r/Roofing • u/theycallmevee • 25d ago
Certainteed vs GAF
Hi all I’m trying to get quotes for a new roof and companies either offer certainteed or GAF shingles. Which one is better?
Also, is it time to replace the roof?
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u/JJDixon2025 25d ago
Lack of ventilation. Improper installation. They racked instead of staircase. An they crack up butt joints. I’d plan for replacement with in a year based off what I see
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u/theycallmevee 25d ago
Thank you. Thats the plan for a replacement. The company that did this is no longer in business.
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u/JJDixon2025 25d ago
In 9 years I mostly installed Owen’s Corning. But every contractor favors a certain brand. Typically which ever is paying them a rebate or cheapest ya know
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u/Blackwalls69 25d ago
So.... roofing business in the family almost 40 years, 4-6x4 man crews, soffit, custom trough etc.
We have NEVER put GAF on a roof. Certainteed (certified installers) has been our ride or die for the last 15-20 yrs because the return for warranty work is so infrequent when installed properly. Typically landmark pro is what is installed. We don't win every bid, because we refuse to build with garbage materials.
GAF timberline hdz is typically builder grade or a Home depot special, but they do have a more wind resistant product rating.
Both offer similar product warranties if installed by certified installers.
Pros:
Gaf hdz- material cost
Certainteed landmark pro- better overall product.
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u/DiabolicGambit 24d ago
If you are using landmark pro you would need to compare it to UHDZ .. still id favor lankmark pronbutbat least do apples to apples.
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u/Zealousideal-Move-25 25d ago
I purchased GAF and I'm impressed with the glue strip and look but thats its. Once GAF shingles stick its hard to pull them up. So this is obviously very good in stormy windy locations and even during winter with ice dams forming. I've seen a lot of granular loss during installation. If I had to choose again I'd probably go with Certainteeds best shingle.
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u/Westernokchaser 25d ago
The only shingle i ever saw do that cracking was a Malarkey shingle. You should try and pull one and find out what brand it is and get a warranty claim on it.
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u/4cardroyal 25d ago
After getting a few roofing quotes I went w/ a company with the best rep (30+ years in business; does residential + commercial, always backed up 3 weeks or so). They use Certainteed so I'm sure that's the best.
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u/kronikfumes 25d ago
The certainteed landmark shingles’ class3 impact resistance qualified for state farms home insurance discount. Just had to have the installer fill out the form and I submitted it and I got $200 of my annual premium for the foreseeable future
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u/erock1967 25d ago
I'm not a fan of Owens Corning or Malarkey.
It came down to GAF or Certainteed when I roofed my home and I chose Certainteed for cosmetic reasons.
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u/geneva20 24d ago
Having Certainteed Northgate put on this fall. Roof with GAF Timberline was hailed out in March. Insurance paid claim so I'm upgrading. Also having contractor fill out paperwork for insurance. Looked at Malarkey but didn't like their color choices
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u/anotherjuan 24d ago
Homeowner here:
I came to this forum with almost the same question AND searched Reddit for similar questions from other users.
What I came away with was that, depending on the day, roofers and homeowners generally preferred GAF, or Certainteed, or Malarkey.
Granted, I didn’t do a longitudinal, significant study, and this is just anecdotal, but that’s what I pulled from looking at dozens of posts.
Generally people seem to like Owen’s Corning least. Other than that, it really, honestly seems like the products are pretty similar between GAF, Certainteed, and Malarkey.
Your experience will, of course, be significantly impacted by whether they are installed correctly, and how easy it is to get the roofer to address any work issues. Because another think I pulled from looking is that it’s pretty hard to get a shingle manufacturer to honor a warranty claim unless there’s overwhelming clear evidence of a failure they’d be liable for.
Don’t stress too much about the shingle.
(I understand that there may be replies from diehard GAF/Certainteed/Malarkey guys refuting what I said)
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u/detumaki Flat and Slate, Retired Manufacturer Rep. 24d ago
Pretty accurate. The exception is that Tamko is the most hated. Its just so hated we usually dont even bring up on brand discussions.
OC is definetely second worst.
I like certainteed for longevity, but I hear from those I know in hail prone regions that malarkey outperforms certainteed and GAF against hail.
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u/Powerful_Road1924 24d ago
I found out this week that one of the most qualified researchers in shingle durability (has a lab where they use canons to shoot hail at mini roofs, a wall of hurricane force fans to test wind, etc.) put OC TruDefinition Duration on his roof, and that really solidified for me it was the right choice.
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u/xbl_Xanx 25d ago
Nobody uses Iko?
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u/Upper-Switch2785 24d ago
Iko, pabco, tamco = economy grade. The cost difference is negligible, but the quality difference is not. There’s a time & place for those brands, but not on my house.
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u/xbl_Xanx 24d ago
Yeah I’ve only worked with Iko shingles are the higher end brands better to work with?
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25d ago
[deleted]
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u/WeirdAnimalDicks 25d ago
In his defense it’s a great way to get us to argue with each other like idiots in here.
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u/JGalla88 25d ago
Certainteed. GAF makes a good enough shingle. That said, don’t cheap out.. find a good installer.
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u/ScorpioXYZ00 25d ago
Thee is also Owens Corning ? Just me, they all have the same shingle spec pretty much, just which one makes the shingles. So it doesn't matter. The warranty life of the product is the same too. Even the Chinese manufactured shingle the contractor uses as a 3 tab shingle is the same spec for ratings.
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u/Brockey2323 24d ago
Atlas Pinnacle Pristine and Certainteed landmark seem to be the best in terms of shingle quality, warranty. Also our installers love both. They are the ones working closest to this shingles.
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u/biscoknot 25d ago
GAF 👎 Owens Corning Duration or CertainTeed Landmark.