GAF Master Elite Certified.
Highest Quality Work Guaranteed.
25 Year Golden Pledge Manufacturer & Labor Warranties.
Rain, Wind or Shine Your Roof Will Hold Up.
Learn all you need to know when it comes to the shingles on your roof.
Learn all about the quality and features that comes with a metal roof.
After using all the different shingle companies over the last 23 years of roofing, we’ve found out first hand how the quality of the shingle can affect the overall roof. In our experience, GAF shingles consistently perform better than other shingle brands.
About GAF
GAF was the first company to ever make an asphalt shingle. They also only make roofing products which means they put more research and development into it than any other brand.
GAF is the #1 shingle company in North America. 1 out of every 4 homes is protected by a GAF roof!
The Problem With Inferior Shingles
There are three issues that arise where professional roofers can really tell the difference between high quality roof shingles and another cheaper brand. These issues mostly occur in the extremes, when it's really hot out or when it's really cold out.
-Problem 1
When it is really hot out there are issues with damaging the shingles while separating them. All shingles come in “bundles” stacked back to back. Since all shingles have roofing adhesive on the backs of them, they can stick together on a very hot day. With most shingles this can be a huge headache. The adhesive from the back of one shingle will pull away parts of the fiberglass matt on the shingle it was stuck to. This will happen to almost every shingle and can be a nightmare to deal with. GAF shingles do not have this problem. They have an interwoven fiberglass matt that doesn't fall apart which means that they will pull away from each other without destroying the shingle it was stacked with.
-Problem 2
On a hot day when the new shingles are all laid out it can damage the shingles when you walk across them (which you have to, to get to a ladder to get on and off the roof). Sometimes large ear marks will be left on the shingles damaging them and leaving the fiberglass matt exposed already. This can reduce the lifespan of your roof. GAF’s diamond cut granules stick tighter to the fiberglass mat and do not mar so easily.
-Problem 3
The third problem with installing lesser quality shingles in the cold is that they are not pliable. The stiff crosshatched fiberglass matts do not let them work very easy. You only really notice this when installing valleys and detail work. When you are installing a valley you have to bend the shingle by pushing it tight into the valley. Most shingle brands have a hard time with this and will halfway crack when pressed into the valley. A lot of valleys end up leaking prematurely either due to this or no ice and water barrier. GAF’s interwoven fiberglass matt makes it more durable and pliable because it doesn't have to be real thick.
DuraGrip Adhesive!
GAF is the only shingle company to patent their adhesive. These shingles stick, and they stick good! We inspect a lot of storm damaged houses where the shingles are blown off. We hardly ever find GAF shingles blown off! This video from a GAF conference in Florida shows Timberline Shingles being installed on a roofing demo section, only using nails around the outside border and no field nails. They then blasted the roof with 150 miles per hour wind fans! You can see the whole section lift off the decking a little but none of the shingles blow off and the DuraGrip Adhesive is the only thing holding them on!
Want some professional advice to help you decide? We can come out and provide a 1 on 1 consultation to help you with the best options and design choices for your home.
Diamond Cut Granules
GAF’s shingle granules go through a more thorough cutting process and are left with more water wicking capabilities than your average squared roof granules. They are cut to more of a diamond shape with more corners, which helps get water off the shingles faster and extend the lifetime of the shingle.
StainGuard Plus
All GAF shingles come with StainGuard. This means they have granules that are infused with copper. Copper will prevent any moss or algae buildup on your shingles. GAF Ultra shingles last even longer so they are infused with StainGuard Plus. StainGuard Plus is a new technology using time released copper granules that will match the life expectancy of the premium shingles.
Interwoven Fiberglass Mat
Fiberglass-asphalt shingles combine the water resistance of asphalt with the strength of randomly oriented glass fibers, making for an extra tough, longer lasting roof shingle!
All other shingles are still using a cross hatched fiberglass mat where the fiber strands are just crossed each way over one another. The newest technology allows for the fibers to be interwoven to where it looks like a plate of spaghetti. This increases the strength of the mat which means they do not need to be any thicker. It does not matter how thick another shingle is if the quality just isn't there.
Nail Line, Not Nail Strip!
GAF does not believe in the use of a one inch nailing strip. Other shingle companies will promote a nailing strip that allows for nails to be placed as high as 1 ½” over the gusset. This is not good as it allows for the shingles to be lifted by the wind easier and it also does not catch the very top of the shingle in the course under it. A properly nailed shingle will have the first course of nails going along the nailing line and a second course of nails that is installed through the shingle above it but also penetrates the shingle under it about one inch from the top of the bottom shingle. This is very important and is the reason why the first thing any good shingler is taught is how to nail low.
90% of shingles that are blown off of roofs is due to high nailing where there are no nails going through two courses of shingles. This “nailing strip” other shingle manufacturers use is basically giving permission to shinglers to nail high. GAF shingles have only one nail line showing roofers exactly where to put the nails for maximum efficiency.
Need help choosing the right shingle color for your home? Visit this link for some expert advice.
No Gimmicks!
GAF spends a lot of money on research and development instead of costly advertising gimmicks. Their promotional materials show the results of their testing and research. They test all their products in a controlled laboratory environment. Nothing hits the market without being tested to account for every concern. Every product they release is an improvement on the last.
GAF 50 Year Warranty
As a preferred GAF Master Elite roofing contractor, we are able to provide GAF's 50 year manufacturer's warranty. While this does not mean that when the roof runs its natural lifespan in 20-25 years then GAF will replace your roof for free, what it does mean is that if there were any manufacturer's defects then GAF will make it right. This is for peace of mind against manufacturing defects. Every once in a while (more so with cheaper shingle brands), a shingle company might release a bad batch of shingles. Those shingles will fail prematurely, which would cost you a fortune, having to get your roof replaced again. So if in 6 years down the road your fiberglass mat starts absorbing moisture and leaking, your roof is protected under warranty. Unlike many lesser quality brands, GAF actually stands by their warranty.
Infinite Roofing & Construction
25 Walker Way, Ste 2A
Colonie, NY 12205
(office) 518-444-ROOF
(mobile) 518-221-1003
(email) info@infiniteroofingny.com
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