd that at the retailer.

I have not noticed the weight of the bundles being lighter due to asphalt, however , I do notice that some bundles have 20 shingles and some others have 24 instead of the normal 22. I am going to have to look into that about GAF. Is it there whole shingle line?