# Roof replacement- shingle quality question.



## mainstation (Mar 11, 2011)

Hello, My roof is leaking.  I need a new roof and have had a couple of Roofing Contractors come by and give me a quote.  I have a couple of questions.  1st: Brand quality of Shingles.   Experiences, thoughts, recommendations.  2nd: Price difference....Company A is $3k more than Company B.  Company A uses a certain type of Shingle and buddy told me privately to check into Company B's choice of shingles.  Turns out Company B's shingle choice has a terrible rating.   
Any advice , stories etc would be helpful.


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## gzecc (Mar 11, 2011)

Use  Service Magic.com to get contractors to call you. At least then you can see reviews give by past customers.
Unfortunately a lot of contractors will cut corners and give you a poor result.
I am a contractor that uses their service.


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## DuckDog (Mar 11, 2011)

I just re-shingled my roof last summer.

As far as I am concerned BP vs IKO = same thing.  When I did my research I found lots of "complaints" for each but it seemed to be all on a personal basis with no actuall detail or fact. Reminds me of Stihl vs Husquvarna debates........

My choices were IKO Cambridge or BP Mystique. (Architectural style)
I chose IKO Cambridge. No other reason than the IKO dealer would throw in boom truck delivery and the BP dealer wanted $50 for delivery and a slightly better price point on a full skid (56 bundles)

The big thing to remember is, especially living in N-Ont, make sure to use at least 2 rows of ice&water; shield. Ice dams are a part of life down here and I can only assume the same for you. I would also highly reccomend using the "Maximum" roof vents. I replaced the 3 old plastic ones with the Maxi vent ones and know the attic is breathing better because I ran all new cable, sattelite and cat5 phone lines during various renovations and spent more than my fair share of time in the attic both pre and post roof work.

Good luck.


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## peakbagger (Mar 11, 2011)

It is very rare that roofs leak due to bad shingles, usually its some flaw in the original installation. If you have conventional three tab shingles, the throats between the tabs have to be worn right down through the underlying shingle before you get a leak and by then the roof looks really bad. Figure out the root cause and then decide what needs to be done. In the my area most roofs leak due to ice dams. You can put ultrasuper premium shingles on and ice dams will still cause roof leaks, same thing if the flashing is bad. Rather than buying super premium shingles I would strip the roof and install at least two rows of ice and water shield preferably the WR Grace product as there are some cheap subsitutes. If you cover the enitre roof with ice and water shield, its probably never going to leak unless the barrier is physically damaged. Most commerical buildign in the northeast are covered entirely in ice and water shield before shingling and many metal roof companies use ice and water shleld under their roofs. Then throw some good looking standard shingles on top. Odds are, you wont ever need to change them again.


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## Hogwildz (Mar 11, 2011)

Visit your local roofing supply. Any of the major manufacturer's shingles will be a decent shingle.
I used to like Elk shingles. They a have since merged with GAF,
Tampko's are good, Certainteed are fine also. Again, any major manufacturer's shingle is going to do the job well, if installed correctly and the underlayment is correct type & installed without voids.
I myself would never go with 3 tabs these days. They are a budget shingle and the cutouts or "picks" as we call then are just less shingle for your money, and also IMO is a weaker shingle as they are more prone to lift and break off during extremely high winds if they did not seal properly. This is more common in the fall & winter months when they have not had a chance to heat up and seal at the tar sealing strips underneath. Dimensional/architectural shingles IMO look 100% better, no pick lines, and are a more natural look with a more 3 dimension laminate & some have shadow lines to add to the look.
You can also get samples and ask to see samples of full shingles at the supply house.
Do not rely on the small little sample colors on the sample board the contractors may show you, tell them you want to see several full size shingles  laid out so you can get an idea of the pattern & blend of color. The sample boards do NOT give a full example of the shingle and color blend and you may come home to find the color you thought it was going to be is actually different than what you expected.
Something free you can do is while driving around, take notice of roofs, and notice what you like, and don't like. Just be careful not to wreck while driving. After roofing for years, I still am always looking at roofs and metalwork. Just habit. Other folks would not even notice such things, or give 2 thoughts about it LOL.


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## PJF1313 (Mar 11, 2011)

Are you also replacing the decking?  If so, Co. "A" may be using 3/4"ply while Co. "B" is using 1/2"

We did our 2 or 3 years ago.  We went with GAF (Slateline) and 3/4" CDX plywood. 1 row of Ice & Water shield (no valleys on the house), and 20 ga copper flashing (masonry chimney and porch roof)
 On GAF's website, you upload a pic of your house, and play with the style and color of the finished look.


Also +1 to Hogwildz.


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## Hogwildz (Mar 11, 2011)

Unless you specify you want the entire deck torn off and replaced. Plywood and fascia boards, rake boards etc will be time & materials, and should be replaced on an as needed basis. Of course some shady contractors will say they replaced more than they actually did, or cut corners and charge you full price. This is why you almost want to have an eye around at least once in a while, especially during time & materials work being done.
Read any contract or agreement real good. Some contractors make their bread & butter on T&M. That is almost with any business. T&M can get out of hand if not specified before hand.
Most roofs with rafters of trusses on 16" centers, have 1/2" plywood and since about the 70's and 80's, many have 1/2 OSI/pressboard. Which if it gets wet, long enough if acts like a sponge and swells badly. Once that happens its toast. and must be replaced or sectioned.
Again in the 70's and 80's some fool decided with trusses, it would save money to space them on 2' centers. And thought they could get away with 1/2 plywood or OSI. Problem is in areas with heavy snow load, the decking would sag between the trusses. Minimum should have been 5/5" or even 3/4" for better assurance that sagging would not occur.
With 16" center rafters or trusses, 1/2" is fair, 5/8" should be plenty, 3/4" is slightly overkill, but if you have the cash, it sure don't hurt.
Read contracts &/or quotes very carefully!


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## woodsman23 (Mar 12, 2011)

Go with Certainteed 30yr single and never look back... they will most likely last 45 years...


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## Reggie Dunlap (Mar 12, 2011)

Most roofs around here have 5/8" ply or OSB. I never used to use OSB, but in the last few years the quality has improved and now I use it sometimes. If the roof framing is on 24" centers then H clips are required.

I haven't installed, or seen anyone install 3 tabs in a few years. Architectural shingles are better in all ways, and they install a lot faster. I generally use IKO, since they are locally available and I've had great luck with them. I usually recommend the 30 year over the 50 year, since they are the same thickness and the 30's are a lot less expensive.


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## Hogwildz (Mar 12, 2011)

Reggie Dunlap said:
			
		

> Most roofs around here have 5/8" ply or OSB. I never used to use OSB, but in the last few years the quality has improved and now I use it sometimes. If the roof framing is on 24" centers then H clips are required.
> 
> I haven't installed, or seen anyone install 3 tabs in a few years. Architectural shingles are better in all ways, and they install a lot faster. I generally use IKO, since they are locally available and I've had great luck with them. I usually recommend the 30 year over the 50 year, since they are the same thickness and the 30's are a lot less expensive.



+1   
30 year shingles under the right circumstances, could last 40 + years.
I have seen the old 3 tab 15 year shingles last 20-25+years.
Of course, I think they stopped making 15 yr shingles years ago.
If I had the money, I'd prolly do the 40 or 50 yr shingles if I was younger. 30 year shingles will usually last longer than 30, and would outlast me I'm sure.


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## 4 cords (Mar 12, 2011)

I have been roofing for 17 years the things you need to watch are , the time frame they say the roof will be done in, some guys say oh we can do that roof in a day- thats great for them but not for you ,he has planned on being done in a day and some bad plywood will not stop them, take time off and be visual outside. I have opened roofs 4 years old and found all kinds of secrets. My timeframe is usually a week and the roof is water tight every nite.The best thing to do is ask for recent customers you could talk to ask around even at the local lumberyard.Also the most important thing is check the shingle companys installation specs , we have seen guys take 6 inches off every other shingle like a brick pattern so the shingle in the middle splits in 5 years.As far as brand do some research on your own and choose a brand that has the best rating and warranty.


         xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 xxxxooxxxxxxxxxxxxxx      this is what you do not want the oo is the split in 5 years seen it30 yr roof leaking in 5 yr and needed 
         xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxooxxxxxxxxxxxxx         to be replaced     Hope this helps


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## begreen (Mar 12, 2011)

We put 50 year shingles on our house. I don't want to be saddled with this expense when I'm retired. To find a contractor I went to a large, reputable roofing supplier in Seattle and asked them for some references. They gave me several names that I followed through and got quotes from. The contractor we chose wasn't the largest, just run by two brothers. But they had great references and I could see why. They did a nice job quickly and without surprises. And they left no messes. We had a couple tiny corrections that needed to be made and they were out in a few days. I was happy to add my name to their list of references.


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## MaintenanceMan (Mar 13, 2011)

I roofed my house myself using GAF Timberline shingles. At the time they were rated 35 yrs, but now GAF is calling them "Lifetime". They are being sold now in my area for $73-$75 a square. I just priced them for an addition I hope to be adding to my house this summer. I'm really happy with the GAF shingles. I went through a horrible wind storm a few years ago where half the trees in the neighborhood got blown over and several roofs were peeled right off. I had to replace some of the aluminum fascia on my place but not one shingle.


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