Are you overwhelmed by the endless options for roofing shingles? Wondering how to choose the right one for your home?
Afterall, every shingle is "the best" depending on who you ask. While the choice you make can be influenced by the brand of shingles your roofer installs, it's important to know the benefits and pitfalls of various shingles to simplify your decision-making process.
As a local roofing company out of Little River for 39+ years, I made the decision to use GAF shingles for a variety of reasons. Many of my reasons stem from the fact that the greater Myrtle Beach area experiences various weather extremes and sits closer to the water than many other areas in the country. So, while I’ve seen the GAF Timberline HDZ shingles perform well in our area, this can differ based on your location or the roofing company you decide to hire.
The purpose for writing this article is not to sway you, but rather to provide you with the necessary information about the GAF Timberline HDZ shingles so that you can decide if Timberline HDZ singles are the right fit for your home. Now, let's explore the features, benefits, and pitfalls of GAF Timberline HDZ shingles.
Primary Benefits of Choosing GAF Timberline HDZ Shingles for Your Roof
The GAF Timberline HDZ is an architectural shingle that offers advanced protection for your roof. The architectural shingle type is quite popular among homeowners in the Myrtle Beach area because of its cost effectiveness and durability. Not only that, but these shingles provide your roof with a clean looking finish.
Some of the Primary Benefits of GAF Timberline HDZ Shingles Include:
- High Definition Look of GAF Timberline HDZ Shingle Colors
The distinct look of the GAF Timberline HDZ shingles and their durability have a big draw for homeowners here. There are 21 high definition colors to choose from with a range of grays, browns, black, and even blue and green. The aesthetic look of these shingles is enhanced by shadowing that creates depth and dimension to imitate natural roofing materials like wood shake.
Scroll to the right to see a few shingle color examples
- GAF Timberline HDZ Shingles are Made with Advanced Technology
Shingles can be prone to algae and wind damage. Because GAF is so confident in their algae resistant technology, Timberline HDZ shingles come with a 25-year warranty against blue-green algae discoloration. And when these shingles are installed with 4 qualifying roofing accessories (like pipe boots, attic vents, and roof deck protection products) homeowners receive a 15-year wind warranty with no maximum wind speed limitation.
Additional technology includes a nailing area that provides up to 99.9% nailing accuracy. This is important because improperly nailed shingles can cause a myriad of damage due to poor workmanship. And adhesive that helps protect your roof from driving rain and high winds.
As GAF Master Elite contractors, Linta Roofing is also able to provide additional warranties that are backed by GAF. This ensures that both manufacturing defects and workmanship errors are covered by GAF, even in the event that the roofing company you hire goes out of business. These warranties can last up to 25 years for workmanship and up to 50 years for materials. We know that all of this sounds great, but I’m aware that more goes into your final decision, so let’s take a look at the cost of GAF HDZ Timberline shingles.
How Much Do the GAF Timberline HDZ Shingles Cost Per Square Foot?
The average roof size in Myrtle Beach is 3,000 square feet (or as we say in the roofing industry, 30 square). The average price range for GAF Timberline HDZ shingles on a 3,000 square foot roof is around $10,500 to $16,500 (or $350 to $550 per square) depending on the complexity of your roof and the roof accessories that you choose.
Your roof square footage will be larger than the square footage of your home. If you know your roof may be significantly larger or smaller than 3,000 square feet, you can calculate the average cost by multiplying the square footage of your home by 1.5. This number will give you an approximate measurement for the square footage of your unique roof.
All of this is contingent on whether or not GAF Timberline HDZ shingles are right for your roof.
What Type of Homeowner Benefits Most From Choosing GAF Timberline HDZ Shingles for Their Roof?
GAF Timberline HDZ shingles are a great choice for homeowners that want to achieve a clean look at a reasonable price. Homeowners who are looking for great wind ratings for their shingles and for strong workmanship warranties normally find the HDZ to be the best option to choose. These shingles tend to be a good option for homeowners living in an HOA community. Most HOAs allow this type of shingle, but it is important to check with your HOA to make sure you choose a color within their restrictions.
We suggest these shingles to homeowners in Myrtle Beach because they can stand up to the driving rain, wind, and hail we experience every year. And if extreme weather does damage your shingles, these GAF Timberline HDZ shingles are usually quick and easy to color match and replace.
We install GAF Timberline HDZ shingles because they are reasonably priced, high performing, and offer a refined look to your home. For the most part, our customers are very satisfied with GAF Timberline HDZ shingles, but as they say “you can’t win ‘em all”. So, let’s take a look at some complaints people have about these shingles.
Customer Complaints About the GAF Timberline HDZ Shingle
It wouldn’t be very helpful to you if I only talk about what I love about GAF Timberline HDZ shingles. It’s also important to consider some complaints I’ve heard about these shingles. On occasion, I hear customers bring up the weight of these shingles, because they are relatively light in comparison to other roofing materials.
Many people believe that lighter shingles are more prone to wind damage. However, the truth is that the most crucial factor for strong wind resistance is the bond line on the shingles. Shingles have adhesives that hold them together during wind events. GAF has some of the best adhesives in the business. They are so confident in their adhesives that they have given their GAF HDZ shingles a "No Maximum Windspeed Limitation."
Not only that, but usually shingles that blow off prematurely have either a manufacturer defect or the shingles weren’t installed according to manufacturer’s guidelines. Whenever you have GAF products applied to your roof, it is ideal to hire a GAF Master Elite contractor. This is because GAF will offer warranties to cover any manufacturing or workmanship issues when you hire one of their certified roofing contractors.
Deciding if the GAF Timberline HDZ Shingle is Right for Your Home
Whether you just started searching for information about roofing shingles, or you’ve been at it for a while, it’s clear that there is plenty of competition between shingle manufacturers. And there is no arguing that a roofing project is a costly endeavor, one you want to get right the first time. To ease your mind a bit, I tend to strongly recommend choosing a quality roofing material you like that is within your budget. As a roofer, I do not like to burden my customers with concern about materials, because at the end of the day, even high-quality materials can fail if they are not installed properly. This is why it's so important to prioritize choosing a top contractor to install the materials that you choose.
My company Linta Roofing has been in business for 39+ years. Over the generations we’ve used various brands of roofing materials. As of today, we find that the GAF Timberline HDZ stands up well for homeowners in Myrtle Beach. Our goal is to provide you with transparent answers to the toughest questions, so please feel free to contact us with any additional questions you may have about roofing materials. We’re happy to help!
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