CertainTeed vs Owens Corning

CertainTeed Landmark and Owens Corning Duration are both solid architectural shingles, and either is a good choice with a good installer. They cost about the same, roughly $450 to $750 a square installed, and both carry lifetime limited warranties and high wind ratings. The decision usually comes down to the look you prefer, the roofer you trust and which warranty tier that roofer can offer.

The main differences fall into four areas.

1. Construction. Landmark is the heavier, thicker shingle; Duration relies on a reinforced fabric nailing strip called SureNail.
2. Price. Base Landmark and Duration are within about $10 to $20 a square on materials, with Landmark Pro costing more.
3. Appearance. CertainTeed offers the thicker profiles, including the triple-laminate Landmark TL; Owens Corning offers bold color blends in its Duration Designer series.
4. Warranty. CertainTeed's top tier covers contractor workmanship for 25 years; Owens Corning's top tier extends the non-prorated period to 50 years.

CertainTeed Landmark is the heavier shingle

CertainTeed Landmark is the heavier of the two, and the difference is noticeable when you lift one. CertainTeed's flagship is a dual-layer laminate with a high asphalt content, thick enough to lie flat and resist curling as it ages. Weights vary by product line, so if your deck or framing is borderline, check the spec sheet before anyone places an order.

Owens Corning takes a different approach. Duration, its competitor to Landmark, doesn't depend on mass. Across the middle of each shingle is a strip of non-woven fabric built into the nailing zone, which Owens Corning calls SureNail. When wind pulls on the shingle, the fabric holds the nail head, so the shingle stays in place instead of tearing around the fastener.

A typical CertainTeed shingle contains more asphalt, which gives it a thicker profile and deeper shadow lines. On the roof it looks more three-dimensional, closer to real wood shakes. Duration is slightly slimmer, and some installers find it easier to handle. In cold weather, brand makes little difference; how warm the bundles are and how they were stored matters much more.

Both brands reach 130 mph wind ratings by different routes

Both brands sell shingles rated for 130 mph wind, which matters near the coast and in storm-prone areas, but they reach that rating in different ways. CertainTeed relies on weight plus a heat-activated sealant strip called CertaSeal. As the sun warms the roof, the strip softens and bonds the courses into a continuous surface. With the high-wind nailing pattern, the top CertainTeed lines carry the same 130 mph warranties as competing brands. For scale, the IBHS Roof 101 guide notes that ASTM D3161 Class F, the usual test for architectural shingles, runs at 110 mph.

Many people in the trade consider Duration the wind leader among architectural shingles, largely because of the nailing strip. It gives installers a clear target, so nails land in the right place and pass through the reinforcement, which Owens Corning calls a "triple-layer" nailing zone. That matters because nails driven too high are one of the most common causes of shingle blow-offs.

For hail, both companies make Class 4 impact-rated shingles with SBS-modified asphalt, a rubberized polymer blend that flexes under a hailstone instead of cracking. CertainTeed's are Northgate and ClimateFlex, both heavy, durable shingles. Owens Corning's is Duration FLEX. Expect to pay roughly 15% to 25% more than standard architectural shingles. In hail-prone states some insurers offer a premium discount for them, so ask your agent.

How much do CertainTeed and Owens Corning shingles cost?

Materials run about $90 to $160 a square depending on the line, but prices vary with oil prices and region, so treat these as estimates.

On a 2,500-square-foot roof, CertainTeed shingles alone come to about $2,600 to $4,000, before underlayment, flashing or ridge vents. Duration usually falls between the two Landmark lines, cheaper than Landmark Pro and more expensive than base Landmark. Oakridge is Owens Corning's lowest-cost architectural shingle. A few dollars a square can add up to several hundred dollars across a whole roof.

Labor costs about the same for either brand, though some crews prefer one because it installs more easily. A full replacement with labor, materials, permits and the dumpster usually costs $450 to $750 a square, so a 20-square roof (2,000 square feet) comes to about $9,000 to $15,000. CertainTeed jobs can trend toward the top of that range, since heavier bundles mean more trips up the ladder and slower work on steep pitches.

Both brands pair bold colors with algae protection

CertainTeed's strength is curb appeal. The Landmark line comes in a wide range of "Max Def" colors, high-contrast granule blends that emphasize the staggered edges. Landmark TL, a triple laminate, is one of the thickest shingles available and looks much like slate or heavy shakes from the street.

Owens Corning competes with its Duration Designer series, which includes bold blends such as Summer Harvest and Pacific Wave with deep oranges, blues and purples uncommon on asphalt shingles. Those granules carry StreakGuard, a copper-infused coating that prevents the black streaks caused by cyanobacteria, which most people call algae.

CertainTeed's equivalent is StreakFighter, which also mixes copper-containing granules into the surface. Each rain washes a small amount of copper down the slope and kills algae spores before they take hold. Both brands back their algae protection with a separate limited warranty, usually 10 years or more depending on the line. In the humid Southeast, this feature is worth having.

How do CertainTeed and Owens Corning warranties differ?

The base warranties look similar. Each is a "limited lifetime warranty" covering manufacturing defects for as long as you own the house. The differences are in the terms. Full replacement coverage applies only during an initial period, which CertainTeed calls SureStart. According to CertainTeed's warranty overview, SureStart pays 100 percent of material and labor for three, five or 10 years depending on the product, and it is "not prorated or otherwise reduced" during that window. After that, coverage is prorated and pays less as the roof ages.

Owens Corning's equivalent, TRU PROtection, lasts ten years. The bigger difference is in the certified-contractor tiers.

Only a SELECT ShingleMaster can sell CertainTeed's 5-Star extended warranty, under which CertainTeed covers the contractor's workmanship for 25 years. Owens Corning's Platinum Protection Limited Warranty is sold through Platinum Preferred Contractors. Upgraded warranties from both brands usually cost extra and must be registered after the job; if that step is missed, you may not have the coverage you paid for. The roof warranty guide explains the process.

Most problems come from age, nailing and ventilation

Granule loss is the first sign of aging on any asphalt shingle from either brand. Some shedding in the first year is normal, while heavy shedding years later means the asphalt is becoming brittle. Blistering can affect any brand when moisture is sealed in at the factory or the attic runs hot: the sun heats the trapped moisture, small bubbles form and pop, and the granules wash off.

Large temperature swings cause thermal shock. Repeated expansion and contraction leaves hairline cracks in older shingles of any make. Duration has one specific weak point, and it comes from installation rather than the shingle. Nailing above the fabric strip, known as high nailing, voids the wind rating and causes many storm blow-offs, because the shingle is held only by the sealant and can slide out from under the course above.

Poor ventilation ruins more shingles than any other cause, on both brands. A hot attic bakes the shingles from below until the seal fails, the edges curl and the shingles turn "crunchy" underfoot. Manufacturers can deny a claim when ventilation falls short of code, which is usually one square foot of net free vent area per 150 square feet of attic floor, or 1/300 with balanced intake and exhaust. Make sure your roofer calculates intake and exhaust before work begins.

Questions for your roofer

The crew matters as much as the brand. Some installers are best with heavy shingles and others work by the SureNail line, and a few questions will show which.

1. Which manufacturer certifies you? A CertainTeed-certified roofer can often offer a better warranty on Landmark than on Duration, and the reverse is also true.
2. What underlayment and starter will you use? Mixing brands, such as Owens Corning shingles over CertainTeed underlayment, often forfeits the extended system warranty.
3. How many nails per shingle? In high-wind areas, both brands require six nails per shingle instead of the standard four.
4. What offset will you use between courses? Each brand prints a minimum stagger on the bundle wrapper so water channels don't line up; lined-up channels cause leaks on a new roof.
5. What waste factor did you order? On a complex roof with many hips and valleys, expect 10% to 15%, possibly a little more with heavy CertainTeed bundles that are harder to handle. The roofing calculator gives you a bundle count to compare against their order.

Also note which shingle the crew prefers, since that usually indicates which roof they install best.

Climate and budget point to different brands

In the Northeast and Midwest, where heavy snow and ice dams are common, many homeowners prefer the thick Landmark profile. Ice and water shield at the eaves and a well-ventilated attic, however, do much more against ice damage than the brand name.

In the South and the Great Plains, with tornadoes, straight-line winds and open terrain, Duration tends to be the better choice, because the nailing strip resists uplift in a way weight alone struggles to match. That advantage is greatest on houses in open areas with no trees or neighboring buildings to block the wind.

On a tighter budget, Owens Corning is often the better value, since lighter shingles cost less to ship and install slightly faster. For the most convincing wood-shake appearance, or the heaviest architectural shingle available, Landmark Pro or Landmark TL remains the choice. With proper attic ventilation and a certified installer, either brand will last a long time.

Prices are 2026 US national averages and building codes vary by town. Materials, warranties and code adoptions change, so confirm prices with local contractors and code rules with your building department before you sign anything.