It’s time for a new roof on my house. I’m having it done by a local roofing company that’s given me a lot of work and refers me to their best customers when interior repairs are needed. I’m not getting bids from anyone except them.
The bid they sent is for 25-year 3-tab and 30-year Timberline. The Timberline is only $200 more, but I’m not a big fan of the appearance. I really doubt that I’ll still be living here in 25 years so I’m not terribly concerned about longevity either.
GAF has a line of shingles called Slateline which I like. It has a limited lifetime warranty, but I’m really more interested in cosmetics. I also know that it costs more, but the major expense is labor so I’m not expecting a huge jump in the overall price.
I have 2 concerns: 1) Do the Slateline shingles require any greater installation expertise? I don’t want to ask them to install shingles that they may not have a lot of familiarity with and 2) Are there any applications (such as a hip roof, shallow pitch roof, valleys, etc. ) where they’re not well suited?
Replies
I have used their next step up the ladder - the fifty year Grand Slate.
They are more work to cut and to carry up the ladder, but otherwise, the skill level is typical.
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GAF has a line of shingles called Slateline which I like. It has a limited lifetime warranty, but I'm really more interested in cosmetics. I also know that it costs more, but the major expense is labor so I'm not expecting a huge jump in the overall price.
Or so I thought when I posted that. I just got an updated proposal. The Slateline shingles are 30% more expensive than the Timberline. The price jumped from $5700 to $7500. That's $1800 more for the slateline. It's more than I expected.
I figure the material cost is about $1000 more so I guess the rest of the increase is due to additional labor and maybe special ridge caps. Does that sound right?
Run from the Timberlines.
They lay terrible. Every shingle is a different size. Height, length, exposure, one of them is always off. Doing repairs now (sheathing guys nails are pulling free) and the tar line doesn't adhere that well either.
Get a price for Certainteeds or Owens Cornings. The OC lay great, cut nice and are probably about the same price as the Timberlines. Once they adhere to each other thats it for them, getting them apart is tough.
I have been impressed with the OC sure nail, it's an 1-1/2" wide area for nailing and rated for very high wind speeds for a 30 yr. shingle.
Matt
Edited 10/17/2007 6:25 am ET by Stilletto
I second every thing Stilleto said. I'm becoming a fan of the OC Durations which is what Matt's talking about. Never had much trouble with blowoffs, but having a wider "sweet spot" for the nails speeds things up and makes the few extra dollars a square negligable.
I despise GAF products and those Slatelines are really bad about being the same height on both ends. Tough to make the roof look good when the bottoms of the shingles don't match up when you put the tops on the lines.http://grantlogan.net/
I was born in a crossfire hurricane..........shooby dooby do
Good to hear that I am not the only one who has issues with them.
It took me a little while to figure out why I had a hard time getting a straight course with them.
Matt
Yeah, they're awful - but they're $.75 a square cheaper than the other brands so the lowballers like 'em.
I've seen those Slatelines vary a 1/4" from end to end. That'll add up fast if you're eyeballing, and be ugly every shingle if you're trying to snap lines every course. http://grantlogan.net/
I was born in a crossfire hurricane..........shooby dooby do
The varying dimensions are more than apparant now that I am on the repair phase of a roof job.
I pull out all full shingles for the repair to be done, The new ones out of the bundle don't even match the old ones in size. Lengths vary by 3/4" some too long some too short, exposures vary up to a 1/4".
Repairs are even a pain with them.
Matt
Repairs are even a pain with them.
Ya shoulda attended Boogerin' school.
I might start Boogerin U when I retire.
jimfka (formerly known as) blue
Timberline shingles are junk, when I repair them I pull out full shingles. Then when I go to put the new full shingles in they are 3/4" short or too long.
Then the exposure lines are different on every one so by the time you repair 10 shingles vertically you might 1/2" to low of the course you are trying to tie in to.
I'll be the first to attend your boogerin classes, all I need to know is where to sign up.
Matt
Now I'm confused. Seeyou is talking about Slateline shingles (which I was leaning towards) and you're talking about Timberline shingles. And you're agreeing with each other!
Anyway, I don't care for the all-too-common, not-particularly-special, lacking-uniformity look of the Timberlines. I wasn't going to use them. I like the look of the Slatelines, but I have to decide if I'm willing to pay $1800 more than I would have paid for Timberlines.
If I decide not to spend the extra money and my roofer doesn't install other brands (I've already decided to use this roofer), then it's going to be a 3-tab shingle for me. I won't be in this house when it needs another roof so I'm really just basing my decision on cosmetics and cost, not longevity.
Sorry Don from what I have heard it's a common theme in most of GAF's product lines.
I know all too well about the Timberlines, I have no experience with the Slatelines.
I havve an ongoing project where 1500 sq of Timberlines were spec'd in the plans. I have almost 1100 sq done now and running them straight is almost impossible.
I would go with 3 tabs before I used Timberlines, I won't argue with you over that.
Matt
Check out the Elk Prestiques, not a lot more than timberlyns, but a much beefier look. Someone's got it in for me, they're planting stories in the press
Whoever it is I wish they'd cut it out but when they will I can only guess.
They say I shot a man named Gray and took his wife to Italy,
She inherited a million bucks and when she died it came to me.
I can't help it if I'm lucky.