In our 2021 review, CertainTeed’s Landmark Shingles was a highlighted product. We do this because you deserve to know the quality of shingles you’re buying both as a homeowner and a roofing contractor. At Roofing Insights, we regularly review shingle brands and the products they offer. 

This review guide will give you a real look into how well the shingles are manufactured and how well they’ll perform for years to come. The tests that we put the shingles through are rigorous to expose flaws and highlight some of the best parts of these shingles.

Check out the video above for a complete breakdown of all the different shingle brands that we covered in our 2021 shingle review.

What We Cover in the Test

Getting an accurate idea of how a shingle will perform isn’t easy without putting it on a roof, having storms come over the home, and waiting for 20 years to see how it ages. Here are the main categories we use to determine how well the shingles are made and will perform:

• Packaging
• Weight
• Nailing zone
• Pull test
• True coverage
• Consistency
• Reputation trend
• Granule loss
• Feedback friendly

We’ll give the shingles a 1 (the worst possible) through 5 (the best possible) rating for each of these categories.

If you’re a roofer, you might pay more attention to one of these categories than you do the other. But, having an overall idea of the shingle and its quality can help inform you and your customers of what brands are going to provide the best protection for the roof you’re installing them on.

Packaging: Scored 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The packaging both for the protection of the shingle and to help with transportation carries a lot of weight. There’s a big difference when it comes to shingles being well packaged and protected vs. shingles that just have a thin layer of plastic wrapped around them that barely holds the shingles together.

The CertainTeed Landmark shingles performed well in our first test. While we weren’t able to give them a 5 because of some moisture that had worked its way into the shingles, we were really happy with the durability of the packaging. 

Weight: Scored 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Is heavier always better? It’s hard to say whether or not that’s really true. But as a general consensus, our team of roofers that conducted this test found that heavier shingles last longer and perform better during harsh weather conditions.

To perform well and get high rankings on our list, shingles need to have a good weight to them and show that they’re going to be durable. The CertainTeed Landmark shingles were some of the heaviest and most durable feeling shingles we tested.

Nailing Zone: Scored 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The nailing zone is very important for a successful shingle installation. Roofers won’t argue this. The manufacturer is totally responsible for ensuring that the nailing zone is easy to find and that it’s free of any tar that could jam a roofing gun.

The big thing we’re looking for when it comes to nailing zones is a clear direction, and we got that from the CertainTeed Landmark shingles. It wasn’t as clear as some of the other shingles we reviewed, but it still earned a score of 4.

Pull Test: Scored 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A lot of roofers will disagree with us and say that the pull test we perform doesn’t prove anything or accurately resemble what harsh weather would do to shingles. But it does prove something to us: showing how well the shingles will hold before they’re blown off.

The CertainTeed shingles almost always perform well in this test, and 2021 was no different. Receiving a healthy 4 for the pull test is no easy challenge. And, knowing these shingles will fight to stay on your roof is important if you’re a homeowner or a roofer looking to avoid those phone calls that come when shingles blow off.

True Coverage: Scored 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When shingle manufacturers make their shingles, some of them turn out to cover a slightly larger area per bundle than the others. We find that this can save roofers a lot of money over time. Every inch will add up from roof to roof and can lead to you saving several bundles on larger roofs.

In this category, the CertainTeed shingles weren’t at the very top of the list but by no means were at the bottom of the list. They scored 4 out of 5 for true coverage.

Consistency: Scored 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shingles don’t always come in equal amounts for each bundle. Some bundles might have more or less. Because shingle manufacturers are supposed to give you a total of 64 shingles, they do that the best they can by dividing it into three bundles.

Some shingle brands do this well, while others do not. CertainTeed does a good job, but they’re not perfect or entirely consistent. We scored them at a 4 out of 5 for this test which is pretty good.

Reputation Trend: Scored 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Roofing Insights works with a lot of roofers—we’re not another roofing company. We’re a resource for all of the roofing companies and customers throughout the industry. Because of that, we run into many different roofers, and we can easily get a good idea of the reputation for a specific shingle.

Some shingle companies are loved by roofers because of their longstanding performance and excellence when it comes to manufacturing. Other brands might not have the same clout. CertainTeed has been serving the industry for over 100 years, and many roofers respect their innovation and customer care.

Granule Loss: Scored 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Slippery roofs are nothing to mess around with, and gutters clogged with granules will only cause problems for homeowners. That’s why we find it to be extremely important to include granule loss in our test.

To get an accurate representation of granule loss, we took the shingles, picked them up, and set them down several times to mimic how they might be handled on a job site before being opened. We then measured and weighed the granules that were swept up off the ground from the shingles. The CertainTeed shingles performed well in this test.

Feedback Friendly: Scored 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Feedback is important for making things better, and a roofing shingle manufacturer should understand that. If they don’t, then what’s the point in reviewing their products and offering constructive criticism?

CertainTeed does a good job of listening to their customers and providing them with resources when their products don’t perform the way that they’re supposed to. This can make a huge difference in the way that products are made in the future and how confident you are when you install these products.

Final Score: 4.28/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

And that wraps up our test. Now, none of these shingles got a full 5 out of 5, so a 4.28 is a great score when compared to the best score being just 4.55 of 5. Certainteed’s Landmark shingles are a great option for any home, and they can provide superior protection at a great price.

If you enjoyed our review of these shingles, then be sure to check out our blog. We regularly review different materials, tools, and products that can help make your roofing company better and more efficient.

Reach out to us with any questions or comments you have! We love hearing from roofers and homeowners alike.