Most contractor sites show you a wall of manufacturer logos. Logos don't tell you which product line you're getting, what separates the good tier from the better one, or what the warranty covers when something goes wrong. This page does. We install across the major manufacturers, so the specification gets matched to your house and your ownership horizon — not to a supply agreement.
All three are excellent manufacturers, and independent comparisons rate their architectural lines nearly equivalent. Where they differ is in the ladder above architectural, in the accessory systems, and in what it takes to unlock their top warranty tier. Full brand-by-brand comparison lives on the roofing page.
CertainTeed is the deepest catalog of the three, and the one homeowners most often ask us to break down. The Landmark family alone runs five tiers, and the names sound close enough to be genuinely confusing at the kitchen table.
| Product line | Type | What sets it apart |
|---|---|---|
| Landmark | Architectural (dual-layer) | The workhorse — the heaviest of the big three's standard architectural shingles, with the widest color range |
| Landmark PRO | Architectural | Thicker and heavier than Landmark, with an upgraded color palette |
| Landmark Premium | Architectural | More high-grade asphalt again — maximum dual-layer protection in the series |
| Landmark TL | Luxury | Triple-laminate; the top of the Landmark series, with real depth of shadow line |
| Landmark ClimateFlex | Impact-resistant | Rubberized polymers formulated to resist hail impact damage |
| Landmark PRO Solaris | Solar-reflective | Reflective granules that shed summer heat load — worth pricing on a dark, sun-beaten roof |
| NorthGate ClimateFlex | SBS-modified | Rubberized asphalt built for cold-weather flexibility and impact resistance |
| Grand Manor | Luxury | Slate look, five layers at the tab — the heaviest shingle CertainTeed makes |
| Belmont | Luxury | Slate-look designer profile at a step below Grand Manor |
| Presidential Shake / Presidential TL | Luxury | Hand-split shake appearance; TL is the triple-laminate version |
| Solstice / SunStyle | Solar roofing | Solar shingles and panels for homeowners folding generation into a re-roof |
| XT 25 | 3-tab | Flat-profile budget shingle — mostly a rental-property and outbuilding choice now |
CertainTeed also builds the rest of the roof: underlayment, ice-and-water barrier, starter course, hip-and-ridge caps, and ridge, intake and soffit ventilation. Specify all of it together and you have what CertainTeed calls an Integrity Roof System — which is the precondition for their extended SureStart PLUS coverage. See certainteed.com/residential-roofing.
| Brand | Architectural line | Above it | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GAF | Timberline HDZ | Timberline UHDZ; designer Camelot II, Grand Sequoia, Woodland, Slateline | LayerLock nailing strip and a wide nailing zone; the market-share leader. UHDZ carries more algae-fighting technology than HDZ |
| Owens Corning | TruDefinition Duration | Duration STORM (Class 4 impact); designer Berkshire, Woodmoor | SureNail reinforced nailing strip — a very forgiving, secure fastening in wind country. Oakridge is the value line below Duration |
Official product references: gaf.com · owenscorning.com/roofing. Metal is the fourth option and doesn't ladder the same way — standing seam runs two to three times the cost of architectural shingles and lasts 40–70 years, which is the whole argument for it.
| Brand | Product lines, entry → premium | Warranty range | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trex | Enhance Basics → Enhance Naturals → Select → Transcend → Transcend Lineage → Signature | 25-yr Enhance · 35-yr Select · 50-yr Transcend, Lineage and Signature | Up to 95% recycled content. Lineage adds heat-mitigating technology — the practical upgrade on a south-facing deck |
| TimberTech | Composite: EDGE Prime → Premier → Terrain → Reserve → Legacy | Advanced PVC: Harvest → Landmark → Vintage | 25–30-yr composite · 50-yr fade & stain plus limited lifetime on Advanced PVC | Advanced PVC has no wood filler at all, which is why it runs cooler and shrugs off moisture. Warranty transfers once, within five years of purchase |
| Fiberon | Good Life → Sanctuary → Concordia | PVC: Promenade | 40-yr Sanctuary · 50-yr stain & fade plus lifetime performance on Concordia and Promenade | The strong value alternative to the big two, with a genuinely competitive top tier |
| Pressure-treated lumber | #2 grade → #1/premium, ground-contact rated | — | Lowest entry cost; budget the stain-or-seal schedule every one to three years alongside it |
Product references: trex.com · timbertech.com warranties · fiberondecking.com warranty. Railing ladders separately — composite to match your boards, powder-coated aluminum for slim sightlines, cable for an unobstructed view. The decks page works through wood-vs-composite cost of ownership in detail.
One caution worth more than any board upgrade: fade-and-stain warranties cover the surface, not the structure underneath. Joist tape and sound framing decide how long the deck lasts, because a 50-year board on a rotting frame lasts exactly as long as the frame.
| Brand | Lines, value → premium | Frame material | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andersen | 100 Series → 200 Series → 400 Series → E-Series → A-Series | Fibrex composite (100); vinyl-clad wood (200/400); aluminum-clad wood (E); fiberglass-clad wood (A) | 400 Series is the long-standing mainstream choice. 100 Series Fibrex is a composite roughly twice as strong as vinyl. A-Series is the best-performing line |
| Pella | 250 Series → 350 Series → Impervia → Lifestyle → Architect → Reserve | Vinyl (250/350); Duracast fiberglass (Impervia); wood (Lifestyle, Architect, Reserve) | Impervia is the fiberglass value story; Architect and Reserve are the fully customizable wood lines for historic work |
| Marvin | Essential → Elevate → Signature (Ultimate, Modern, Coastline) | Ultrex fiberglass (Essential); Ultrex exterior with wood interior (Elevate); wood (Signature Ultimate) | Ultrex barely moves with temperature, so seals stay tight. Signature Ultimate carries the widest range of sizes, shapes and finishes |
| ProVia | Doors: Legacy steel → Heritage, Embarq, Signet fiberglass | Windows: ecoLite → Aspect → Endure → Aeris | Steel and fiberglass doors; vinyl windows | Built to order rather than off a shelf. Signet is the widest door-style selection; Embarq is the high-performance insulated fiberglass door |
| Simonton | ProFinish → Asure → Reflections 5500 → Impressions 9800 | Vinyl | The value-tier vinyl replacement workhorse. Impressions 9800 is essentially an upgraded Reflections — woodgrain interior, more weather-stripping, stronger warranty |
Official references: andersenwindows.com series · pella.com · marvin.com · provia.com · simonton.com.
Which tier is right is usually settled by two numbers rather than by the badge: U-factor at or below 0.30 and SHGC around 0.40 for our mixed climate. The windows & doors page explains both, plus frame-material trade-offs.
| Brand | Product lines | Warranty | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Hardie (fiber cement) | HardiePlank lap, HardiePanel vertical, HardieShingle, HardieTrim, with ColorPlus factory finish | 30-yr non-prorated on siding · 15-yr on HardieTrim · 15-yr on the ColorPlus finish | Fire- and rot-resistant, and the premium resale look in this market. Fastening technique and clearances are strict — installed wrong, the warranty is the first casualty |
| LP SmartSide (engineered wood) | Lap, panel, shakes, trim, fascia and soffit; ExpertFinish prefinished line | 5/50-year prorated limited warranty · ExpertFinish adds 5-yr labor-and-materials and 15-yr finish | Lighter and more forgiving to cut and hang than fiber cement, with real wood texture. ExpertFinish removes the field-painting step |
| CertainTeed (vinyl & polymer) | Mainstreet → Monogram vinyl · CedarBoards insulated · Cedar Impressions and Northwoods polymer shake · CERTAplank composite · Vinyl Carpentry trim · STONEfaçade veneer | Varies by line; the polymer and insulated lines carry the longest terms | Widest color and profile range of the three. Cedar Impressions gives a shake look without a cedar maintenance schedule; CedarBoards adds a real R-value bump |
Official references: jameshardie.com catalog · lpcorp.com/smartside · certainteed.com/siding.
On a basement finish or a garage conversion, the products that decide whether the room is comfortable in February are all buried in the wall. CertainTeed makes most of them: fiberglass batts and rolls, SMARTBATT with an integrated smart vapor retarder for humidity-prone spaces, InsulSafe SP premium blown-in for attics, and AirRenew indoor-air-quality gypsum board. Below-grade walls also want a capillary break and a vapor strategy before any of it goes up — that sequencing is on the basement page.
Reference: certainteed.com insulation.
Every warranty on this page covers one thing: defects in the product itself. Not installation errors. Not flashing leaks. Not storm damage. Those are covered by the contractor's written workmanship warranty and by your homeowner's policy — which is why the workmanship terms deserve the same scrutiny as the brand.
Three things worth knowing before a salesperson quotes you a warranty number:
What we'll tell you at the estimate: which product line we're specifying, what its baseline warranty actually is, and what the upgrade would buy you. If a tier isn't worth the money on your house, we'll say that too.
Roofing: CertainTeed, GAF and Owens Corning shingles, plus standing-seam and panel metal. Decking: Trex, TimberTech/AZEK, Fiberon and pressure-treated lumber. Windows and doors: Andersen, Pella, Marvin, ProVia and Simonton. Siding: James Hardie, LP SmartSide and CertainTeed. We aren't locked to one manufacturer, so the product gets matched to your house, exposure and horizon rather than to a supply agreement.
Same family, progressively more asphalt per shingle. Landmark is the standard dual-layer architectural shingle; PRO is thicker and heavier with an upgraded color range; Premium adds more high-grade asphalt again for maximum dual-layer protection. Above them: Landmark TL, a triple-laminate luxury shingle, and Landmark ClimateFlex, formulated with rubberized polymers to resist hail impact.
A roof where the shingles, underlayment, ice-and-water barrier, starter course, hip-and-ridge caps and ventilation all come from CertainTeed and are installed as one system. Specifying the complete system is what makes a roof eligible for extended SureStart PLUS coverage — which also requires a CertainTeed-credentialed contractor.
For the top tiers, yes. Programs like SureStart PLUS 4-STAR and 5-STAR are sold only through manufacturer credentialing programs, and the credential belongs to the contracting company. Ask to see it in writing — from us or from anyone else — before paying a premium for a tier that depends on it. Baseline manufacturer coverage on the product itself applies to any correct installation.
Installation, and it isn't close. Underlayment, flashing, ventilation and fastening decide how a roof ages; joist protection and framing decide how a deck ages; flashing and clearance details decide how siding ages. A quality mid-tier product installed correctly outlasts a premium product installed poorly, every time.
Physically yes, and it's common on repairs. But enhanced system warranties are the exception — CertainTeed, GAF and Owens Corning all require their own accessory components throughout before their upgraded coverage applies. If the extended warranty is the thing you're buying, the whole assembly has to come from one manufacturer.
Product lines and warranty terms change; the details here were verified against manufacturer sources in September 2026. We'll confirm the current terms for whatever we specify on your estimate.
Tell us the project and we'll come out, look at the house, and put the actual product line, tier, and warranty terms in writing — with the reasoning behind each choice.
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