Asphalt Roofing Shingle Comparison Guide

The Layman’s Guide To Choosing An Asphalt Shingle

If you are a consumer looking for the best asphalt shingle, then you have come to the right place. This article is intended to break down the features of asphalt composition laminated shingles produced by the major brands in the United States. There are so many styles of shingles to choose from and everybody seems to be promising the world. We are going to lay all of them out on the table, show you what they have to offer, and then you can decide what is best for your roofing project. We will cover the three basic composition shingle styles from each manufacturer which include 3 tab, architectural laminates and key-cut or tri-laminate roofing shingles.

The Key Factors For Every Shingle

The typical factors that are important to a homeowner when choosing a roofing shingle are:  price points, true life expectancy, wind ratings (rated in mph), and color selection. These are all extremely important issues, but I would consider them surface issues. There are additional areas of a roofing shingle that play into its performance, longevity and price. Some of those factors are: how the shingle is made, is it an AR (algae resistant) rated shingle, the weight of the material, how wide is the nailing strip, pitch of the roof the product is installed on, what type of warranty does the shingle carry and what type of wind rating does it carry. When you purchase a new roof you want a shingle that is going to be aesthetically appealing on your home but will also perform well in the type of weather your particular city or region experiences.

GAF Roofing Shingles

GAF roofing shingles have long been the best selling and performing roofing material in the industry. A few of their awards include the Women’s Choice and Contractor’s Choice awards.   What distinguished GAF is the advanced mat technology, released in 2011, which was accompanied by their new 50 year limited lifetime warranties. They ‘broke the sound barrier,” so to speak, with their new shingle mat, and the rest of the industry was forced to follow. GAF remains to be the only roofing manufacturer that has made any changes to their shingle justifying the stature of the warranty they offer.

GAF Shingle Line Up

Royal Sovereign 3 Tab Shingles                   
25 year limited warranty; 3 years non-prorated
60 mph limited wind warranty
Class A fire rating
3 bundles per square
225 lbs. per square
True roof life: 8-15 years w/ maintenance

Timberline HD Architectural Laminate Shingles
50 year limited lifetime warranty; 10 years non-prorated
110 mph wind rating; 130 mph w/ 6 nails
Class A fire rating
3 bundles per square
210 lbs. per square
True roof life: 17-25 years w/ maintenance

Grand Canyon Heavyweight Key-Cut Shingles
50 year limited lifetime warranty; 10 years non-prorated
110 mph wind rating; 130 mph available
Class A fire rating
5 bundles per square
450 lbs. per square
True roof life: 25-35 years w/ maintenance

CertainTeed Roofing Shingles

CertainTeed is another industry leading brand name among roofing products. They are predominantly recognized for the Presidential and Presidential TL series. In fact most HOA’s (home owners associations) list the Presidential shingles as their first choice. Like GAF, they also offer great upgraded warranties and systems that protect consumers.

CertainTeed Shingle Line Up

CT 20 3 Tab Shingles
20 year limited lifetime warranty; 3 years non-prorated
60 mph wind rating
Class A fire rating
3 bundles per square
196 lbs. per square
True roof life: 8-15 years w/ maintenance

Landmark Architectural Laminate Shingles 
50 year limited lifetime warranty; 10 years non-prorated
110 mph wind rating. 130 mph w/ 6 nails
Class A fire rating
3 bundles per square
240 lbs. per square
True roof life: 17-25 years w/ maintenance

Presidential TL Tri-Laminate Shingles 
50 year limited lifetime warranty; 10 years non-prorated
110 mph wind rating; 130 mph available
Class A fire rating
5 bundles per square
480 lbs. per square
True roof life: 25-40 years w/ maintenance

Owens Corning Roofing Shingles

Owens Corning is a quality roofing shingle and so much more. They specialize in fiberglass products which is what makes up the core of every asphalt composite laminated shingle. Their Surenail Technology is a big hit with contractors and helps to ensure your roof is fastened well and withstands high winds.  They are well known for their insulation as well and branded with the famous Pink Panther, which I’m sure you have seen. Owens corning was founded in 1938 and has been a Fortune 500 company since the list was first created in 1955.

Owens Corning Shingle Line Up

Supreme 3 Tab Shingles
25 year limited lifetime; 5 years non-prorated warranty
60 mph wind rating
Class A fire rating
3 bundles per square
180 lbs. per square
True roof life: 8-15 years w/ maintenance

Duration Architectural Laminate Shingles 
50 year limited lifetime warranty; 10 years non-prorated
110 mph wind rating
Class A fire rating
4 bundles per square
260 lbs. per square
True roof life: 17-25 years w/ maintenance

Woodmoor Heavyweight Shingles
50 year limited lifetime warranty; 10 years non-prorated
110 mph wind rating; 130 mph available
Class A fire rating
6 bundles per square
450 lbs. per square
True roof life: 25-40 years w/ maintenance

Malarkey Roofing Shingles

Malarkey roofing shingles have a very strong and unique niche in the Northwestern parts of the United States. Founded in 1956, Malarkey is headquartered in Portland, Oregon. What sets Malarkey apart is their SBS modified or rubberized shingles, the high algae resistant rating and the patented nailing strip. Malarkey is specified by architects from the Northwest on almost all of the educational buildings being constructed.

Malarkey Shingle Line Up

Dura-Seal 20 3 Tab Shingles
20 year limited lifetime warranty
60 mph wind rating
Class A fire rating
3 bundles per square
200 lbs. per square
True roof life: 8-15 years w/ maintenance

Legacy SBS Architectural Laminate Shingles
50 year limited lifetime warranty;  20 year Scotchgard
110 mph wind rating, 130 mph available
Class A fire rating
3 bundles per square
275 lbs. per square
True roof life: 17-25 years w/ maintenance

IKO Roofing Shingles

IKO is a has a strong global presence in the roofing industry and was founded in 1951. They manufacture a broad variety of products for both low slope and steep slope roofing products. IKO is known for having a “true square” of roofing, and are 10% larger than most roofing shingles. IKO also has the strongest non-prorated portion of their limited lifetime warranty at 15 years. IKO is a popular and economical choice in many states.

Marathon 3 Tab Shingles 
20 year limited lifetime warranty; 3 years non-prorated
60 mph wind rating
Class A fire rating
3 bundles per square
True roof life: 8-15 years w/ maintenance

Cambridge AR Shingles Architectural Laminate Shingles
50 year limited lifetime warranty/15 years non-prorated
110 mph wind rating; 130 mph available
Class A fire rating
3 bundles per square
240 lbs per square
True roof life: 17-25 years w/ maintenance

Armourshake Heavey Weight Shingles
50 year limited lifetime warranty; 15 years non-prorated
110 mph wind rating; 130 mph available
Class A fire rating
5 bundles per square
True roof life: 25-40 years w/ maintenance