How to choose roofing shingles

Find a shingle for your home that fits your budget while providing you with beauty and durability.



Consider your needs and preferences

The best roofing shingles for your home will meet your budget, provide the durability your roof
needs, and create the curb appeal you want.


Your budget

Your roof may be one of the largest investments you make in your home, and with so many types and styles, you can find shingles that fit a range of budgets.

Great value
 Timberline® Shingles is North America’s #1-selling shingle for a reason. You can enjoy the modern architectural style and dependable performance at a practical price.

Most economical
GAF 3-tab shingles come in a variety of colors adding beauty and protection

Durability

All GAF shingles are designed to help protect your home from the elements.

GAF Advanced Protection Shingles

Our most popular Timberline® Shingles feature proprietary GAF Dura Grip™ adhesive that seals each shingle tightly and reduces the risk of shingle blow-off, with a warranty to withstand winds up to 130 mph. Timberline® Shingles have also earned the highest roof fire rating — UL Class A, Listed to ANSI/UL 790.

If wind is a significant part of your area’s weather patterns, our most popular Timberline® Shingles offer all-around durability and performance.  And now, Timberline® Shingles with LayerLock™ Technology may qualify for WindProven™ Limited Wind Warranty, the industry’s first wind warranty with no maximum speed limitation when installed with the required combination of GAF accessories.1

Concerned about hail? Impact-resistant shingles like Grand Sequoia® AS and Timberline® AS II may be good options if your area is impacted by significant hail storms. They have rubber-like flexibility, allowing them to recover from impact.

If heavy sun exposure and energy efficiency are concerns in your area, check out our ENERGY STAR®-certified GAF Timberline Cool Series Shingles. The highly reflective shingles of these cool roofs can help reduce temperatures in your attic and keep your house cooler.

If you are in a region with high moisture and plagued by blue-green algae discoloration, consider Timberline UHD™ shingles with StainGuard Plus®.

North America's # 1-Selling Shingle Just Got Better

Great Value
Peak Performance
Dimensional Look
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Curb appeal

Roofs are a key and often-underestimated part of a home’s look. They can represent up to 40% of curb appeal, so it’s important to consider style and color.

Style
Our shingles fit with both current and historical home designs. Looking for a roof that works well with your home and complements what’s in your community? Start by looking at similar homes in your neighborhood and take note of their roofing shingles. Contractors can help you identify the products.

Find the match for your home by sorting shingles by architectural style. Here are a few examples:
For ranch style homes that feature a low roof line with a rectangular or L-shape, work well with many shingle styles. We recommend a versatile wood shake appearance with Timberline® HDZ™ Shingles.
Modern or contemporary homes with clean roof lines, an irregularly shaped frame, and simplistic form and design match well with a slate look using Slateline™ or Camelot® II Shingles.
For victorian homes, our Woodland® Shingles provide the look of Hand-Cut European Shingles.
Mountain homes with a rugged wood-shake look can be enhanced with Grand Sequoia Shingles.
Color 
GAF shingles come in a range of colors. Consider a color that complements your house or neighborhood. Neutrals are always safe — and enduring — if you don’t have a preference. Or, start with our most popular shades: Weathered Wood, Charcoal, Pewter Gray, Barkwood, and Shakewood, and be sure to try the color on with our Virtual Remodeler.

Ongoing Protection
Using GAF high-quality shingles is the first part of protecting your roofing investment. GAF offers a variety of warranties so you can choose the right level of coverage for your project, plus workmanship coverage is available through GAF Master Elite Roofing Contractors.

Important Tip: Regardless of where you live, check local ordinances and codes, especially if you belong to a Home Owner Association (HOA), to find out if homes in your area are required to use certain types of roofing materials. Your local roofer may also be a good resource on this topic.

What will my roof look like?

Use one of our preselected homes or upload a picture of your own home to view shingle styles and colors on your house, and find the perfect roof for you.
Virtual Remodeler

Have a flat roof with no shingles?

It is common for homes in urban areas or arid regions to have flat or “low-slope” roofs. GAF offers a full line of roofing solutions for all roof types. Connect with your local GAF certified contractor to discuss your specific repair or replacement needs.
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Types of Asphalt Shingles

Asphalt are the most popular shingles in the U.S. because they’re affordable to buy, install, and maintain. They are made from a sturdy fiberglass base, coated with waterproof asphalt and tiny granules of ceramic-coated mineral. 

The asphalt shingles you look at will fall into one of three main categories: 3-tab, architectural, and designer shingles. While these types mostly differ in look, some may offer better durability as well.

Show your dimension with an architectural shingle
An architectural shingle, also known as “dimensional” or “laminate” shingle are manufactured with multiple layers of asphalt fused on top of each other. The result is a richer, multidimensional quality that looks a bit like wood or slate roofing. Timberline was actually the first laminate shingle, invented in 1967.

 

Choose your shingle

Style yourself home with a designer shingle
A designer shingle, often called a “premium” or “luxury” shingle typically offers highest-end multidimensional designs, premium protection from weathering, and maximum energy efficiency. Designer shingles take on the most realistic look of old-world roofing materials.

 

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Start your American dream with a 3-tab shingle
A 3-tab shingle is the simplest type of roofing shingle. Sometimes called “strip” shingle, they’re built from a single layer of asphalt, which makes them lie flat right against the roof.

 

Choose your shingle

Find a GAF Factory-Certified Contractor

At GAF, we train and test thousands of the best roofers in the country and make sure they're appropriately licensed and insured so they can offer our best warranties.

Find a contractor
*15-year WindProven™ limited wind warranty on Timberline® HDZ™ Shingles requires the use of GAF starter strips, roof deck protection, ridge cap shingles, and leak barrier or attic ventilation. See GAF Roofing System Limited Warranty for complete coverage and restrictions. Visit gaf.com/LRS for qualifying GAF products.

**StainGuard Plus™ Time-Release technology and 25-year ltd. warranty against blue-green algae discoloration available only on Timberline Ultra HD® shingles sold in packages bearing the StainGuard Plus™ logo. Does not apply to Timberline Ultra HD® Reflector Series™ Shingles. See GAF Shingle & Accessory Ltd. Warranty for complete coverage and restrictions.