Is It Worth Paying Extra For GAF Asphalt Shingles?
The construction industry has accustomed us to a very wide range of roofing materials, like asphalt shingles, synthetic slate tiles and natural cedar shakes. Regardless of the specifics of the project and your preferences, there are practically always at least a few different, highly competitive products available that have a specific set of advantages and disadvantages. One of the most popular choices are asphalt shingles from GAF, which have gone mainstream as a solid product at a reasonable price. But are you sure it’s worth paying more for two roofs to be made by GAF? Let’s find out.
Technologies Used By GAF
At the outset, we must make it clear that GAF’s product range is extremely broad, and there can be very marked differences between its products in workmanship, warranty terms and the technologies used. However, there are also some constant elements that distinguish GAF roofs.
For its asphalt shingles, GAF uses a complex mixture of fiberglass and bitumen compounds containing heavy petroleum fractions. This is fairly typical, but in our opinion, equally important is the way the individual layers inside the shingle are bonded together – the better they are bonded, the stronger your roof will be. In the case of GAF’s products, the ability to withstand wind speeds of up to 110 mph is due in part precisely to the soundness of the joints.
GAF also prides itself on the above-average resistance of their asphalt shingles to color loss, which most often results from the roof’s overgrowth of algae and other microorganisms. And indeed, thanks to a layer of dispersed silver ions, the company’s shingles still look fresh and not as dark as their cheaper counterparts even after 20 years.
GAF Warranty Policy
GAF’s warranty policy is relatively complex and is based on the certification levels of companies responsible for installing asphalt shingles. According to certified GAF contractor Glenview, cooperation with the manufacturer allows roofing contractors to provide a limited lifetime warranty, which is widely considered to be very good.
The choice of GAF due to its warranty policy seems reasonable, but you must remember that the statistical roof with asphalt shingles is replaced after about 15-20 years anyway, and such a period of protection is available from really many manufacturers. However, we understand the reputation of the brand and its impact on the subsequent value of your home.
Aesthetics
It must be admitted that the roofs produced by GAF look really good. The vast majority of the company’s models and color variants are colored with an intense and very durable pigment, which even after several years still looks very good. Unlike cheaper asphalt shingles, the brand’s products with a red logo retain their aesthetic color for a very long time and, as we mentioned, do not darken.
Models that are supposed to imitate cedar shakes and slate tiles are instead questionable. While they certainly don’t look bad, in our opinion, asphalt shingles will never resemble other materials and can’t be expected to do so.However, this doesn’t mean that GAF designer series is ugly – it’s just inferior in terms of aesthetics to brands like DaVinci and Brava.
Summary
In that case, is it worth paying more for the mere fact of having a roof to GAF? In our opinion, definitely yes! With the choice of this brand, you get much more than a logo – it’s a good warranty policy, longevity, fire and wind resistance and intense color at a very reasonable price.
