Reroofing question

both dimensional shingles are better than 3 tab. and they are more expensive but well worth it!

I would go with the Certainteed

Most of the difference is in the looks, which I will pay when I replace my roof.

He's trying to sell shingles.

It's mostly looks. Nobody sees wood shingles any more. Wood shakes were in vogue about 25 years ago, and are now being replaced with asphalt and metal and are outlawed in some wooded areas. Around here dimensional shingles started to be in vogue about 20-15 years ago. But, three tab shingles have been and are still predominant, with dimensional shingles generally found on more expensive houses. And, there are different patterns of dimensional shingles. Will you pick a pattern that is still in vogue when you sell it?

As for lasting, dimensional should last longer, but here I've seen dimensionals being replaced, and they aren't 20 years old, while some three tabs last much longer. It's kind of hard to compare in the last 10 years though, because many of the three tabs that should have lasted were manufactured with a shortage of asphalt (in the late 70's and maybe early 80's), and failed for that reason. Another

So in the end, you need to look at what satisfies you esthetically and how long you plan to stay in the house. Dimensionals will probably increase the selling price (especially if you are in an area with a lot of dimensionals). If your area has lots of three tabs and you plan to stay a long time, certainly the three tabs are the best economic choice. So, it is not quite as simple as the salesman says.

Plus, if you are hiring out the roof job, you're already paying for all that labor, so why not pay a couple hundred dollars more for the assurance of a longer-lasting product? That's how I justified buying dimensional shingles for my roof this year: the labor was expensive enough that I want to put off doing another roof for as long as I can.