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Best Brand of Shingles, TODAY

305K views 91 replies 26 participants last post by  A&E Exteriors  
#1 ·
Just looking for opinions of what people feel is the best brand of shingle out there today. I have always been a certainteed guy but I know gaf is getting better.
 
#5 ·
stombaugh85 said:
For me the list is 1 Owen Durations 2 Tampko 3 Certanteed 4 Biltmore 5 casltebrook 6 Gaf 7 IKO Ive used them all.
That's a scary list. I don't even consider biltmore, castlebrook or IKO to be shingles.

However my list would go

Certainteed landmarks
Owens corning Durations
Malarkey Highlander
Tamko Heritage

The ct landmarks are in a class of their own and I am not going to install any thing other than Certainteed shingles this year.
 
#7 ·
1. Owens Corning Duration or Designer series (but thats more of a color preference... not that there is anything wrong with their performance but they arent worth the price of class 4's
1. Certainteed (also a fav)

2. tamko - otherwise known as tampko on this thread.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7. gaf

and im not going to put them on my list because I havent actually laid a roof with Pabco shingles since they re surfaced... but they really came back with a different shingle. More Granules, thicker, better backing and some pretty cool designs. They seem to lay flatter quicker and withstand damage a little better. They are still cheaper than the rest and Im hoping I can come back and say better as soon as I put one on..
 
#8 ·
madrina said:
1. Owens Corning Duration or Designer series (but thats more of a color preference... not that there is anything wrong with their performance but they arent worth the price of class 4's 1. Certainteed (also a fav) 2. tamko - otherwise known as tampko on this thread. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. gaf and im not going to put them on my list because I havent actually laid a roof with Pabco shingles since they re surfaced... but they really came back with a different shingle. More Granules, thicker, better backing and some pretty cool designs. They seem to lay flatter quicker and withstand damage a little better. They are still cheaper than the rest and Im hoping I can come back and say better as soon as I put one on..
I pay the same for duration designer as I do durations as I do landmarks.

What is the difference for you?
 
#12 ·
1. Malarkey Legacy ... In my opinion its the best shingle on the maket, by far. Its a class 4 shingle thats very pliable and durable with a wide nailing flange. I've laid all the major brands and theres nothing that compares with the Legacys. Cons...high cost & not the greatest color selections...their grey tones are especially hideous.

2. Certainteed Landmark


3. Tie...GAF, OCs, ,Tamko, Malarkey Highlanders.....All ok shingles, but nothing outstanding here


Last place IKO .... Maybe they've improved, but they use to be full of metal fillings that ended up in your finger tips and poor or missing sealant.

Pabcos... Storm chasers favorites...need I say more
 
#13 ·
I think all shingles have their problems. You are right by asking what is best today. The problem I see right now is Owens Corning was best (around here) 20 years ago. Today those 30 year shingles are missing all of their grit. People have roofs that are white fiberglass mats.
I think your question is great, but really hard to predict.
On a side note, I looked at a roof for a customer. Just to double check everything before he went south for the winter. The roof was 8 years old, GAF, 30 year shingles. I found huge sections where the sealant had failed and the shingles had blown up. He contacted the company and they told him their shingles have a 30 year shingle warranty and a 5 year sealant warranty. Something to keep in mind. I know other companies have similar warranties.
Also this information came from the homeowner. I did not hear it personally. I do however know of 2 other roofs in the area with the same problem. In one case GAF gave the homeowner new shingles and $12,000 to replace them. I can't verify the money, but I know the shingles are sitting there.
I personally use OC and Certainteed.
 
#14 · (Edited)
I think those fiberglass mat roofs were probably not warrantied shingles to begin with.. and it sounds like you should hit that neighborhood up.. you might have some wind claims.

You also have to consider the ventilation system as well. If that's whacked then a 30 year shingle won't last half that. Incorrect ventilation will also cause granule loss... but what your describing sounds like 2nds.
 
#17 ·
I don't know that they did or didn't treat your customers differently, but I do know they screwed mine. CT should be ashamed selling a product that fails in 3 years...then settling in class action and paying $72 a square material and labor. Screw me once shame on you, screw me twice, shame on me. They will never get a chance again.

OC stands behind the product they sell. If it fails 3 years in they pay to replace.
 
#19 ·
RandyB1986 said:
I don't know that they did or didn't treat your customers differently, but I do know they screwed mine. CT should be ashamed selling a product that fails in 3 years...then settling in class action and paying $72 a square material and labor. Screw me once shame on you, screw me twice, shame on me. They will never get a chance again. OC stands behind the product they sell. If it fails 3 years in they pay to replace.
But how is that screwing them? That's exactly what the material warranty said it would pay. Yeah those shingles sucked but Certainteed stands behind their roofs just the same.

If you think OC stands behind the product they sell you should talk to one of my customers who had to fight for years just got them to pay the cost for replacement shingles on their 7 year old duration roof that never sealed.

You know there landmark shingles have undergone very few changes in the past 20 years and it's a pretty good shingle. We put on Tamko, OC Duration, Oakridge and Landmarks and we always go back to landmarks and the guys always complain about the other ones. I personally like the durations though.
 
#20 ·
BamBamm.......:wallbash:

It's not a debate or question and answer session.....the OP asked an opinion and I gave mine. You call CT what you like, and I will do the same.

The customer shouldn't have had to deal with OC......I have never had a problem with my OC rep showing up and resolving all matters promptly. I can't say the same for CT. That's all.
 
#21 ·
RandyB1986 said:
BamBamm.......:wallbash: It's not a debate or question and answer session.....the OP asked an opinion and I gave mine. You call CT what you like, and I will do the same. The customer shouldn't have had to deal with OC......I have never had a problem with my OC rep showing up and resolving all matters promptly. I can't say the same for CT. That's all.
I feel line TNT here. You said they screwed their customers. I asked how paying according to their warranty literature is screwing the customer. Your opinion of their shingles isn't even about their shingles, it's about one defective line (that Owens Corning has had to otherwise they wouldn't have redone the sure nail) of shingles that failed after a few years of being installed.

I've personally never met my OC rep or much less talked to him more than once on the phone. On Tuesday of this past week I was over at my CT reps house eating lunch and talking roofing at the table.

All I want to know is how they "screwed" your customers?
 
#22 ·
We have used Landmarks for years. Even before I came to this site. I remember the members here disagreeing with me about their quality but have since changed to Landmark.

In other parts of the country, it appears that the quality is not the same. I have known Contractors on this site who I would trust 100% and they say that CT is garbage in their area. I have no reason to not believe them.
The bottom shingle in this area is Timberline. Contractors around here and especially stormers use them exclusively because of the pricing they can get with large volumes. That is "job security" in my mind. Many many roofs that will need replacing within 10 years.

The Malarkey's we have used are not very good at all, but have never used their highlanders yet.

All the others I would group together as a happy medium. Not a real big gripe about them and nothing special, aside from the larger size of the Iko and their others with a different name on them.
 
#24 ·
MJW said:
We have used Landmarks for years. Even before I came to this site. I remember the members here disagreeing with me about their quality but have since changed to Landmark. In other parts of the country, it appears that the quality is not the same. I have known Contractors on this site who I would trust 100% and they say that CT is garbage in their area. I have no reason to not believe them. The bottom shingle in this area is Timberline. Contractors around here and especially stormers use them exclusively because of the pricing they can get with large volumes. That is "job security" in my mind. Many many roofs that will need replacing within 10 years. The Malarkey's we have used are not very good at all, but have never used their highlanders yet. All the others I would group together as a happy medium. Not a real big gripe about them and nothing special, aside from the larger size of the Iko and their others with a different name on them.
Maybe the plant we get them from (shakopee) here is better?
 
#34 ·
How many times do I have to answer your damn question......The answer is Certainteed made the customers sue them in order to get the warranty paid.

If CT knew the shingles were bad, why not just replace them instead of making a class action lawsuit replace them? Understand......now? Just seems chicken ****. If I sell you something and guarantee it.....would it be right of me to make you sue me to stand behind my warranty? Thats all.
 
#29 ·
RandyB1986 said:
BamBamm.....If you are correct, why did Certainteed have to be sued? Why not just replace the bad shingles? Because they would rather screw the customer.......
That's pretty standard procedure when their is a mass problem with a product and they did replace the shingles. I know I did over 30 of these roof replacements.

You should be more upset at Bird for closing down. GAF for having shingles with premature cracking after 3 years. OC shingles for holding and trapping moisture. They all have their problems.

We can end this conversation quickly if you just answered the question of "how exactly did Certainteed screw your customers after paying according to the warranty"?
 
#32 ·
Is IKO really that far in last place for you guys? I am a deck guy mostly, so I am reading this and taking public opinion pretty seriously. GAF is the shingle of choice in my area.

GAF is not to friendly to new contractors. I hear CT are great shingles, and are #2 around here. I though TAMKO were the cheap-o shingles... Ownes Corning I see in Lowes and have never handled them.

These Atlas shingles with Scotch Gaurd are the new thing showing up around here