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Owens Corning started manufacturing shingles in 1977 and focused only on residential products in 1993. Owens Corning makes top-rated products and is rated at per with Tamko, Atlas, and GAF and only second to the best in the industry, Malarkey and CertainTeed.
Owens Corning Shingles Lines
Owens Corning products range from affordable to premium quality specialty shingles. The customer has several shingle lines to choose from,
- If you come from a place known to have extreme weather, Woodcrest shingles are your best bet. They come in a wood-shake look.
- Woodmoor is a heavier, thicker version of the Woodcrest Shingle.
- A budget-friendly option from OC is Classic and Supreme metric shingles made from a fiberglass base with asphalt.
- Duration is OCs architectural shingle made for TRuDefinition color and contrast.
- Oakridge and Oakridge Pro come in handy for a variety of shades.
- For unique-looking, architectural slate shingles, OC’s Berkshire is what to look out for.
Did You Know? CertainTeed, GAF, and Owens Corning account for almost 80% of asphalt sales in the US. Owens Corning is a #458 Fortune 500 company with over 50% share in roofing materials and residential insulation products in the market. In 2017, the company’s revenue was $5.7 billion.
Owens Corning used to make vinyl siding until 2007 when they sold the division to CertainTeed.
Features Of Owens Corning Shingles
Owens Corning makes amongst the best shingles in the North American market. The company dedicates a sizeable amount of its budget to marketing and is only second to GAF in shingle sales in the USA market. Here we consider some of the qualities that make their shingles popular.
Do You Know: Before 2006, Owens Corning was in court for a class-action lawsuit regarding defective Oakridge Shadow shingles made in previous years. The suit was thrown out in 2018 when the plaintiff’s arguments failed.
Other brands such as GAF, CertainTeed, Tamko, IKO, and Atlas have also been the subject of class-action lawsuits from dissatisfied customers over defective shingles.
Pros of Owens Corning Shingles
Here are the reasons why Owens Corning is hugely popular in the roofing products market.
- They offer amongst the best in roofing in the industry.
- Their roofing products are the best in the industry.
- They provide a complete roofing solution and not just shingles.
- They offer brand, certified contractor training programs.
- They have a wide selection of shingles in the market.
Here is a detailed look at these pros:
Industry Leader In Roofing Products Production
Owens Corning is the industry leader in the production of weathering-grand asphalt. The company strives to remain in the lead by employing innovative technologies, putting new products in the market, developing sustainable solutions, and constantly improving manufacturing processes.
Thanks to their commitment to excellence, OC has put a shingle design in the market that stands out from the competition. Their shingle is made in a way that improves grip to other shingles and blow through resistance by providing a woven, strong fortification to the nailing area.
Owens Corning shingles are aesthetically pleasing, high-functioning, and durable. The company has a TruDefinition® color platform that they use to improve the appearance of their shingles. The impact resistance of Owens Corning shingles is higher than that of products from competitors in the industry. This makes Owens Corning shingles a favorite among homeowners.
Unique Shingle Features
Owens Corning shingles are made with state of the art patented technology that gives them an edge in the industry. Their TruDefinition® Duration® shingles are made from Patented SureNail® Technology that gives them a unique gripping power.
The shingles combine strong algae and wind resistance that keeps the roof performing excellently and great looking.
Complete Roofing Solution And Not Just Shingles
A roof requires more than just shingles and incorporates other components that protect from other hazards that arise from the elements such as heat in the attic, ice dams, and wind-driven rain. All other competitors in the market make related products.
Owens Corning gives a homeowner all the components that they need for their complete roofing solution. This ensures that a homeowner can use products from just one company so that they work together seamlessly.
The complete roofing solution also ensures that you get the best warranty from Owens Corning. The company uses the motto, “Seal, Defend, Breath,” to popularize the Total Protection roof.
Here are the components of the complete roofing solution:
Roof Ventilation: Breath
Their roof ventilation is a range of products for the roof, ridge vents, and soffit for balanced ventilation. Hot and humid air escapes through the vents while dry and fresh air flows into the attic. Proper ventilation protects your attic and roof from damage as excess moisture and heat flow out, optimizing proper ventilation.
Starter Shingles, Hip/Ridge Shingles, and Roof Shingles: Defend
Owens Corning makes their starter shingles in strip and roll form to provide better coverage at roof eaves. Owens Corning hip and ridge shingle styles are compatible with all their shingle lines. They come with sealant and in a wide variety of colors.
Underlayment And Ice And Water Barrier: Seal
These products defend your roof from the elements. Underlayment products and ice and water shield help displace water from the roof deck and stop rot and mold growth that tends to cause water damage.
The company makes three types of underlayment products:
- Standard felt underlayment,
- ProArmor synthetic
- Deck Defense high performance synthetic, which is the best of their underlayment.
Their range of products include the following,
- Deck defense high-performance roof underlayment product.
- Proarmor® synthetic roof underlayment
- Titanium synthetic roofing underlayment
- Rhinoroof U20 synthetic underlayment
- Fiberglas reinforced felt underlayment
Their Ice and Water Barriers come in three tiers as well.
Their range of products includes Weatherlock flex, Weetherlock mat, Weatherlock granulated, Weatherlock tile and metal, Titanium PSU30, Rhinoroof granulated.
The premium flex barrier protects rakes, eaves, valleys, and areas around chimneys and works best in rather cold climates with regular thaw/ freeze cycles.
Contractor Training Programs
Owens Corning brand certifies interested contractors. Roofers are trained in installation. Choosing an OC brand certified contractor allows the homeowner to enjoy some benefits from the company unavailable to those who use uncertified roofers. Such perks include better warranties.
Large Selection Of Shingles In The Market
OC produces seven different shingles lines. Each shingle line comes in between four to fourteen color options, but this vary according to region.
1 . Specialty Shingles: These provide you with the specific performance and protection that you want for your home.
2 . Impact resistance shingles such as Duration Storm have the highest impact resistance rating for asphalt shingles, Class 4.
A plus: for shingles with Class 4 impact resistance rating is that some carriers offer insurance discounts.
3 . StreakGuard Protectioncomes with all Owens Corning shingle lines. This feature of OC shingles provides algae anti-stain protection. Copper provides anti-stain protection within granules in the shingles. Copper stops the growth of algae. Streakguard protection comes with a ten-year warranty on all OC shingle lines expect Berkshire, which comes with a 15year warranty.
4 . Wind Protection: Standard industry wind warranty protection for 3-tab is 60mph and 110mph for dimensional shingles.With most lines, enhanced installation can increase wind protection numbers to 130mph with enhanced installation. Berkshire comes with 130mph with standard installation.
5 . Energy Star Shingles: Owens Corningproduces several shingle lines that reflect enough ultraviolet rays to qualify as a Cool Roof and Energy Star product. These shingles include:
- TruDefinition Duration Premium Cool shingles,
- Shasta White color in Duration
- Oakridge
- Supreme shingles
About Owens Corning Warranties
Owens Corning warranties come in four tier levels:
- Standard Product Limited Warranty is the most basic.
- System Protection, for seal, defend and breathe products. A certified contractor is not needed to get this warranty.
- Brand certified contractors may offer preferred Protection.
- The Platinum Protection System Warranty offered by OC platinum preferred contractors.
Here is what is common in all the warranties.
- TRU Protection®: This warranty starts with a TRU PROtection® Period during the first few years. Labor and costs to make repairs and replacements are covered.
- After TRU Protection®, materials only coverage takes effect. Within this period, compensation is prorated.
- After your shingles seal in the heat, a blow-off coverage takes effect for winds 110mph to 130mph takes effect. The company compensates the homeowner if winds at the indicated ranges blow off your roof or damage it.
- StreakGuard™ Algae Resistance
- Workmanship Coverage offers artistry coverage and can be obtained through brand certified roofers only. It also covers the defective installation of Owens Corning shingles.
Key features of the different warranties:
- Standard Product Limited Warranty: This warranty covers your roof for a lifetime. The homeowner gets TRU Protection and StreakGuard™ Algae Resistance for the first ten years and materials protection after the initial decade.
- System Protection: the first level of extended warranty coverage. It is for a lifetime and covers all Owens Corning roofing products. Algae protection covers the first ten years, blow-off protection is for 15 years, and materials protection begins at 50 years. TRU PROtection® period extends to the first 50 years. Artistry coverage is not included in this warranty.
- Preferred Protection Warranty offers all system protection option but also include workmanship for the first ten years.
Expert Tip: The most common complaint from homeowners regarding asphalt shingle manufacturers is honoring roofing warranties.
Owens Corning is well-rated in customer service after a consumer survey puts the company second in a large customer service list. Yet they too have had issues with paying warranty claims from dissatisfied homeowners.
In the roofing products industry, manufacturer warranties are considered a bad investment. Most of them cover defects in shingles, but not the cause of shingle failure. Extended warranties are a source of money for the seller but quite often lose money for the homeowner.
Poor workmanship is often the culprit in shingle failure, which is not covered by most OC warranties. Owens Corning, just like other manufacturers of asphalt shingles, will usually void the warranty or deny the claim when the workmanship is the issue.
So, What’s The Solution Here? Getting a contractor with a good reputation, quality workmanship, and good excellent customer service. Ensure the contractor installs the shingles according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Cons of Owens Corning
Owens Corning is a leader in the building materials industry. They have plants in 33 countries and a workforce of 18,000.
Despite their massive presence around the world, their products have been found to have some defects. Here are possible negatives in Owens Corning products.
1. TruDefinition Duration Shingles have been found to have issues with color variations. The colors of the shingles in brochures and online images are different from what is on the shingles. If the color is a big deal to you, ensure that you see the actual shingles and rely less on images.
2. The shingles seal badly when the sun is not out. The warranty states that thermal sealing is necessary, which means that the shingles need to dry in the sun. In case there is no sun, avoid installing shingles as they may never seal. If there are winds when you install your shingles, make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. If they are blown off before they seal, you will not be compensated for replacement.
If there is a huge leaf canopy over your roof, ask your contractor to use adhesive or direct heat to ensure the shingles seal. Failure to seal is not considered a defect by the manufacturer.
3. OC shingles are not easily recyclable. Chippedand recyclable shingles can be used in the asphalt road mix. Unfortunately, most still end up in landfills. OC has an aggressive recycling program, which so far is ineffective.
Owens Corning Shingles Vs. Competitors
CertainTeed is top-rated in the market. Their products are rather high end and the best in the USA. But, there are still reasons why a homeowner may choose Owen Corning above CertainTeed.
Tamko and Owens Corning shingles are almost the same in most aspects. OC beats Tamko in the architectural category. Tamko’s heritage shingles come behind OC’s Duration architectural shingles in wind performance.
Duration has the standard warranty and 130mph wind resistance design, while heritage has a 110 mph wind performance warranty. Both have a standard 4-nail installation method. The 20mph gap in wind resistance between the two similar shingles can be overcome using 6-nail enhanced installation for heritage shingles.
In terms of cost, Owens Corning and Tamko are almost similar across all shingle lines. Tamko offers better value in terms of price. Here is a brief review of the costs.
3-tab shingles:
- OC Supreme, $75-$85 and Tamko Elite Glass-Seal: $72-$77
- Architectural/ Dimensional Shingles (this is the most popular) : OC Duration, $90-$120 and Tamko Heritage: $84-$100
- Other popular dimensional/architectural shingles and specialty sublines: OC Duration Storm, Flex, and Cool (CA): $115-$130 and Tamko Heritage Premium: $90-$120
- Premium designer dimensional/architectural shingles: OC Devonshire, Woodcrest, Woodmoor, Berkshire, $175-$280 and Tamko Heritage Woodgate, Heritage Vintage: $180-$215
Shingle Style Selection and Warranties: Owens Corning has more shingle-style selection than Tamko. Owens Corning also has better warranties than Tamko. OCs warranties have better transferability options, and pro-ration of the warranty is removed or reduced when you use a brand certified roofer.
Tamko warranty can be transferred once in two years for Elite Glass-Seal, and once in five years for all other shingles. OC warranty is transferred once in its lifetime when you sell your home.
GAF and Owens Corning are also quite liked in the market for their quality, lasting products. Here is a brief comparison of the two shingle manufacturers based on what concerns homeowners the best: contractor certifications, product quality, warranty coverage, and investment level.
The guide should help a homeowner determine the best product to give them value for their money, but which also has a warranty adequate should something go wrong.
- Quality: Both Owens Corning and GAF put top quality products in the market that homeowners and contractors choose over those from other less popular manufacturers. GAF offers a better deal from Owens Corning in that their shingles come with more wind and hail protection. Choose GAF if you live in a place where wind and hail are a feature.
- Contractor Certification: Both GAF and Owens Corning provide the roofers with training. Both allow homeowners access to better warranties when they choose brand certified roofers. GAF training is only better than that of Owens Corning in that it is available to an exclusive club. Their certification is available to a select number of roofers, totals to about 3% in the United States.
- Warranties: GAF and Owens Corning warranties are similar. If you intend to sell your home, both are transferable once during their lifetime. With both, you can transfer your warranty when your home ownership changes.
Owens Corning Costs Of Materials And Products
Various issues determine the cost of Owens Corning Shingles. Such factors include,
- Local labor costs
- Cost of materials
- Complexity of installation
Here is an estimate of the costs of Owens Corning Shingles.
TruDefinition Duration shingles are the most popular OC line and cost 80 cents per square foot.
For Owens Corning’s most b $2 toasic shingle, 3-Tab, the costs are approximately $4 per square foot after installation. For a 2000 square foot roof, the average cost is roughly $4,000 to $8,000.
Owens Corning Laminate roof shingles cost around $3 – $6 per square foot after installation or about $6,000 – $12,000 for an average roof of about 2,000 square feet.
Removal or disposal of shingles may add $1 to $4 per square foot to the total price.
Here is a more detailed look at the cost of the bestselling OC shingle lines when compared with the competition.
Shingles sell in bundles. Three to four bundles make a square foot. Online prices are often per bundle.
- OC Supreme 3-tab Shingles : $75-$90
Compare to: Malarkey Dura-Seal, GAF Royal Sovereign, CertainTeed XT 25, Tamko Elite Glass Atlas and GlassMaster
- OC Duration: $80-$115 is their most popular dimensional shingles. Compare prices with the competition at the following links: Malarkey Legacy, CertainTeed Landmark, Tamko Heritage, Atlas Castlebrook and Heritage Premium, and GAF Timberline.
- OC Duration Designer, their most popular dimensional shingles: $84-$120
- OC Berkshire Premium Shingles cost $218-$240
Additional Costs
The above are the prices of shingles only. Other costs involved are the following.
Accessories: $6-$15
Base Installation Costs, which include nails and other installation supplies: $125-$250. A homeowner will spend on contractor costs, how complex your roof is, and the shingle line in use.
Making repairs and replacing the roof deck is not covered by the above costs.
Expert Tip: installation quality is more important than the shingles you choose to use for your roof. Compare several contractors to get the best deal for your money.
More Important Points: DesignEyeQ Visualization and Style Boards with color schemes are two tools from Owens Corning, which help you visualize your home’s exterior with its shingles, siding, and more.
DesignEyeQ lets you choose a picture that resembles your home from a gallery of photos, or you could upload a photo of your home and apply an OC shingle to see how it looks in the visualization.
OC Shingles Best Cost: Get a roofer who has an account with a local supplier with pro-loopers discounts. Big Box may not always have the best price.
Wholesale shingle seller Resse Supply sells shingles to the public at 25% to 50% below the available prices at major chains such as Lowes, Home Depot, and other major outlets.
Verdict
CertainTeed makes the most high-end shingles in the market. They have better weather protection. Owens Corning company are known for excellent customer service and standing behind their warranties.
To avoid a warranty claim rejection, choose a contractor experienced in installing Owens Corning shingles and request them to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
If your chosen contractor prefers Owens Corning shingles, there is no reason for them not to choose them.
