The simple reality is that there are many elements that need to be considered when you are building a home. One of the most important is the roof because, after all, that’s what keeps the rain off of your head. This means that you need to have the right kind of shingles for your home. That said, there are dozens of different shingles manufacturers to choose from, and this can make choosing a specific one quite difficult.
For this reason, today we are here to compare two very popular shingles manufacturers in North America, which include TAMKO and Owens Corning. Let’s get to it and compare these two companies side-by-side to see which one you should purchase your shingles from.
TAMKO Overview
First, we have the TAMKO brand name. This is actually one of the newer companies and shingles manufacturers in the North American market. It was founded just in 1994, therefore making it not even 30 years old at this time.
It is however one of the more popular American manufacturers of shingles and various roofing products, particularly in the state of Missouri where it was first founded.
The TAMKO company has many different roofing products and shingles to choose from, with regular asphalt shingles, metal shingles, and more. In fact, shingles are the number one selling type of product that this brand offers in its lineup.
One of the most popular types of shingles in the lineup is the Heritage shingle, which is known for being somewhat affordable, but also decently durable.
What needs to be said is that TAMKO is generally considered to be somewhat of a budget or cost-effective brand. It is not considered to be one of the best brands in the world, and it is certainly not considered very high-end either.
This is a more budget-friendly producer that is ideal for basic homeowners that need something affordable yet decent. Yes, TAMKO does also produce some higher quality and state-of-the-art shingles that are very premium in nature, although they are generally quite expensive considering what they are. Most people would stick to shingles such as the Heritage from this brand.
Owens Corning Overview
We then have the Owens Corning brand name, which is one of the older brands in the roofing industry. This company was first started in the 1800s in America, although it didn’t start making shingles until the 1930s.
However, to this day, Owens Corning is known as being one of the most popular and biggest brands in the world, particularly when it comes to premier asphalt shingles.
This brand has many different products to choose from, both shingles and otherwise, and they are quite affordable too. This is one of the things that people really like about the Owens Corning brand name, that their products come in at very reasonable prices.
For this reason, average homeowners do prefer this brand name over many others, especially people working on a budget.
Keeping all of that in mind, Owens Corning shingles are not known for being the very best in the world. Sure, they are decent and definitely worth looking into, but they’re certainly not very high-end.
Most people would say that Owens Corning is a budget brand that although suitable for basic purposes, may not be ideal for areas that see a lot of strong weather.
Of course, we can’t compare these brand names based on all of their shingles, so we do need to focus on some of the more popular ones.
When it comes to Owens Corning, one of the more popular shingles sold is the Duration. This line of shingles is known for being quite affordable, but also more than good enough to be used in most situations.
TAMKO vs. Owens Corning: How Do They Compare?
Now that you know the basics about both the TAMKO brand and the Owens Corning brand, let’s take a closer look at what sets them apart.
Product Lineup
In terms of the overall product lineup, TAMKO is no slouch. Of course, one of the most popular shingles from this brand name is the Heritage shingle. However, this brand also offers six other types of asphalt shingles, as well as a few types of metal shingles.
Therefore, TAMKO has a fairly decent product lineup, although it’s not huge. Most people do, however, appreciate how all of the products in the lineup are relatively affordable.
Owens Corning also has a fairly decent selection of shingles to choose from. To be specific, the website has six different types of shingles, which include the Duration. Additionally, all of the shingles come in a whole lot of different colors.
One thing that does set these two brands apart is that TAMKO sells metal shingles as well, whereas Owens Corning does not. We could not find any metal shingles, or any other types of shingles besides those six lineups of asphalt shingles, on the Owens Corning website.
Overall Quality
In terms of the overall quality of the shingles from these brand names, if we compare specifically the Heritage and the Duration shingles, they are about on par. Both have relatively similar features and ratings, specifically in terms of algae, fire, and wind resistance, as well as on other fronts. They are both similarly priced as well.
Now, there are of course much higher quality options available from both of these brand names, although they tend to be quite expensive. In the grand scheme of things, the vast majority of the products offered by both of these brands are medium or medium-high in quality, although certainly not the best in the world.
There are some premium brand names that offer much higher quality products, although of course also for much higher prices.
Durability
If we are talking about the overall durability of these shingles, specifically if we compare the TAMKO Heritage to the Owens Corning Duration, it is likely that the TAMKO Heritage is just a little bit better. This is not to say that the Owens Corning Duration shingle is bad, but it does suffer from some granular loss.
Furthermore, based on anecdotal evidence, the TAMKO Heritage lineup seems just a bit better. They resist algae, wind, fire, and more or less everything just a little bit better. In the grand scheme of things, however, both of these shingles seem to be pretty similar.
Wind Rating
When it comes to the wind rating, both the TAMKO Heritage and the Owens Corning Duration feature a wind resistance rating of 130 mph, which is about as good as it gets.
However, simply due to the difference in selection, TAMKO does appear to have more types of shingles that are rated for higher wind speeds than Owens Corning.
Algae Resistance
One of the things that can be said about both of these brand names across the board, but particularly for the Duration and the Heritage shingles, is that they are both quite resistant to algae. Both shingles feature what is said to be best-in-class algae resistance.
On that note, both come with special technologies or coatings that help to repel algae and to stop its growth. Although there are better shingles in the world, on all fronts, the shingles from both Owens Corning and TAMKO should not suffer from much algae buildup.
Energy Efficiency
An important note here is that both of these products are Energy Star certified. This means that they should help you save anywhere between 10 and 25% of your cooling and heating costs on an annual basis.
Both brand names appear to have quite a few different types of shingles that are Energy Star certified, although because TAMKO appears to have the bigger selection, it also has more shingles that fall into this category.
Fire Rating
Both the Owens Corning Duration and the TAMKO Heritage shingles feature Class A fire ratings, which are the highest in the industry.
Warranty
If we are talking about Owens Corning, the vast majority of the shingles from this brand name feature limited lifetime warranties. There are some caveats as always, but in general, these warranties are very good.
When it comes to TAMKO, most of the shingles have a 50-year warranty, as well as some caveats. In the grand scheme of things, these warranties are fairly similar, because let’s face it, shingles aren’t going to last 50 years either way.
Price
What is interesting to note is that across the board, both of these brands are priced fairly similarly. Whether we are talking about the specific shingles we looked at today or the lineup from both brand names in general, you can expect to spend anywhere between $2 and $4 per square foot of shingles.
TAMKO vs. Owens Corning: Which Offers Better Roofing Shingles?
Honestly, both of these brand names are so similar that it’s hard to make a final decision. In the grand scheme of things, TAMKO might be slightly better, but not by much. Both are fine options for basic roofing needs.
As such, you should go with the one that you like more visually and/or the one that is more readily available from an installer near you.
How Do TAMKO and Owens Corning Compare with Other Shingles Brands?
See how TAMKO compares with: Atlas | CertainTeed | GAF | IKO | Malarkey
See how Owens Corning compares with: Atlas | CertainTeed | GAF | IKO | Malarkey