I am in Southern California, so we are limited to Malarkey, GAF, CertainTeed, and Owens Corning. If you are judging on customer service, GAF and CertainTeed are the worst. I don't use Owens Corning so I'm not too sure, but Malarkey is far above the rest!
As a new agent in Tampa, FL, I’ve started building relationships with a couple roofers, along with lenders, title companies etc, and videos like these are GOLD! I had a client ask me today about the Atlas Pinnacle shingles and if they were good, and I refuse to lie, so I said I’d get back to him, and although this is 2021 it helped me a lot! So thank you! You do a great job speaking, and organization, so hats off to you! Great work man!
Your videos have been extremely helpful in describing everything I need to consider when choosing a shingle for my roof. I enjoyed your thoroughness and your professional experience - thank you for posting!!
@@RoofingInsights3.0 I use primarily OC duration and as a roofer I must say it really does have the best granule loss vs when I’ve used IKO and have trouble standing on a 7/12 when it’s hot. will admit iko has gotten a bit better still OC fan though!
Dmitry...I used your Directorii...OMR Construction just completed my roof using Atlas Pristine...The owner Ozzie and his crew were fantastic...Owner was on site...He upgraded the flashing to black metal instead of the ugly silver...the plastic ridge vent was a upgrade as well...The roof looks fantastic...I could not be more happier with OMR construction...
From Insights: 00:00 Intro 02:20 Test 1 - Packaging 04:11 Test 2 - Weight 05:50 Roofers need to offer homeowners financing; Enhancify can help! 07:57 Test 3 - Nailing zone 09:53 Test 4 - Pull test 12:53 Test 5 - True coverage 14:42 Test 6 - Consistency 17:32 Test 7 - Reputation trend 20:29 Test 8 - Granule loss 22:54 Test 9 - Feedback friendly 27:26 Which brand of roofing shingles is the best? 31:18 Find a local contractor on Directorii
Hey, I am the DIYer that most contractors hate because sometimes I know as much or more than them. I have successfully done major roofing work on my own home. This is a great video. I just subscribed to your channel.
As a home owner that just had his roof replaced. This video was very helpful. My roofers recommend atlas. Although the definition on the architectural shingles was not expected as a high definition GAF the performance in this video sold me on its longevity. I live in the southeast part of the USA and it withstanding heavy winds as demonstrated in the pull test gave me all the assurance I needed. I do recommend that there be a category based on overall look after installation. Thanks for the video.
Great video, I've been a curious about roofing since Malarkey replaced my roof free of charge after experiencing buckled shingles after they were installed. They did make me wait to see if the shingles would "settle" down for about 3 months and because of Covid took a bit longer to get to my house to inspect them, but that's fine. I live in Canada and they honored their warranty and took care of the problem. I would recommend Malarkey based on their customer service alone and they did well in your ratings. Thanks
I know this is for initial quality, but it would be nice to see a longevity category. Because that’s what’s very important to contractors and customers.
@@RoofingInsights3.0 not necessarily true. Changes in formulation especially like adding poly or copper granules could have serious long term effects. In my industry polys do great until they have extended UV exposure.
I am a DYI person for my own roof. Asking roofers what they prefer is huge. I am on west coast and limited on big box stores. I appreciate you guys. keep up the great videos.
I am grateful for this video and want to thank you for rating and explaining the rating process. I recently bought a roof that used the IKO Dynasty shingles. I heard the sale pitch, but watching your video helped me gain a little more confidence in the shingle..
Thanks so much for this content! Quoting a new roof and I have been watching so many of your videos. One thing I was thinking when I was watching these: If products are apples to apples on a cost basis, then the average homeowner wouldn't care about metrics like packaging, true coverage, or count. I definitely understand why this is important to the roofing contractor, but it would be interesting to see a contractor rating vs. homeowner rating. It would also be cool to see pricing on these to understand rating vs. cost to determine best bang for buck.
Landmarks have been at the top of my list for years. Four out of five repairs used to be the Owens corning shingles, so I have to give it to them for revamping the line to being so durable during wind events. One of the issues with materials is ease or comfort of use is fiberglass slivers you get in your fingertips. Timberline shingles are one you get many slivers from, certainteed you hardly ever get these slivers in your fingertips. Thanks for listening to commets, I have installed for over 20 years now.
@@thomasgaucher-peressini8785 the GAF shingles I examined were the thinest and most brittle ,easily damaged things ive yet seen.. reminded me of a nacho chip.. so easily cracked.. high fiberglass content for sure
My Father has a company and he uses Malarkey here in Oregon and even though his company has started not that long ago he has over twenty years of experience and since he doesn’t know how to write in English it’s up to me as the oldest to help him in that department as well as everything dealing with Paperwork , emails etc .
Great video! Still love Malarkey, they’re just a solid shingle. Not flashy just dependable. They’re the Toyota of shingles, lol. Had my first manufacturer warranty claim in 11 years and thousands of squares I’ve installed. They treated me great. The process was painless and I had a check in my hand about 3 days after filing it.
Malarkey is great! Never had problem with them, but thats what the only bad shingle in test (bad batch). I am sure they would take care of it in case of the claim, but because we cant review them, it cost them a start as promised last year. Bad quality batch didnt cost them this year but will next year for sure! Thanks for feedback!
im no roofer but the pull test should be done shingle over shingle after heated and cooled. that would let you test the bonding of the shingle to shingle in the pull, '
Great video. Agree with what many have said here that tests should carry different weights. As a homeowner I care about longevity, looks (roof sealing, lie flat, etc), when do roofs start to fail (brittle, lose granules, crack), impact test with different steel balls at different heights and finally….that dreaded algae prohibitory. If I spend $20k for a roof it needs to look great for a very long time. No streaking or fading, strong sealing, how heat and cold extremes affect each shingle, etc. ……nice job on this, but maybe skew this more towards homeowners. Maybe ask roofers how many issues / return visits by shingle mfg, over a year.
I like a lot what you did in this review. From Homeowners perspective: pull test and granular loss is most important. I think You have to give to those categories a heavier numbers. Like actual PSI numbers from the pull tests and 1000 devided by the milligrams of granular loss. Seems it will be nice to add a test on a sealer. If it sticks well. You know how some winter installation is never sealed up because the adhesive is weak and as a result many blow offs.
As a roofer from saskatchewindy (saskatchewan, canada) id like to see reviews on the sealant bonding strength as well as strength in cold weather. If you bring those two tests in it'll drastically change those shingle scores.
OC duration might be couple grams lighter than other brands but it does not lose granules easily. I think it is the most important factor in these comparisons. (OC duration is already great at sealing)
GAF made a lot of improvements with HDZ. We were impressed. They didn’t get single 3 in comparison. But they can’t stop improving because others are innovating too! Manufacturers should keep investing in better products and not focus as much on marketing budgets.
@@RoofingInsights3.0 Agreed 100%. You've had our company on your show, Rapid Roofing. And we are very active with GAF. We give them loads of feedback on what to improve on. And usually they listen! Thank you for the great content!
Awesome video, so very very helpful for me to select the right shingle. I based my selection on color first before talking to contractors, but found discrepancies between outdated sample boards and the color of the actual shingle; so maddening after selecting the color I love! I need to share with consumers to ALWAYS ask for a sample shingle from the bundle of shingles for the true color of the dye lot BEFORE approving the shingle! Thank you for this video.
I loved this video, I help me narrow my roofer to two contractors and the shingles and underlayment they use. and one of the contractors I'm considering is recommended by Roofers Insights, they are giving good information and data to the regular homeowner who do not know this business.
Your channel provides excellent information. I'm in the process of building a new home, and knowing the best roofing options are critical. Thank you very much
Iko seems to be the most popular asphalt shingles here in Saskatchewan, Canada. I personally try to upsell my clients to rubber shingles. Hail proof and wind proof up to 160mph.
You could add one more category (10)... The Malarkey Vista shingle was the only shingle tested, that had a Class #3 Impact rating and is the only shingle you can install in lower temperatures.
Not anymore, IKO Dynasty is a class 3 impact shingle now and also the hip & ridge. Lower temperature install is always curious to me. IKO Nordic with it's SBS tech and poly modified asphalt, being a class 4 impact shingle, is able at lower temps.
I havent got them on my house But I did ask a roofer to bring by samples of malarky vista , a certainteed and a malarky ecoasis nex...I asked if he would mind me doing some torture tests on the samples.. these were full length shingles.. I rolled up each on like a burrito, ticht, then stepped on it then unrolled to check for damage.. he was shocked.. the eco asis had cracked, the certainteed did as well.. the vista seemed a different animal.. it was noticeably more rubbery, flexible.. granules stayed more intact and it was Almost resistant to any damage.. not perfect but 90% damage free
You need to test the seal strips not just nail strips...Owens Corning has a good nail strip but 8 of 10 blowoff repair calls I get are Owens Corning because of their poor seal strips...GAF and Certainteed (the other 2 common options in our area) never get those call because of much better seal strips. My 3 cents😄
Hey Marlin. Are those blowout repairs from Oakridge or Duration? Just curious. I've never had an issue with Duration specifically with sealing here in New England.
OC duration nail strip only overlaps the bottom laminated portion by 3/8 of an inch. If you nail at the top of the nail strip it only goes through the single bond area on the top half of the shingle. The strip does help with bonding just helps with pull strength.
@@RoofingInsights3.0 I agree I just don’t think the nail zone is as beneficial as they make it sound. If the entire strip was where the common bond area was it might be the best in terms of bailing.
The weight is the extra granials they put into packaging because the shingles loose 40% granials when you open the package 😅 and throw them around pabco is bad with this!! OC looses the least. We only install OC best in our area and market.
The comparing apples to oranges to tomatoes was entertaining. IR, SBS, Entry level lams, ect. Next time try multiple bundles from different runs/colors and see what happens.
@@RoofingInsights3.0 would you compare a Ford pickup truck to a Tahoe or a Tahoe to a Subaru because they were the same price? Different shingles are used for different areas of the country. In parts of Texas an SBS shingle melts under your feet and scuffs.
Thanks for this valuable information by professionals. It gave me an insight into choosing a quality product to rely on for the next 20 years in the hurricane prone area of Florida.
Love this video. Just a thought, each category examined weighs the same. This means not being reviewable weighs the same as the nail strength. We all know that being reviewable doesn't directly effect how well the shingle performs. Perhaps each category should be given an importance factor and then worked out in the numbers? With that said, this is super helpful so keep up the great work!
I just did a 200 square job with iko and there where 4 very different shades of color you can see from a mile away . Iko rep said it's the oils and will all match after a few months . Sense you are an iko installer have you came across this or is he B.S.
@@arnw7933 hey there. So we over 100 iko roofs a year . And when they are fresh shingles . Straight from the plant type thing. Then yes they do do that occasionally . I've deal with it a few times a season. . Once they settle and the oil drys up then yes they start to match . Takes anywhere from a week to a month or so
@@RoofingInsights3.0 I like it alot. They give us a standard to uphold. And a system to install. . Then every receipt that you provide back at the end of the year that has 4 iko products on it theyll pay you back 4 bucks per sq
If you're testing IKO Cambridge and Dynasty you should be also be testing the CertainTeed Landmark and Landmark Pro shingles. Would be fair considering I use 60% Landmark Pro's.
Next year we will have like 16 products. Certainties needs to answer their phone and send us product next time. Not begging for it anymore. Worst brand to hear back from! They think they are too big to fail and too important for us!
@@RoofingInsights3.0 no ones asking you to begg, just tell the people watching in the video that this is the lowest priced architectural shingle in their Line or the best.
Agreed, the basic landmark is not comparable to most of those shingles. The landmark pro is much more comparable. If you want to be the guru of shingles go buy a few bundles and compare apples to apples.
Fantastic job! I'd like to see a few more categories added based on warranty. Upfront, manufacturers, prorated etc. As you've said many times before, warranty issues can be a huge turn off! So, peace of mind for homeowners and contractors alike.
@@RoofingInsights3.0 Happy this is considered as well. I am going through the knowledge stage before I get the new roof, so this video was a great help and look forward to the others. I see you have one on warranties as well so will watch that one too. Thanks for your dedication to helping people.
We just roofed 9 duplexes with OC oakridge onyx black bought at Lowes. 3 have issues with colors off. OC wants me to o on each roof, remove one of each color and send in for lab testing. I should not have to do this.
Good job. Tamko really deserves to be at the very bottom for a reason right now. I only recommend Landmarks. The HDZ's may be the best thing GAF has had in decades though.
Add BP to the list of not recommended lol. The last 2 roofs we did this week I tried out the atlas shingles due to them being bigger in size an inch over 40+ rows of shingles really adds up quick.
I would like to see what is recommended for entry level homes. I'm not suggesting prices but instead guidelines on what to look for as it pertains to type of home owned. A fancier home might use one type of shingles while a least expensive home uses a different kind.
I love the information as always and I know malarkey has a great shingle. I will continue to stand behind pabco though! The nail zone sucks, it sucks bad. What I say every year and will continue to say is get on a roof and pull some shingles that are 20+ years old and see how they held up. Pabco will outlast em all. Just pulled a pabco roof that was from November 1998. I know that because it was printed right on the release tape. 23 years old and the only wear was under the downspouts. Until you can incorporate longevity in the mix it’s not totally accurate. Homeowners hear 30-50 year warranty and automatically think that’s how long a roof lasts.... well, pabco would last that long. I’ve pulled a 26 year old pabco roof and it was still holding out. No one single other shingle on the market can do that. Not from what I’ve seen at least. Even seen malarkey at 4 years old putting and I have photo proof of all of this. Have tons of in the field examples all over here in little independence oregon. Should have came down on your trip, but I guess you only know what contractors you want to talk to. I could have drove you around all day and pointed out several manufacturers and the failure that they have.
@@spiketaterman5181 I'm in N Idaho and had Pabco 3 tabs last about 18 years. They were blowing off with every significant wind storm. Just got done replacing them with HDZs
Would like to see you add a sealant test (week in same conditions installed on 7/12 faux roofs) versus a feedback friendly rating or a reputation score. Living in a hurricane area, I know which I'd put on my personal home and what I sell and install versus other products that have a big following but don't perform too well in this area 👍Also, a price rating would be something worth adding. As always, thanks for your time and efforts in putting this together every year!
That is one of the most important part of a shingle. Been roofing 46 years. You could put a few shingles on a fake roof put out in the sun for set time and measure how much pull you put on the shingle. Like you did with nail test.
@@billrehm3590 - and that is the way to do the wind tunnel test too. The automobile manufacturers make use of wind tunnels, maybe contacting them to see if the tunnel could be rented for some testing makes sense.
Please, please tell me which one: I am in a very windy location, trying to decide between OC Duration definition and GAF HDZ. I totally get what you're saying! One little separation by the wind and up she goes...to me sealing is more important than nail strength!
Great video, keep up the great work. One request. A value/price score. Atlas is a great value when priced next to OC Duration or IKO Dynasty. Glad to see GAF in the test this year.
@@RoofingInsights3.0 - survey multiple suppliers, especially ones that carry multiple manufacturers and styles. There will be a trend that can be observed, as to which tend to be priced higher vs lower.
The trend of pricing will always revolve around the top manufacturers, none of them will price too low or too high mostly..... They all remain rather competitive.
Certainteed has a weak nail line, the nails go through the shingles unless you hit the hurricane line. Malarkey has a great nail line but gets tacky on hot days. . Tamko shatters when you gun it. Owens Corning has a excellent nail line that can be shot on in any temperature that I have ever seen but is difficult to cut with a hook blade
Still no word on the Tamko Titan? Roofer brought over Certainteed Landmark and the Titan. They are very comparable by feel and touch, thickness. He said he could also lay Owens Corning Duration. Owens and Certainteed are a little more. Which is best?
That's wild you are in Texas and don't sell TAMKO, I always figured they ran the market because their home office is there. Atlas came in super strong and the Scotchgard Brand is something everyone is already aware of, probably makes you super competitive.
@@joshuam7172 tamko has always been a garbage shingle we used to buy truckloads of them bc it as $50sq but lots of issues. Now tamko has their class 4 stormfigher I believe it's called 150mph wind rating insane havent used it yet
I think we should add CertainTeed Landmark Pro if we are adding the IKO and Malarkey next line of shingles. Just to be completely fair. Also the sealant test, let’s put those shingles In The sun somewhere. We can test them here in Texas!
We have tried sealant test and put them in sun to seal. 8 seal really good, only 3 didn't want to seal. You can see it in video but not in results because it wasn't consistent and really hard to rate. But we will do it again next year and will think on how to do it better.
as a total noobie to this area and a homeowner who is facing redoing a roof after hail damages, this is incredibly informative...each roofer in my area has their "go to" shingle brand as preference and its so hard when ur Not in this field, to know if they are cutting corners and going cheap or if they are using quality materials...one of our most prominent roofers uses landmark certainteed brand and raves about them, however, im not sure I like the look or design of that shinle brand, they look odd to me even if they are well rated..when I say odd, I mean I viewed an example of that roofers work and the certainteed shingles where not laying flat, the edges were curling up and it was seriously offputting ,no matter what any review says..
@@dcwatashi This has been a rabbithole for me... What I mean is that the more I research, the more confusing the resulting info becomes..There are Vast contradiction in reviews from actual customers who Have certain brands of shingles On their roofs...some will jive with what review sites like this recommend but others will completly conflict which makes knowing the Truth of the matter,very difficult! I was leaning twords certainteed originally but when Ive seen the reviews for malarky, like this site And other reviewers doing torture tests on it , it seemed like the One so to speak.. it seemed ultra durable and very little granule loss..thing is that when you listen to feed back from homeowners who Have them on their roofs, you find them saying they are trouble, granule loss severe and blistering and that their warranty was utterly useless,ect ect.. Im almost at the point where Im just gonna wing it becuz consistancy in researching reviews is just not there...Ive yet to get my roof repaired and am probably overthinking it way too much...in this area, ignorance is bliss..those who havent researched just go to a roofer and say gimme some new shingles that match my original color and off they go... yeah I see houses all around me getting their roofs done, most using owens corning, a few using Landmark certainteed..I wanted to see from the roofers I picked, examples of malarky roofs ,done with colors I was considering but that was not possible... hope you have had better experience...
@@skip741x3 well I just had another contractor leave about 10 minutes ago and this one was recommended by Dmitri. This contractor prefers malarkey, but he didn’t come with any samples. Nothing whereas the other contractor who is certified by malarkey, but not on the directorii site, he brought samples of everything. So I am going to go with the malarkey shingles for sure but I am in the Pacific Northwest and the second contractor that came out also was impressed with the quality of the malarkey shingles Now it has to do with financing. UGH
@@dcwatashi Brother, the malarky seems a very decent and Unique shingle..it has that SBS polymer base that most other shingles lack as they are asphalt..I had a chance to see the malarky shingle samples, full shingle sections of the highlander, Vista and their eco asis nex version..I saw online torture tests of malarky I thought it a good chance to try this 1st hand on these samples... I rolled up the shingles, like a tight burrito, stepped on it with my body weight, then unrolled them to check for damage... the eoc asis had some cracks as did the highlander which was surprising..also some granule loss.. in their defense, the temps were about 60 degrees and these were not left out in the sun to get flexible as they were in online tests... However, the Vista , even in the colder temp, was almost completely undamaged and was Noticeably more rubbery, and flexible than the other 2...it also had almost no granule loss.. There is a version above these, the legacy I think, but the roofer said they were double the cost and only marginally better... the Vista and highlander are very close in price yet that Vista is a superior shingle that holds it granules and is super flexible..definitely made better than and Not the same as highlander.. if I were going malarky, It would be vista for cost and superior performance over the highlander base version. hope this info helps.. try the test urself if you have the shingle samples.... Any contractor Should have acess to and be able to Bring you some full sized shingle samples but you need to ask in advance of their coming, so they can get them..
@@skip741x3 oh thank you so much for responding. I have been watching a lot I am now in the process of getting three quotes all with the Vista, AR ridge vents and silicone pipe, boots and other similar quality accessories So now it will be easier to compare apples to apples since all three contractors have license bonding insurance and Worker’s Compensation The four houses in my neighborhood with the malarkey shingles put on by that same contractor look absolutely fine. I don’t know what shingles they used.
Awesome review😎👍(24 yrs in the biz) couple of things to mention.. first off the Malarkey 'vista eye warning. As a contact wearer, the fine dust blow back makes them impossible to lay without eye protection..(2)the Atlas pinnacle..I've had a problem with the shingles sliding slightly during packaging making the plastic and seal strip not align so they are stuck together and tear when attempting to seperate(great shingle though).. My favorite shingle to install would have to be OC Durations..and i agree with everyone else on tamko👎they dont seal at all
Just a homeowner looking to learn a little more about shingles as I am replacing hail-damaged roof - finding your videos and information helpful. Thanks.
Cost category. As a customer having a new roof done, my Contractor uses OC as a Norm, but can install others at request including Marlakey and Atlas. As the end customer I'm more worried about the use durability and reality of the product lasting and standing up as long as possible far more than I am about reputation and feedback or weight. On the cost side if one product is $5 more a square than OC but has the same or better on durable test, or even if they are the same but color options are different i may pay a little extra OoP for the added durability or color to either everything else being equal. However if OC and Malarkey Highlander otherwise the same (just example)but OC are $50+ a square higher then I probably want to go w the Highlander. And for people on a budget a couple hundred either for cosmetic appeal or peace of mind may be worth it w/o breaking the bank, vs spending a couple grand on added product cost for the same result just because of a company namesake.
agreed. Another major factor is the area one is using the material. I am thinking some MFG will be better for hot climates vs those for snow and hail, or year round rain. this is a foundational category to have distinguished the products line.
Not a fan of IKO. Just did a dynasty roof though and it wasn't bad actually. I did a bunch of roofs last year with CertainTeed landmark. We got hit with baseball sized hail a few weeks ago. Went and checked on last year customers, they are fine. I took pictures and show to new customers as a selling point.
Malarkey needs to do 2 things for everyone to take them seriously: 1. Change their name 2. Turn on their reviews. When you are the best you don’t care what others say about you...
Hi, I always like your videos I don’t understand why so many people view but not hit the like button for support. Wanted to know if you have or could do a 20 minute video geared towards helping out new home inspectors? Thanks for your videos I do learn a lot.
Absolutely! Let’s collaborate! We have many lawyers and people who can’t make public comment for legal reasons watching 😂😂😂 roofers are different breed: they don’t show emotions lol
Packaging, true coverage, consistency, and feedback friendly are kind of silly in my opinion. Please consider replacing with “marketing” (the ability to provide contractors with tools to sell) “technology” (scotch guard, smog reducing granulars, class 3 hail rating, etc) true coverage (include consistency in rating), and Warranty. This would give us a better idea of who to work with
Here in Texas, it's soo common for smaller contractors, or heck even some of the big ones, to buy what a lot of suppliers here call "Second class shingles" those are usually still packaged, but don't come with a warranty from the manufacturer. They tend to be $50 or so cheaper. What's your thoughts on that? I can't find any videos or anything addressing that and I figured if anyone is gonna do it it's you 😅
Great. I use factory seconds as well. They are same quality Shingkes with just a minor defect during manufacturing. Still great stuff. Save money and de roof with seconds is great idea . Wise
Great videos! I agree with a lot of what you say and tried a few of your recommendations. Your shingle comparisons are very helpful. GAF, OC CertainTeed are the top 3 you see in my area. You know Owens Corning has a great product because I always have to explain to customers, they are such a great shingle, they need more time to cure than others.
