CertainTeed vs GAF vs Owens Corning
Three brands we install, compared on what you can check rather than on a verdict you have to take on trust.
Search this question and you will find a dozen roofing companies each declaring the brand they happen to sell the winner. We install all three, so here is the comparison without the thumb on the scale.
The equivalent shingles
If you are comparing like for like, the architectural shingles line up as CertainTeed Landmark, GAF Timberline HDZ and Owens Corning Duration. All three are laminated: two bonded layers producing the dimensional, shadowed look. Below them sit the value options, Patriot, Natural Shadow, and Oakridge or Supreme.
Where the real differences are
- Color range and blends. This is the difference you will actually see from the curb, and it is the one most worth spending time on.
- Local supply. A color your roofer cannot get this month is a delay, and on a roof that is already leaking a delay is damage.
- Which certification your contractor holds, because that determines the warranty that can be registered on your roof.
Why we will not name a winner
Manufacturer warranties cover manufacturing defects. The overwhelming majority of roof failures we are called out to are not defects. They are workmanship, and almost always at a valley, a pipe boot or a wall intersection, where water concentrates and a shortcut costs nothing on the day.
Which means the brand on the bundle is a smaller variable than the crew on the roof. We would rather you interrogated our credentials, our license numbers and our gallery than our shingle preference.
The certifications we hold, stated precisely
Two are credentials a manufacturer issued us. One is a membership. They are not the same thing and we do not present them as if they were.
See all three, side by sideWhat we hold with each
- CertainTeed: we are a ShingleMaster, which is what lets us register CertainTeed's extended warranties on a qualifying system.
- GAF: we are a Certified Contractor, which is what lets us register GAF's enhanced warranties on a qualifying system.
- Owens Corning: we are a member of the Owens Corning Roofing Contractor Network, which brings us their training and product support on the systems we install for them.
Two of those are checkable on the manufacturer's own website. We link to both rather than asking you to believe a logo on a footer.
So which do we actually put on roofs?
Most roofs now get CertainTeed Landmark, for the color range and the local supply. We install GAF where a homeowner asks for it or where we are matching an existing section, and Owens Corning where a carrier or a builder has specified it. Any of the three, installed properly, will outlast most of the roofs around it.
FAQ
Quick answers
Which shingle brand lasts the longest?
Does the brand affect my warranty?
Do you charge more for one brand than another?
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