If you are on the hunt for new roof shingles, then keep reading, because we’re about to compare two of the most popular shingles brands in the world. Namely, we will take a detailed look at Owens Corning and Atlas both of which are very common, particularly in North America.
Continue reading to see which, if either, is the best brand for you to go with.
Owens Corning Overview
First, we have Owens Corning, which is a fairly old brand. The company was first founded in the 1800s, and it started producing shingles around 1930. To this day, this brand name is one of the largest when it comes to premier asphalt shingles.
Not only does this brand produce premier shingles, but they’re also quite affordable, and there is a decent selection of them. This is what many people like about Owens Corning products, they are of a decent quality and a reasonable price.
They are not the number one most durable or highest quality shingles in the world, but for the prices they come in at, there is nothing to complain about. Since we can’t compare all of the shingles from both brands, we’ll focus on the Duration line of shingles from Owens Corning, as this is one of the most popular models in the lineup.
Atlas Overview
We then have Atlas, which is not nearly as old as Owens Corning. It was founded in 1982 with just a single asphalt shingle manufacturing facility.
However, since then, it has managed to grow into a worldwide distributor of asphalt shingles and other related roofing products, with 36 different production facilities located in North America.
Furthermore, if what you are looking for is a massive selection of roof and wall insulation products, underlayments, shingles, molded products, and more, then this is the brand to go with. Atlas is known for producing decent shingles and other such products at decent prices. It is generally considered a budget brand, but the upside is of course that it won’t cost you a fortune.
Owens Corning vs. Atlas: How Do They Compare?
Now that we know a little bit about both brands, let’s do a side-by-side comparison to figure out what they’re both all about.
Product Lineup
The lineups from both of these brands are fairly similar in terms of numbers. Both brands offer a wide variety of architectural, 3-tab, asphalt shingles, and more. If we look at Atlas, there are seven types of asphalt shingles to choose from, and some metal shingles, with one of the most popular ones being the pinnacle pristine.
We then have Owens Corning, which has a few more shingles to choose from. They have all of the same types, but a couple more to consider. In terms of overall selection, Owens Corning has slightly more to choose from.
Overall Quality
In terms of overall quality, these two brands are somewhat difficult to compare as they are similar in nature. Both are considered somewhat cost-effective brands that produce reasonable products at reasonable prices.
This means that neither brand is particularly highly rated in terms of overall quality, durability, or resistance toward the elements.
These are shingles designed for people who are looking for something affordable that won’t break the bank. When it comes down to it, both brands utilize a variety of technologies and building processes that allows their shingles to be fairly high-quality considering the low prices.
Durability
On that note, if we compare the overall durability of the shingles made by these two manufacturers, they are also somewhat similar, as both manufacturers use somewhat heavy shingles.
These shingles are also made with technologies designed to prevent granule loss, allow for algae resistance, and to allow for great impact resistance.
Both brands also use special production methods to ensure that the shingles stay in place once installed. In general, we’d say that both of these brands are about even in terms of durability.
Wind Rating
Wind ratings are very important to consider because shingles have to be able to withstand high winds. Most of the shingles from both brand names are rated at 130 mph. Both brands also produce a select few shingles that can withstand winds of up to 150 mph. Once again, we think that both brands are relatively even on this front.
Algae Resistance
Both of these brand names use Scotchgard or similar technologies to ensure that algae does not build up on the shingles. As you can probably guess by now, both of these brands are relatively even on most fronts.
Which of these brands is better in terms of algae resistance is questionable. Both brands are said to be decent in this regard, with both the Duration and the Pinnacle Pristine being acceptable.
Energy Efficiency
Both the Atlas Pinnacle Pristine and the Owens Corning Duration are Energy Star certified, so they should save you around 50% in terms of heating and cooling costs.
In fact, most of the shingles from both of these brand names, barring a select few, are Energy Star certified. Once again, both brands are fairly on point in this category.
Fire Rating
The vast majority of the shingles from both brand names have a Class A fire rating, which is the best in the industry.
Warranty
All Atlas products, at least the vast majority of them, feature limited lifetime warranties, and the same is true for Owens Corning. There are some caveats with both, although Atlas seems to have slightly better warranties.
Price
For Atlas shingles, expect to pay anywhere between $2.20 and $3.25 per square foot, with Owens Corning shingles costing anywhere between $2 and $4 per square foot.
Owens Corning vs. Atlas: Which Offers Better Roofing Shingles?
When it comes down to it, the differences between these two brand names in terms of durability, quality, price, and everything else are absolutely minimal. Both are fairly equal on all fronts and what it really comes down to are the styles that you prefer.
With both manufacturers having a wide selection of shingles to choose from, you should generally just go with the one you prefer design-wise, be it Owens Corning or Atlas.
How Do Owens Corning and Atlas Compare with Other Shingles Brands?
See how Owens Corning compares with: CertainTeed | GAF | IKO | Malarkey | TAMKO
See how Atlas compares with: CertainTeed |GAF | Malarkey | TAMKO