Brand Choice

I was curious as I am receiving quotes on my roof why there seems to be more contractors pushing GAF and not Owens? To me the GAF 30 AR appears to be thinner than Owens. I am here in Charlotte, NC if that matters.

Contractors push different brands for different reasons. I like GAF more than others because they offer better warrantys than the other guy. What it comes down to as a home owner is confidence in the warranty.

There is no large difference in either brand , personally I use Certainteed but Owens Corning Oakridge & GAF Timberlines are both good shingles ( Just stay away from IKO ,CRC,Biltmore , GAF & Owens Corning 30 yr shingles are of no difference in weight except very minor variations which can occur from shingle to shingle.

i have yet to go on a roof ten or twenty years later and go , yep
thats a gaf or thats a certainteed or elk.
they all look and act the same to me.
its fiberglass, asphalt and granuals, that is a shingle.
there all pretty much made the same way.
alot of the different brands out there are made at the same peachtree
city, ga. plant.

gweedo

Do you honestly believe what you just said gweedo?

i didnt typo.

gweedo

There are alot more plants than just one. Second GAF and Certainteed have there own plants. Not sure bout tamko and elk. Some of the stuff you type i cant believe you type honestly. You are one off the wall guy

ill take that as a compliment.
i just call em like i see em.

gweedo

Hi Gtp1003,

They all have thier own plants.

Hi,

There are 2 main reasons a contractor will use a particular shingle.

A reputable contractor has found a shingle that he likes to install and is of good quality.

The others find the cheapest shingle they can find at the time. So that is what they push. May be a good shingle maybe not. That does not concern them.

Owens Corning and GAF are both good shingles. Both companys stand behind their products.

I use GAF. I like GAF shingles. So I recomend them. If you want another brand. I will install them. On the condition that they are not junk shingles.

at least in my area, all shingles that are good (i.e. GAF or Certainteed) are exactly the same price. It usually comes down to what us contractors like to promote due to how the shingles perform over time. Sure - many more factors but with difference in price… we always give the homeowner the choice.

here round the bay, you buy what ever the supplyers carry.
and the suppliers here carry what ever sells the best.
what brand is ask for and purchased the most.

the best shingle for the cheapest price.
most people cant tell an elk from a gaf from a certianteed.
they are all pretty much the same tar, rocks, & fiberglass.

am i a mere mortal after all, cause i cant ride down the road, see a roof,
and know the maker of the shingle by just lookin at it.
a mortal ?
no this can not be true!

gweedo

I can almost tell the year make an model of the roofs around me because if you weren’t putting down Bird (now Certainteed) or GAF, if was clearly just an inferior shingle and that’s all that needed to be said. I’ve never seen Owen’s Corning around here though. I’ve seen Elk, and I’d still feel guilty about selling it. Bird and GAF go back to the 1800’s for a reason. Historically though, we always called the Bird ice and water barrier Birdsh#&. I hated that stuff, it was sticky like Grace, but really bad footing.

Quoting probably any reputable shingle manufacturers claims, “it is not the thickness but the density.” And thus the weight of the shingle. That is more important than the thickness.

owens corning(+certainteed) are better installed in cool weather asin hot temps they tend to begin sealing in the bundles—i personally prefer gaf,tamko