roofing products

[Clare Snyder]

Anyone here have any experience with CertainTeed Northgate shingles? The SBS modified asphault seams to be VERY flexible and compared to GAF Timberlines are heavier and thicker and a LOT harder to tear. When I bent the GAF (and also an IKO) the grit came off and the backing cracked - the NorthGate bent with no cracking and no grit loss.

I was realling considering putting on steel - but at 13000-14000 for the steel, 7000 for the Northgate looks pretty good - both with 50 year non pro-rated full replacement warranty . The GAF or IKO (or Certainteed Landmark) Roof would run about 6000 with 30 year "dissapearing ink" warranty.

I know Certainteed had a LOT of trouble with their low end Landmark shingles a decade or so ago, but their higher end products seemed to be pretty good.So no, I don't need any reference to the problems with Landmark and the contractor I'm talking to has 30 years experience - over 20 with Certainteed, and his Dad has been in the business for over 40 years.The son also does steel and all 3 prices are from him. I got a steel quite from another local company with the same product as one of his steel quotes and he was 1000 better than the other company - with all the same installation specs. Interestingly the stone-coat steel, although more expensive product, came out cheaper because it does not require the snow guards the bare Kynar steel needs

[Vic Smith]

IMO I'd go with a product that been on roofs for 30 years. That Certain Teed problem didn't show for many years after installation. Do the Northgates have a long track record The roofer I hired to put GAF Timberline on my hip-roof house and garage in 2001 used Certain Teed caps on all ridges. I didn't even notice until 9 years later, and by 11 years they were looking bad enough that I had them replaced with GAF Timberline caps. Cost me $900. The GAF Timberline shingles still look new, and very little grit has shown up in my gutters.

[Clare Snyder]

My timberlines are 13 years old and the back of the garage should have been replaced 2 or 3 years ago. The grit is over half gone and the substrate is coming off in dime sized chunks. That's on the south-east corner. The north side looks like it would likely last another 5 or more years. The house is 45 years old and this will be the 4th replacement (5th roof) That's an average ofr 10 years per roof. In my opinion, that is criminal. the last roof before this one was IKO architectural shingles - this last one was 3 tab (as was the original and the first replacement) Our weather can be fairly extreme - up in the nineties F in the summer, down to below zero F in the winter - with some pretty good wind and some ice storms - and wild swings in temperature.

As far as "long track records" they don't mean anything when production changes occur without changing model names - and CertainTeed has had a very GOOD track record except for their ill-advised attempt to crack the low cost roof market with their "landmark" line - right at the time everyone was turning to wood-fiber instead of rag based shingles and the price of oil went up.The landmark shingles, along with just about every other company's "organic" shingles ended up being CRAP. The switch to fiberglass in the low end shingle market hasn't helped much.

At any rate - you didn't answer my question and didn't offer any insite into SBS modified roofing products in general, or CT Northgate in particular.

[Clare Snyder]

And I didn't ask what was best. I asked for anyone WITH EXPERIENCE with the CT NorthGate shingles. No experience? Don't bother answering.

[Biff Tannen]

Yah, GAF Timberlines are awesome.  I wouldn't waste my time with any other brand.

[Wade Garrett]

As opposed to, say, you knocking on their door and asking- hey, what kind of shingles do y'all have on your roof...and who installed them ;-)

[Vic Smith]

I rang the doorbell, and a nice elderly widow answered, said her late husband took care of that and she had no idea about the roof. Same as my wife would probably say if I was dead.