GAF vs. CertainTeed Asphalt Shingles

Picture supply: A.B Edward

On the subject of roofing shingles, GAF and CertainTeed are two of the most important names within the enterprise. 

In case you’re contemplating a brand new roof for your own home, it pays to know what’s on the market when it comes to choices, as a result of it’s doubtless the roofer you select could have their very own opinion, and it pays to learn earlier than you start wanting. 

With the intention to examine the 2 manufacturers, we’ll have a look at their present choices, judging them utilizing the next standards:

On the finish of our comparability, we’ll focus on how one can decide which option is right for you. 

Let’s be clear upfront that GAF and CertainTeed are each high quality firms that every provide roof shingles that folks everywhere in the world stand behind. The one which’s best for you will rely in your preferences for the elements listed above.

On This Web page:

A Observe on Asphalt Shingle Sorts

Asphalt shingles for properties typically fall into two classes:

• “3-tab” shingles
• Architectural shingles

Every of those sorts is made by including asphalt to a fiberglass base sheet after which embedding ceramic-coated mineral granules within the asphalt.

3-Tab Shingles

Additionally known as “strip shingles,” 3-tab shingles are a fundamental sort of shingle that’s very fashionable for funds roofing jobs. They get their identify as a result of they’re comprised of a fiberglass strip that has a contiguous high half and a backside half divided into three tabs which might be every 12 inches large.

3-tab shingles are the least costly mannequin provided by the 2 firms we’re evaluating right here, and as such, are available comparatively few shade variations (primarily gray and brown). GAF presents a 3-tab shingle known as Royal Sovereign, whereas Certainteed presents the XT 25 line.

Architectural Shingles

Additionally known as “dimensional shingles,” architectural shingles differ from strip shingles in that they’re composed of two or extra strips which might be bonded collectively, and have tabs of various widths.

This building offers architectural shingles a nicer, extra refined three-dimensional look. In actual fact, architectural shingles have been first developed to match the naturally-variegated colours and 3-D look of high-quality wooden shake shingles, however with higher sturdiness.

These laminate shingles are typically of a lot larger high quality than 3-tab shingles, and due to that, they provide higher wind resistance, sturdiness, and warrantied lifetime than their less-expensive 3-tab cousins.

Additionally they come in additional colours and provide different options, like influence resistance and photo voltaic reflectivity.

GAF and CertainTeed are two of probably the most widely-trusted manufacturers of architectural shingles, providing the Timberline and Landmark product strains, respectively. The comparisons under deal with every producer’s line of architectural shingles.

GAF Timberline Shingles

Picture supply: GAF

For a few years, GAF Timberline HD shingles have been the best-selling shingles on the house roofing market.

GAF shingles are typically less expensive than comparable CertainTeed merchandise however have historically include some drawbacks, like fewer accessible colours and a smaller nail strip that made it tougher for roofers to nail the shingles to the roof deck with a excessive degree of accuracy.

In early 2020, GAF launched the Timberline HDZ line, which addressed each of the drawbacks listed above, increasing the colours provided to 16 and growing the scale of the nail strip to over 1.8 inches, making it simpler for roofers utilizing computerized nail weapons to work precisely.

Timberline HDZ shingles additionally add a brand new shingle-to-shingle sealant known as Dura Grip which maintains compatibility with the older Timberline HD shingles for repairs.

The Timberline collection begins with its base degree known as “Pure Shadow”, or Timberline NS shingles, and in addition contains sub-divisions that provide further choices, together with the American Harvest (Timberline AH) customized shade group and Cool Sequence (Timberline CS) Power Star-certified shingles.

For many who wish to go ultra-premium, GAF presents “designer” shingles in its Camelot, Glenwood, Grand Canyon, Grand Sequoia, and Woodland shingle strains.

CertainTeed Landmark Shingles

Picture supply: CertainTeed

CertainTeed joins GAF proper on the high of the residential shingle market, bringing a repute for premium high quality and worth.

The corporate’s Landmark line of shingles, in addition to its Landmark TL, Landmark Professional, and Landmark Premium strains set the usual for high-quality residential rooftops. Certainteed roofing merchandise are well-known for each their high-end high quality and high-end worth.

The corporate has a protracted historical past of awards for its merchandise, together with successful a Product Innovation Award from Architectural Merchandise journal for its Northgate shingles line, and having its Landmark Solaris reflective shingles named as one of the top 100 most technologically important merchandise in 2011.

The Landmark line additionally contains the impact-resistant Landmark IR impact-resistant and Solaris Gold photo voltaic reflective shingles. CertainTeed’s highest-quality choices embrace the Belmont, Grand Manor, and Carriage Home luxurious shingle manufacturers.

Evaluating Price of GAF vs. CertainTeed Shingles

Beneath is a desk that reveals the price of the most well-liked selections among the many two shingle manufacturers in query.

It’s possible you’ll discover that the lower-end architectural shingles listed here are virtually equivalent in worth, however the variations between the 2 firms grow to be extra obvious as the standard degree of the shingles will increase.

GAF vs. CertainTeed Shingles price

*100 sq. toes of roof protection

Keep in mind that price is just a part of the equation on the subject of choosing the proper roofing system in your residence.

Data on home values reveals that the common roof substitute utilizing asphalt shingles can lead to a house worth improve of round 66%. Contemplating that info, the variations between prices of GAF vs CertainTeed shingles appear much less noticeable.

Evaluating Coloration Choices of GAF vs. CertainTeed Shingles

Shingle colors normally don’t stray too removed from the usual darkish gray, charcoal black, and weathered wooden look, however when you’re out there for a particular shade, you may normally discover one thing to suit the invoice.

Wanting on the photographs under, you may see that CertainTeed is understood for providing a bigger variety of shade choices.

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Its customary Landmark collection shingles are available 29 colours, exceeding the quantity accessible in GAF’s first two high quality tiers. However basically, CertainTeed’s colours are extra impartial, and when you’re in search of vivid shade, choices like GAF’s Hunter Inexperienced and Patriot Crimson actually stand out.

On the highest high quality tier, the 2 firms provide an analogous variety of shade choices. There are 11 colours in GAF’s Timberline Extremely HD line and 9 in CertainTeed’s Landmark Premium.

One factor to notice is that accessible colours will range by area, as roofing contractors might not have sure types or colours in inventory. In case you’re in search of a selected shade that isn’t standard in your space, you could have to put a particular order and await it to be shipped to you.

Evaluating Sturdiness of GAF vs. CertainTeed Shingles

Each of those shingle manufacturers are top-flight within the roofing business, and also you received’t discover lots of people with reputable claims that both one isn’t as much as snuff on the subject of sturdiness. As with all the things in life, although, there are delicate variations, and educated of us will fortunately examine and nitpick amongst themselves.

Every model produces fiberglass asphalt shingles with dimensions of about 13” x 39”, with 5.625” of uncovered floor on every shingle. The variations lie in 4 key areas:

• Weight per sq.
• Nailing space
• Affect resistance
• Granule loss

Weight per Sq.

Regardless of having very related dimensions, CertainTeed shingles weigh wherever from 10% to 25% greater than GAF shingles per sq., although CertainTeed shingles are literally about ¾ of an inch shorter in width.

Usually, heavier shingles are regarded as extra sturdy and due to this fact, extra sturdy. To be clear, GAF is definitely pleased with its lower-weight shingles, claiming they’re each bit as sturdy as CertainTeed’s, and in reality – provide roofers the good thing about carrying much less weight as much as the roof with every bundle of shingles.

GAF vs. CertainTeed weight per sq.

Nailing Space

On the subject of having shingles keep put in your roof for many years, the place the nails go issues greater than many different elements.

CertainTeed has provided its NailTrack system for years, which presents a 1.5-inch large strip the place roofers can apply nails. They rightly identified that their system was superior to conventional architectural shingles with solely .5-inch nail areas.

In 2020, GAF answered CertainTeed’s name and launched its very personal “StrikeZone” nail strip. At 1.81 inches large, it’s now the business’s widest nail zone, in line with the corporate.

Huge nail areas are good to have, however extra importantly, could also be what number of nails are pushed into every shingle. With the intention to forestall shingle blow-off below the very best wind circumstances, each GAF and CertainTeed advocate utilizing 6 nails to safe every shingle (customary installations use 4 nails). 

With 6 nails per shingle, each firms say their shingles can stand up to winds of as much as 130 miles per hour.

Affect Resistance

The shingle influence resistance check, outlined by Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL) classification 2218, checks whether or not a shingle will crack after being hit twice in the identical spot by a metal ball dropped from a sure peak. 

The minimal passing grade, Class 1, requires a shingle to not crack after being hit twice in the identical spot by a 1.25-inch diameter metal ball dropped from 12 toes. To attain Class 4 certification, the shingle wants to face up to a 2-inch diameter metal ball dropped from 20 toes.

None of the usual shingles within the Timberline or Landmark collection meets the necessities of influence resistance score. 

In case you dwell in an space that’s vulnerable to huge hail storms, you could want to select both CertainTeed Landmark IR or the GAF Timberline AS (Armor Protect) shingles. CertainTeed additionally presents an impact-resistant 3-tab shingle, the XT 30 IR. All three of those shingles have achieved Class 4 certification.

Granule Loss

The ultimate query of sturdiness has to do with the granules that make up the topmost layer of the shingles. Granules give shingles their distinctive colours, and in addition present safety in opposition to harm to the shingle from UV rays. 

As your roof ages, and particularly proper after set up, it’s regular for the shingles to lose some granules. The manufacturing course of typically ends in some extra granules caught very loosely to some very minute areas of uncovered asphalt. Within the weeks instantly following set up, you’ll doubtless discover some granules gathering in your gutters.

Many roofers declare that GAF shingles undergo from a big lack of granules earlier than the plastic comes off its bundles. Nonetheless, this doesn’t essentially imply that GAF shingles undergo from untimely granule loss, and there isn’t any knowledge that reveals a long-term downside arising from this concern. 

Evaluating Warranties of GAF vs. CertainTeed Shingles

The ultimate comparability between these two top-tier shingle manufacturers is their roofing warranties. As you may anticipate from the remainder of this text, the businesses are pretty evenly matched right here. 

Which one presents the most effective guarantee?

CertainTeed’s Roofing Guarantee

In 2020, CertainTeed presents a restricted lifetime guarantee for all of its merchandise above the extent of strip shingles. That features all of the Landmark-series shingles, in addition to CertainTeed’s dearer strains. 

CertainTeed’s SureStart Protection

Distinctive to CertainTeed is its particular SureStart safety, which gives particular protection for the primary 10 years for all merchandise at Landmark degree or larger. 

If a defect arises within the first 10 years after set up, CertainTeed will cowl 100% of the prices of supplies, labor – and even disposal prices and extra roofing supplies like flashing. 

CertainTeed’s Lifetime Guarantee

Following the preliminary 10-year time period of the SureStart Guarantee, CertainTeed presents a restricted guarantee till your roof is 50 years previous.

If CertainTeed determines that its shingles have a producing defect in the course of the guarantee interval, it is going to reimburse its Landmark-owning prospects the affordable price of comparable shingles (supplies solely), multiplied by the rest of its prorated legal responsibility.

The way in which CertainTeed calculates this prorating is by decreasing the price of the substitute shingles by 1/600th of the whole worth monthly. For instance, when you undergo a cloth defect after 20 years, you’ll get the affordable worth of the substitute shingles, multiplied by 360/600 (0.6, the quantity left after 240/600 reductions in legal responsibility). If the substitute price of your loss is $1,000, you’ll get $600 from CertainTeed.

CertainTeed additionally contains separate warranties for wind resistance as much as 110 miles per hour (130 if particular necessities are met) and 15 years of algae resistance.

All warranties are transferable to a brand new proprietor of the home, although the switch should happen inside the SureStart interval to ensure that the brand new proprietor to maintain safety for the total 50-year timeframe.

Lastly, if the contractor you select to finish the work is a CertainTeed SELECT ShingleMaster™ contractor, CertainTeed will cowl their workmanship for 25 years.

As with all warranties, there are lots of paragraphs of stipulations and high-quality print. Take a look at extra of CertainTeed’s residential roofing guarantee info here.

GAF’s Roofing Guarantee

GAF does issues slightly in another way right here, basing its degree of safety on what number of GAF merchandise your roofing system makes use of and the certification degree of the contractor you select.

The bottom GAF guarantee covers shingle defects and winds as much as 130 mph (with stipulations), however doesn’t embrace protection for tear-off, disposal, or workmanship. Upgraded ranges of protection can be found in case your set up makes use of a minimum of 3, 4, or 5 “qualifying accent merchandise” like leak limitations, roof deck safety, ridge cap shingles, and so on. 

For 2020, GAF offers the next warranties:

• Shingle restricted guarantee
• Roofing system restricted guarantee
• System Plus restricted guarantee (for installations accomplished by GAF Licensed or Grasp Elite contractors)
• Silver Pledge (Grasp Elite contractor and a minimum of 4 qualifying accent merchandise)
• Golden Pledge (Grasp Elite contractor and a minimum of 5 qualifying accent merchandise)

Just like CertainTeed’s workmanship guarantee protection, GAF presents 10 and 25-year warranties for workmanship below its Silver and Gold Pledges, respectively.

GAF’s Good Selection Safety Interval

Just like CertainTeed’s SureStart protection interval, Good Selection is a time period throughout which GAF will cowl the total substitute price, together with labor, of shingles discovered to be faulty.

Not like CertainTeed, GAF extends this safety to 50 years for all ranges above “System Plus.” however disposal isn’t coated till the Silver Pledge Degree.

At ranges under “System Plus,” GAF applies the identical form of prorated reimbursement that CertainTeed does if its supplies are discovered faulty after the Good Selection interval.

GAF’s WindProven Protection

One characteristic distinctive to GAF’s guarantee is wind harm protection with no most wind velocity limitation.

In case your set up makes use of what’s known as a “Particular Set up” with LayerLock shingles (like Timberline HDZ) connected utilizing a minimum of 4 nails, and a minimum of 4 qualifying accent merchandise, your guarantee covers wind harm at any wind velocity. 

GAF vs. CertainTeed: Which Model of Shingles Is Proper for You?

That is what all of it comes right down to: which model of shingles must you select in your residence? The reply isn’t only a easy “one is healthier and one is worse.” It relies on what’s vital to you.

Select GAF shingles when you:

• Are below a decent funds
• Like bolder colours
• Consider GAF’s claims that shingle weight doesn’t matter, and may select a GAF-certified contractor to get the next degree of guarantee safety

Select CertainTeed’s shingles when you:

• Need probably the most premium product
• Favor the seems of a extra muted shade palette
• Need probably the most simple guarantee protection

In fact, these aren’t the one two shingle manufacturers in the marketplace, however they’re the highest two. 

In case you’re set on asphalt shingles and never concerned about a steel roof (or different materials), shingle producers like Owens Corning and Tamko make compelling, high-quality merchandise. The suitable reply for you is likely to be a type of.

The one solution to know the most effective shingle for you and your property is to get a number of quotes from roofing firms and use the data you’ve discovered right here to match their choices vs what the highest firms are presently placing on the market.