PABCO Shingles: Are They Worth Buying?

PABCO laminated architectural shingles are what you should go for if you look for cost-effectiveness in a roofing product. This shingle line from PABCO is cost-effective and is known for their aesthetically pleasing design. The company’s range of shingles includes signature cut shingles, laminated shingles, solar reflective shingles, laminated, and 3-tab shingles categories.

PABCO is not as well known as GAF, Owens Corning, Atlas or IKO so we did not include it in our best roofing shingle review.

PABCO offers variety in terms of color, durability, and look on their seven shingle styles. The shingles are sold around the world as well as in the United States. In some countries like New Zealand, PABCO is a market leader in making roofing products, and some of their shingle lines, such as PABCO Premier®, are the best in their class in the market. Their warranty is also the best in the market in that it is transferable to all other subsequent home owners.

Fast Fact:  PABCO Premier® Algae Defender™ has a Limited Lifetime Warranty that comes with a 15-year non- prorate period and is the only one transferable to anyone who may buy your home. The shingle is quite durable and retains its beauty for longer than all the others in the market.

PABCO shingles are known for their fire resistance, weight, and unmatched wind resistance.

Types Of PABCO Shingles

PABCO manufactures four shingle categories and accessories. These are Signature Cut, Solar Reflective, Architectural, and 3-tab Shingle categories.

Most PABCO shingles have the following features,

• They come with a limited lifetime algae warranty.
• A wind warranty coverage of up to 15 years for winds 110/130 mph (Limited Lifetime Warranty).
• The original homeowner gets a limited lifetime warranty, and the subsequent homeowner gets a 50 years warranty that is fully transferable.
• Non prorated coverage is for 15 years
• and a UL790 Class A Fire Resistance Standard.

Here is a closer look at their shingle lines.

Signature Cut Shingle 

These are Paramount Advantage, Paramount, and Cascade Shingle lines. Paramount Advantage comes in four colors and has a heavyweight open tooth design. Paramount Shingles come in six colors and are of the open tooth laminated design, while cascade come in four colors and is of the diamond open tooth design.

Solar Reflective Shingles

The company produces only one shingle in this category, Premier radiance. It comes in seven colors. A difference of this shingle line with others is that the subsequent homeowner gets 30 years fully transferable warranty instead of 50 years. Other companies that make solar reflective shingles include CertainTeed and Owens Corning.

Architectural Shingles

These are PABCO Prestige and PABCO Premier, which come in 11 and 10 colors, respectively. Their design is traditional laminated, and the warranty type for subsequent owners is 30 years, unlike for other shingles, which is 50 years for PABCO premier. Its warranty is fully transferable to a new homeowner.

Did You Know? PABCO Premier Shingles (New Zealand) qualifies as a Class H wind-resistant standard for wind speeds of 242 kilometers per hour and a wind warranty of speeds up to 209 kilometers per hour.

Tahoma 3-Tab Shingles

It comes in 9 colors and is distinctly different from other PABCO shingles. It comes in a 3-tab design, and its algae warranty is good for twenty years. Its wind warranty coverage is five years and 60 MPH for the Limited Wind Warranty. The warranty type for the original homeowner is 30 years, and for the subsequent homeowner, it is the same and fully transferable. The non-prorated coverage period is five years.

Where Are PABCO Shingles Made?

PABCO shingles are manufactured at Tacoma, WA, at the family-owned business premises. The company has been in operation since 1984. The company strives for excellence in its production and putting the best products in the market for any category.

The company provides its customers with practical solutions and prides itself in providing a reliable local business, despite the presence of its products around the world.

PABCO Shingle Warranty

For shingles manufactured in the USA and Canada, the PABCO limited shingle warranty applies. The warranty warrants that PABCO shingles are free from manufacturing defects that negatively affect their performance.

• PABCO offers an original homeowner a Limited Lifetime Warranty on single-family residential structures. It excludes all commercial establishments and all multiple dwelling structures that have a common roof. It is prorated as of the 50-year limited warranty but ends at 40 years.
• The Limited Lifetime Warranty on PABCO shingles ceases and becomes a fully-transferable 30-year or 50-year warranty period upon first transfer.
• Warranty lengths for all other structures, excluding single-family residential structures, range between 30 and 50 years, except for the Non-Ventilated Roof Deck Warranty. These structures include all non-residential structures of any type and dwellings where a common roof covers multiple structures.
• PABCO warranty lengths generally vary from 30 years to a limited lifetime, and it is determined by the shingle type you purchase.
• Non-prorated coverage covers manufacturing defects that affect the performance of shingles and can run up to 15 years and is determined by application and product. This non-prorated protection includes, where available, the replacement product, and as determined by the company, reasonable costs of installation to replace, repair, and recover the roof. PABCO must have received a claim and accepted it. For some specific products, the company may cover tear-off and disposal costs where they are reasonable. The company reserves the right to substitute products with related others if the original is not available.
• PABCO shingles that feature algae resistance feature their trademark Algae Defender. Shingles with Algae Defender protection have warranties that state that they should be free of unsightly and noticeable black streaks that arise from the growth of blue-green algae for a specified period. For a limited lifetime warranty, the period is 20 years. The limited lifetime warranty applies to the original owners of single-family residences only. The warranty terminates and reverts to 20 years of coverage from the application date upon change of ownership.
• Wind Warranty Protection from PABCO is available for new structures, reroof after complete tear-off, and a roof over applications after the homeowner has got approval from PABCO. To qualify for wind warranty protection, the contractor must use recommended nails from PABCO to install the shingles. These nails are PABCO universal starter which you must use at the rakes and eaves, and Paramount starter, which you must at the eaves only. The correct number of nails must be used as well for each case. The Wind Protection warranty is nullified for shingles that have not yet undergone thermal sealing after exposure to warm temperatures.

Did You Know? PABCO shingles warranty does not cover extra adverse weather conditions such as hail storms, lighting, and winds higher than those covered in the warranty.

If you find a reason to claim the PABCO warranty, you can follow the steps outlined by the company on their website. You would need to do the following to file a claim,

1. Inform the company of the discovery of the manufacturing defects within 30 days.
2. Find and fill the PABCO® Limited Shingle Warranty Claim Process Forms from the company website.
3. Sign and date the forms.
4. Include photos of defective shingles and provide shingle samples.
5. Send all the information to the PABCO mailing address.

PABCO Shingles Reviews

PABCO shingles’ are not available online, but what are available shows customers generally love the shingles. Seattle, WA customers, love that the shingles are low-cost and locally made as the company is in the area. Here are other pros of PABCO shingles,

• Weight. PABCO shingles are heavier than most in the market. PABCO is 260lb per square while OC Duration is only 225lb, and Landmark Pro is 250lb.
• Their Algae protection is state of the art, and the warranty is immensely loved because it is transferable to all subsequent owners of the house, unlike others in the market.
• PABCO shingles sit well on the roof and cover a variety of angles, shapes, slopes, and forms of a roof
• PABCO produces four different shingles, which are signature cut, architectural, solar reflective, and 3-tab. This gives customers a lot of choices when buying from PABCO.
• PABCO shingles come in a variety of colors, but some other shingle brands come with more variety. This allows a customer a lot of choices, which is a plus.

Cons Of PABCO Shingles

• They last less longer than metal roofs.
• PABCO shingles are robust and withstand strong winds, but just like other shingle brands, they may not hold out in strong winds.
• Temperature fluctuations can cause the shingles to crack due to expansion and cooling.

Where Do I Buy PABCO Shingles?

PABCO shingles are available at distributors who may be found where you live. You can search for a distributor on the homeowner’s page of their website. The contractor you will use to set up your roof should also assist you in getting the right shingles to use on your roof.

PABCO Shingles Class Action Lawsuit

PABCO, just like other shingle manufacturers who have faced class-action suits from dissatisfied consumers, has also had a few visits to court over the quality of their products. The company has faced class-action lawsuits from an unhappy customer over the quality of shingles installed at the customer’s home. The roof shingles were PABCO HO-25 or HZ-25 Roof Shingles.

The lawsuit claimed the shingles sold to the customer were defective and would begin to show crazing, fissures, deterioration, failure, cause leaks, or property damage to the structure or roof. The plaintiff in this 2006 lawsuit was awarded a $2.275 million settlement.

In 2003, in a Seattle court, the roofing products manufacturer faced a class action suit from hundreds of dissatisfied homeowners who purchased the Horizon shingles from the company between 1990 and 2003 when the lawsuit was filed.

The claim filed at the Attorney General’s office at Pierce County Superior Court read that the company advertised their products as offering protection and beauty beyond what average shingles did and that their shingle was thicker and had excellent curb appeal. Customers complained that the shingles were prone to crack, curl, and blister and that PABCO did fail to fix the problem.

The company denied violating fair business practices in its product performance and advertising. The company made restitution to customers who had proof that the shingles were defective.

Verdict

If you are on a budget, look out for PABCO shingles. They are the cheapest in the market. The closest competitor on price is Tamko, Atlas, and IKO. The company makes the heaviest shingles. Competition in the weight category includes Atlas and IKO.

When it comes to installing these shingles, they are installed in the same manner as other shingles in the market. Just be sure to use a trusty roofing hammer, roofing ladder and your hard hat.

Their warranty is excellent and transferable, so if you plan to sell your home, they would be a good choice. In some countries, they are the best in their class in the market.