[critterlover]

Hi - I am replacing my roof and purchased owens corning premium asphalt dimensional shingles (from lowes) - my contractor tells me they are bottom of the barrel - garbage - (elk, gaf and certainteed would be better for the same cost.) i don't know if that's just one man's opinion. i see mixed reviews on-line (the few i can find). home depot sells gaf so i thought they would be comparable to lowes owens corning. i don't really want to cancel my order if these will work just fine. any thoughts from other pros out there?

 

[Roofmaster417]

Each contractor has a different opinion about each products mentioned.I really don't use alot of OC's anymore.Its not that its an inferior product its just that I install alot of Certainteed and GAF.

Alot of contractors in my area use OC's but who am I to judge.Most of my customers want GAF or Certainteed because of warranties and colors.I use Tamko quite often too.But that is because we have a manufacturing plant 60 miles away.

If this post of yours stays on the 1st page you will see alot of opinions.My best advice is do some homework and pick a material that best fits your wants and needs for aesthetics and performance.

Warranties and limited warranties should be considered also.IMHO

 

[MJW]

This will vary from area to area. OC and GAF/Elk along with IKO and some of the other box store brands are inferior to the premium Certainteed, Malarkey, Tamko in this area. I just put on some OC's today and they are a tad better than Timberlines IMO.
Contractors around here that use OC's usually buy them because they are less expensive than the others.
Hopefully someone knowledgeable in your area chimes in.

 

[Ed the Roofer]

Most of the Bad Rap that Owens Corning has gotten, is from their bottom line fiber-glass 3-tab shingles, along with some problems with their excessive tackiness on the asphalt strip on ssome of their higher end products.

But, an opinion is just an opinion.

There are many fully functional Owens Corning roofs installed, just like the other brands.

I would always place more concern over the selection of the Right Contractor, versus the product that is being installed.

Ed

 

[Slyfox]

Ed hit the nail on the head.

MJW ranks Certainteed as top of the line up.
I place them third in the line up.

A) Find a contractor/installer you feel you can trust.
B) Find the roofing system that best fits the look and budget your going for.
C) Document all of the materials information
(manufacture, place & date of purchase, color, etc.)
and the contractors business & any personal information and keep it on file.

Good Luck.

 

[dougger222]

I also rank Certainteed number one.
Here's my order of preferance,
Certainteed
Owens Corning
Tamko
Malarky
Atlas
IKO
GAF/ELK

Keep in mind that while CT, OC, and GAF all offer warranties that cover deffect, Tamko, Malarky, Atlas, and IKO only cover leaks. My friend found out that while IKO will cover leaks they pay about 10% of the damages. He's a storm chaser and switched from IKO to OC as a result.

Have seen first had a two year old roof that had rusty nail heads from water being trapped due to the constant tar line on the OC Premium Teak shingle. The other day did an addition with the GAF/ELK Timberline shingle and they seemed really really cheap. My helper was complaining the whole time about itching. I complained as well getting two needle like slivers in only 7 squares of product. Can't recall the last sliver with Landmarks, we do hundreds of squares a month.

I agree with the others though, spend more time weeding out the roofing contractors than shingle products until you find you trust.

GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[critterlover]

Thank you all so much for your input. I think i will stick with the oc. I like the look and they're supposed to have a 30 yr warranty. ( i know that doesn't mean much sometimes). The shingles i have there now are so horrible. They were purch by the prev. Owner and were installed too far apart ( i guess to save money on rows), they're curled, cracked and yet i still never had a leak. These oc can only be an improvement and i think they will work just fine for my needs. I understand what you're saying about finding the right installer. I've been unfortunate in that regard in the past. This contractor was recommended by my realtor (he works on all his flips) so i know he's done this many times. Unfortunatley, unless you're in the business it comes down to taking a leap of faith in someone else - so here goes-----thanks again to everyone for taking the time to help me !!!!

 

[Ed the Roofer]

You would be MUCH better off getting several additional referrals from some neighbors and/or friends, rather than rely on the realtor/flipper to offer you their low-ball choice.

Ed

 

[dougger222]

I got a lot of work from realtors but they don't flip houses and most of the houses they list and sell are high end homes. I'm expensive and their customers have high end taste.

Do some more research...

I don't do free estimates for young or unknown realtors anymore.