If you are redoing your home, specifically your roof, one of the most important things you’ll need is a solid roof. That said, there are dozens of different shingle brands to consider.
Two very popular brand names that we want to take a look at today are CertainTeed and Atlas. These are both respected brand names, but there are certain differences between the two that you need to be aware of. Let’s figure out what these differences are.
CertainTeed Overview
First, we have the CertainTeed brand name, which is at this time one of the largest and most popular roofing and shingles manufacturers in the USA and Canada, and also one of the oldest.
This company has been in existence since 1904 and currently boasts over 60 different retail and manufacturing locations in Canada and the USA.
As far as asphalt shingles go, CertainTeed is by far one of the most respected brands in the world. On that note, many people also love the CertainTeed brand because the product selection is absolutely massive, with tons of different asphalt shingles available for purchase.
A lot of people also prefer this brand name because the shingles are known for being heavy and large, up to 50% heavier than other shingles, which allows them to be extremely durable.
Therefore, these are some of the most sought-after shingles in the USA and Canada, with the Landmark lineup of shingles being one of the best sellers of this brand.
Regarding residential singles, the Landmark is one of the most popular in the USA and Canada. Keep in mind that CertainTeed as a brand name is relatively expensive and considered to be high-end, so be ready to spend a good deal of money on their products.
Atlas Overview
We then have Atlas, which was founded just in 1982, therefore making it significantly younger than CertainTeed. It was founded with just a single asphalt shingle manufacturing location, but in just a few short years, it grew to have over 36 different facilities across North America, with worldwide product distribution.
What is very impressive about Atlas as a brand is that it produces hundreds of different underlayments, shingles, insulation products, and molded products, most of which are designed specifically for roofing purposes.
One of the biggest selling points of Atlas is that it is known for producing relatively high-quality products that are sold at reasonable prices. This is not to say that Atlas is a high-end brand name or that their products are seen as super durable or high quality, but they are considered to be more than good enough for the low prices that they come in at.
CertainTeed vs. Atlas: How Do They Compare?
Now that we know the basics about these two brand names, let’s take a closer look at what sets them apart from each other.
Product Lineup
First, we have CertainTeed, which features over 14 different types of shingles that you can choose from, and each one comes in a variety of colors. On the other hand, Atlas also has a wide variety of shingles to choose from, seven to be exact.
As you can see, CertainTeed actually has twice as many shingles to choose from, and this includes architectural, 3-tab, specialty, and basic asphalt shingles. CertainTeed just has a far better product selection.
Overall Quality
If we are talking about overall quality, CertainTeed is regarded as being one of the very best shingles producers in the world, with all of its products being very high-quality.
One of the defining features of this brand is that their shingles are known for being about 50% heavier than the rest, which also makes them much more durable.
It is not like Atlas shingles are considered bad per se, especially the Pinnacle Pristine, which is regarded as one of the best shingles from this brand, particularly for the low price that it comes in at. That said, these shingles are just not seen as anything super special.
Durability
As mentioned above, Atlas shingles are rated fairly high considering their low price, especially in terms of granule loss, impact resistance, wind resistance, and overall longevity. However, they really just don’t stand up to CertainTeed shingles, especially those heavyweight contenders which can last for decades to come, and can easily resist heavy impacts, ripping, tearing, wind, and so much more.
Wind Rating
Although CertainTeed has more channels to choose from, most of the shingles from both of these brand names had wind ratings of 130 mph. However, both brands, particularly CertainTeed, also have shingles with higher wind ratings.
Although not a great difference, CertainTeed has the edge here. It is simply the weight of these shingles that makes them so wind-resistant.
Algae Resistance
Both CertainTeed and Atlas feature a variety of technologies that allow for fantastic algae resistance. In fact, these are known as being some of the best brands out there as far as this is concerned.
However, due to the higher quality nature of CertainTeed shingles, it is pretty likely that they resist algae for a bit longer than Atlas shingles. However, you will pay for this added resistance.
Energy Efficiency
Various shingles from the Atlas brand name are Energy Star certified and should allow for a rough 15% reduction in heating and cooling costs.
On the other hand, all of the shingles from the CertainTeed brand name are Energy Star certified and they should all help you save money over the long run. Due to their increased weight and density, they should also have better insulation properties than most other shingles out there.
Fire Rating
All of the shingles from both of these manufacturers feature Class A fire ratings, which is the best in class.
Warranty
Both Atlas and CertainTeed feature limited lifetime warranties, although it appears as though the warranties from CertainTeed are a bit more comprehensive and harder to void.
Price
Shingles from Atlas may cost anywhere between $2.20 and $3.25 per square foot, whereas those from the CertainTeed brand may cost you anywhere between $4 and $8.50 per square foot.
CertainTeed vs. Atlas: Which Offers Better Roof Shingles?
The bottom line here is that CertainTeed offers better shingles than Atlas. Sure, Atlas has some fine products, such as the Pinnacle Pristine, which are perfectly fine considering the low price.
That said, if you want shingles that are going to outlast most others, are super durable, and have great ratings in all categories, and you are willing to pay a higher premium for them, then CertainTeed is absolutely the better brand to consider.
Summary
As you can see, both Atlas and CertainTeed as shingles manufacturers have their advantages and disadvantages. Now that you know what they are, you can make a well-informed decision between them.
How Do CertainTeed and Atlas Compare with Other Shingles Brands?
See how CertainTeed compares with: BP | GAF | IKO | Malarkey | Owens Corning | TAMKO
See how Atlas compares with: GAF | Malarkey | Owens Corning | TAMKO