I’m a homeowner and experienced DIY’er looking for advise/comments on asphalt shingles for use in Southern Wisconsin. When I built the house in 1991, I used 235 lb (25 year) IKO shingles for cost reasons. I have been very disappointed with the IKO’s as they have been shedding granules in massive amounts since day one. Now 16 years later, the southern exposure shingles have curled like potato chips and are blowing off. Definitely time for a strip and re-roof. I know my limits and will be using the contractor who built the home for me to do the roofing and another project. It will be about 72 squares for the house and garage/shop, so it is a substantial investment that I want to get right this time around. I’m 54 and plan to stay in this house until the day I die, so I’m less concerned about cost and more concerned about never having to replace the roof again. I need to walk on the roof at least once a year to clean the chimney and do other maintenance, so I would like to stay with asphalt shingles rather than use metal standing seam or other materials, as asphalt shingles are ok to walk on. In searching other posts, I find that Elk and CertainTeed apparently have good products. Elks are not common in my area and my contractor uses CertainTeed, so I’ve decided to go with CertainTeed. I prefer a shake style and am considering the Presidential TL Ultimate (480 lb), the Landmark TL Ultimate (340 lb) or the Landmark Premium Lifetime (300 lb) shingles. Is weight per square a good indicator of quality and longevity or is it more related to the appearance and texture of the shingle? If weight is a good indicator, then I’ll go with the Presidentials, but I’m concerned that the extra heft of the Presidentials may be due to the thicker shake appearance and will not necessarily give a longer life. I realize none of these products have been on the market long enough to know how long they may last, but any insight on weight verses quality and any other comments from the pros would be helpful. I figure if I got 16 out of 25 years (64%) out of the IKO’s that I should get at least 32 years (64% of 50) out of the CertainTeeds. I definitely plan to use the CertainTeed starter and ridge shingles, felt and ice shield products to avoid any warranty issues later. Anyone have any experience with the Presidentials?
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Thanks,
Replies
Thanks for posting your experience with the IKOs. That's really poor performance, IMO. Have you considered going after them on the warranty? That's a lot of material to good bad. In court they could be held liable for a percentage of both labor and material.
I don't have any experience to offer on those super heavy shingles but I'd be suspicious of a fifty year warranty on any asphalt shingle. That's just too many heat cycles, IMO.
In general, more weight is an indication of a better shingle, but whether or not there comes a point at which that is no longer true, I don't know.
I would be inclined to get the heavier shingle, but I suspect others who know better will be along shortly.
Although excessive loss of granules will shorten the life of the roof, are you sure that the roof is adequately ventilated? Poor ventilation will lead to premature curling also.
Rich Beckman
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I personally will never again buy Certainteed shingles, and I shy away from their other products, due to the way they handled the defective shingle mess in the Midwest.
All I know is I would never use the shingles that have fiberglass instead of organic base. All the asphalt impregnated fiberglass shingles I've had experience with are garbage--limp like a wet rag in the summer and so crispy in the winter they break if you look at them wrong.
dmarty.. i'd use the one that you best like the appearance of..
all three are good shingles
me.. i'd probably take the Landmark TL with the Lifetime Warranty..
but there may be something that appeals to your eye with the other two
Thanks for the input. Roof ventilation is a concern. One area with damaged shingles has questionable air flow and I will take care of that with the reroof. Other areas though have just as much damage, but have plenty of air flow. I can't explain it. Maybe a bad lot of shingles in some areas.
Well, just to throw another opinion out there........
according to some recent publications, venting is turning out to be less of an issue in life expectancy of the shingles than we have been lead to believe. As evidenced by your own observations, you have curling and damage in areas where there is adequate ventilation and in-adequate venting, which just goes to show the "new" line of thinking may actually be correct.
As to your original question I think I'd go with the liftime shingle......
Whichever you choose, I strongly recommend you use Grace brand Ice and Water shield, rather than any other. My experince is they are the better product by-far! A little more money , but money well spent!
Geoff
I think Grace is the best product too. I'm only considering using all CertainTeed products to elliminate any warranty issues in the future. But then again, I typically don't put much faith in warranties, as no matter what the product, the mfgr always seems to try to weasle out of it some way, so why not go with the best....
>> But then again, I typically don't put much faith in warranties, as no matter what the product, the mfgr always seems to try to weasle out of it some way, .... <<
Right - but I use the warranty as an indicator as to the mfg's confidence in their product and an indicator as to what the extended durability of the product might be. For example, I like using 40 - 50 yr caulk - but never in my wildest dreams would plan on collecting on a caulk warranty. At least with a big company like Certainteed, you can assume that they might be around later.... ;-)
Having been burned by them I take every opportunity possible to bad-mouth Certainteed shingles and their warranty.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
i more thing to throw at ya. state farm here gives a 40% discount on homeowner policy on 50 yr hail resistance shingles. if you got 70 squares i would assume a pretty good ins. premium also.ask your agent. larry
hand me the chainsaw, i need to trim the casing just a hair.
Thanks! Never thought of that.
So if building a new house with the 50yr hail shingle and using cement board siding one's insurance cost should reallt decrease.
What else does StateFarm look for along the lines of insurance discounts?
ThanksGranted that the majority are able at last either to own or hire the modern house with all its improvements. While civilization has been improving our houses, it has not equally improved the men who are to inhabit them. It has created palaces, but it was not so easy to create noblemen and kings. And if the civilized man's pursuits are no worthier than the savage's, if he is employed the greater part of his life in obtaining gross necessaries and comforts merely, why should he have a better dwelling than the former?Parolee # 53804
i haven't heard of any discounts from state farm beside the hail resitance shingles and they give a little discount for security. i would think in cailf they would give some disc. for cement siding so the wildfires wouldn't burn the house down.larryhand me the chainsaw, i need to trim the casing just a hair.