GAF

The New GAF Solar Roof: Cost & Comparisons – The Ultimate Guide

Solar tile roofs are becoming a popular option for homeowners who want to use renewable energy. Instead of installing solar panels on top of your roof with a racking system, photovoltaic cells are integrated directly into the shingles or tiles that make up your roof.

Both BiPV shingles and traditional solar arrays offer a service life of 25 years or more, and they make sense from a financial standpoint. However, if you’re among the homeowners who prefer the look of a traditional roof without PV modules, you might be interested in a solar roofing system.

GAF is an established provider of high-quality roofing materials, and they recently developed the Timberline Solar Energy Shingles. This product is characterized by being the first nailable solar shingle in the market, which makes the installation process much simpler.

  • GAF has designed a solar shingle that can be easily installed by roofing contractors, making the overall process easier for homeowners.
  • Normally, homeowners need to contact two separate companies to install their roofs and solar panels.

GAF offers complete roof replacements that include solar shingles, similar to how Tesla Solar Roof works. In other words, you cannot use their solar shingles for a partial roof upgrade. This is not a problem for new construction projects and homes that require a complete roof replacement.

However, if your roof is relatively new and in good condition, traditional solar panels have a lower cost and a quicker payback period. There are also solar shingle providers who offer partial upgrades, where only the roof areas that will be used to generate electricity are upgraded.

GAF: Innovation is a part of their DNA

GAF stands for General Aniline & Film, and they are currently the largest provider of roofing and waterproofing solutions in North America.

GAF introduced the Timberline roof shingle in 1967, and it became one of the most popular roofing products in the US. One of the companies that merged to create GAF was RUBEROID which launched the first individually cut asphalt shingle in 1912, and the first interlocking shingle in 1933.

GAF Energy was created in 2019 as a separate business unit, with the goal of providing solar solutions for residential and commercial buildings. GAF and GAF Energy are sister companies, both owned by Standard Industries. There are two main product lines:

  • The DecoTech system integrates solar panels into the roof structure, allowing a flush installation without separate racking.
  • The Timberline Solar roof system uses solar shingles instead of traditional PV modules, and GAF has developed the first nailable solar shingle in the world.

GAF Timberline Solar shingles installation
Source: GAF Energy

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Pros & Cons of GAF Shingles – Costs – Unbiased GAF Roofing Reviews

GAF is at or near the top of the best-selling asphalt shingles list. Is GAF’s enviable market share the result of consistent quality and performance, or is it driven by a large marketing budget that helps cover its flaws? Let’s explore.

GAF Woodland Shingles Roof
via GAF

There are obvious things to like about GAF – the wide selection of asphalt shingle styles and colors are sold nationally, and if you need more of the same shingles five or ten years later, they will likely be available.

On the downside, it is well documented that GAF, like most other shingle manufacturers, sometimes denies warranty claims that seem legitimate. The company settled a major class action lawsuit over warranty claims on defective shingles manufactured from 1998 to 2009, primarily at one plant. Let’s dig deeper.

Are GAF Shingles the Right Choice for Your Home?

This investigative look at GAF shingles is for homeowners who are considering GAF products and want to do their due diligence before making the roofing material decision.

This gives you the perspective of contractors that have installed GAF shingles for decades, home inspectors that have inspected hundreds of GAF-covered homes, and homeowners that live with GAF shingles on their roof every day.

Pros

Let’s look at the GAF shingle pros from the three perspectives mentioned: Installers, inspectors and homeowners.

Why roofing contractors like GAF shingles: There are a couple reasons that most roofers are happy to install GAF products, and some swear by them.

  • The GAF complete roofing system: When you purchase mechanical systems, an HVAC system for example, it’s important that the components such as the condensing unit, indoor coil, gas furnace and the thermostat control are designed to work together. The result is optimized performance.
Components of GAF asphalt roofing system
GAF – The Lifetime Roofing System

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Owens Corning vs. GAF Roofing Shingles: Cost, Pros & Cons, and More

GAF and Owens Corning own the largest share of the asphalt shingle market in America, and apart from CertainTeed, another major player in the fiberglass shingles market, no other manufacturer comes close.

Most homeowners choose between GAF Timberline and Owens Corning Duration shingles. However, both brands make additional lines of shingles across the traditional and premium categories that are also worth considering. GAF offers an impressive 20 lines of asphalt shingles to choose from compared to 12 main lines of shingles from Owens Corning.

Did you know? Independent roofers are often happy to install either brand – especially the bread-and-butter lines such as GAF Timberline HDZ and OC TruDefinition Duration shingles.

What we cover in this guide: This is a complete Owens Corning vs. GAF side-by-side comparison across all the main categories that matter to homeowners. It analyzes head-to-head the shingle options, quality, prices, warranties, and specialty shingles including those with Energy Star, Cool Roof, and Class 4 Hail Impact Resistance ratings.

Let’s put the comparison between these two popular brands into proper perspective right from the start

Owens Corning focuses mostly on the mid-range architectural shingle products, although it also makes low-cost 3-tab Supreme shingles rated for 60 MPH winds, and a few premium lines like Berkshire and Woodmoor.

GAF covers the spectrum more completely with a couple of 3-tab options like the Marquis Weathermax with an 80 MPH wind warranty and seven premium designer lines like the classic Camelot II and the beefy shake-designed Grand Sequoia available in standard and Class 4 Hail Impact rated shingle options.

In this guide:

In each major category, we pick a winner to help you choose shingles that will beautifully and effectively serve your home over the next couple of decades or longer.

  1. General Quality
  2. Costs
  3. Performance and Value
  4. Hail Impact Resistant Shingles
  5. Energy-efficiency: Cool Roof Shingles
  6. CA Title 24, LA County Green Building Code Roof Shingles
  7. Warranty Comparison
  8. Bottom-line and Takeaways

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