The Best Kind of Roofing Shingles
What are the best kind of roofing shingles? Well it all depends on your budget. If you do not have lots of money you may want to consider a standard strip composition asphalt shingle or a three tab as known by most people. With that being said This type could be the best kind of shingle depending on your personal tastes as well. Please remember just because they cost less does not make them easier to install. With 3 tabs you not only have to keep straight them horizontally, but you are also dealing with a vertical situation with your water grooves or bond lines to keep straight too.You can Still get a 20 year shingle now and you have remember they are being phased out slowly, but the most common and popular of the three tab type is the 25 year shingle.
The most popular roof installed these days are the Architectural Shingle which mimics a shake looking appearance when installed. There are many advantages to these shingles. The warranty starts at 30 years on most brands and they also have an enhanced hip and ridge shingle that goes to encase the roof ridges like a high quality picture frame and should always be used with them. The ridge shingles are pricey so don’t forget that when you are looking at bids. For every 20 lineal feel it is $50.00 before taxes on just the materials. In other words lots of ridge means lots of money.The 30 year Architectural Shingle is hands down the most economical buy for any homeowner. The ranges in warranty go from 30 year to lifetime depending on the manufacturer.
Okay I am going to talk about another shingle type. These are the top of the line shingles and carry 40 year to lifetime warranties. Some mimic slate while others have a multitude of patterns that hold unique appearance only for the brand. I am some examples, Grand Manor, Camelot, Slateline and Capstone are just a few of the many types on the market. You can search under these manufacturers to find what suits you best. GAF-ELK, Certainteed, Owens Corning and last but not least Tamko.
My thoughts on the subject are if you want to know what the best shingle is, then you need to know how much money you really want to spend. My favorite 3 tab shingles are GAF-ELK and Tamko. My favorite Architectural Shingles are Certainteed and GAF-ELK and my Favorite designer Shingles are Certainteed’s Grand Manor and GAF-ELK’s Camelot.
A great resource for you is to look at the consumer reports yearly report on the various top quality shingles. I have mentioned some of the best shingles I have had the personal experience of using and I really have a hard time saying which shingle is the best. I feel it boils down to budget on each person and what kind of home they own. Long story short is decide what you want to spend and do some research on the various shingle types on the market. Then find a contractor you feel comfortable with and get your new roof. I will say from experience that if you have a leak free roof you do have the best shingle.