Atlas Pinnacle Pristine Shingles: An Honest Review For 2022

Installing the best possible shingles on your home is important not only for your home’s integrity but also for the lifespan of the roof. Good shingles will last longer, perform better, and provide you with a better experience overall.

Every year our Roofing Insights team gets together to compare some of the leading shingle brands. The shingles each receive a rating through their performance in different categories, including durability testing and manufacturing quality.

Today we’re going to be reviewing the Atlas Pinnacle Pristine shingles and their results in the performed tests. Watch the full video below and read on for more details specific to these Atlas shingles.

For more material reviews, check out our blog.

What’s Included in the Shingle Test?

When performing this test, it’s important to our team that we cover all of the bases. Packaging, coverage, and consistency in manufacturing matter and our roofer-approved tests help deduce which brands are doing it right. 

• Packaging
• Weight
• Nailing zone
• Pull test
• True coverage
• Consistency
• Reputation trend
• Granule loss
• Feedback friendly

Some of these factors might carry more weight than others, depending on the brand and its positioning in the market. However, a good shingle should score well in most if not all of these categories at the end of the day.

At the end of the post, we’ll give our honest opinion and final score for the Atlas Pinnacle shingles.

The scores used throughout the video and this post are ranked 1 through 5, with 1 being the worst and 5 being the best possible.

Packaging: Scored 4/5

When inspecting the packaging of the shingles in our test we’re looking for a couple of things. One, that the packaging is in good condition and holding up against the rain, snow, and wear and tear of shipment. And two, that the packaging protects the shingles and keeps them dry.

The Atlas shingles scored a healthy 4 in this test. It was only missing a 5 because the packaging would let in some water from rain.

Weight: Scored 5/5

Most of the shingles in our test were tied with a score of 4.5 for weight. While we’re mainly looking to see how well a shingle will hold up against storms and harsh weather, weight is one of the most important factors to help determine how well it will hold up.

Additionally, we want to see how consistent one shingle is with the next when it comes to their weight. Most would say that heavier doesn’t always mean better, but in our experience, we think that weight can make a big impact on the durability of the shingles.

Nailed Zoned: Scored 4/5

A successful installation can only be achieved if your roofing crew is confident in where they’re supposed to nail those shingles. A small, inconsistent, or hard-to-find nailing zone can cause setbacks or poor installation.

Nonetheless, every roofer has a different opinion of what a good nailing zone really is. The Atlas Pinnacle shingles were near the top of the list with a score of 4.33. Another factor that affected the rating of different shingles was the instructions for installation that are usually found on the package. If they were easy to understand and read the shingles got a better score.

Pull Test: Scored 5/5

It’s hard to simulate wind damage and what it would be like if your roof was to get caught right in the middle of a huge storm. We know that the pull test is controversial, and many roofers would argue that this test can be very inaccurate and difficult to judge. We leave it in our test because there’s still some value in judging the strength of the shingle when they’re pulled on.

Among some of the top performers, the Atlas shingles held up extremely well and were one of only three different shingles with a score of 5. That means you’re at least getting a strong and durable shingle.

True Coverage: Scored 5/5

True coverage can be a little bit difficult to understand, but in general, we’re referring to shingles that are made to cover more surface area per bundle. Even just a few inches makes a huge difference when you’re roofing 100s of roofs per year. You’ll use fewer bundles and save money while still providing the customer with a high-quality roof.

The Atlas Pinnacle shingles were one of the shingle brands that scored very high in this test because they were manufactured to provide great coverage over the roof’s entire surface. Choosing the Atlas brand will save you money in the long run and provide you with a better roofing experience.

Consistency: Scored 4/5

Another controversial category of our test is consistency. Some manufacturers are really good at this, and others don’t pay much attention to how many shingles come in a bundle. But, when you’re roofing every day all the time, you might want to start watching this because it’s one way that you could pay for more shingles than you actually receive.

Some of the other brands in this test have gotten their manufacturing down and do a great job providing a consistent number of shingles in every bundle. While Atlas was one of the better shingle brands that we tested, they didn’t receive a 5.

Reputation Trend: Scored 5/5

There’s some controversy around reputation trends as well. While some people might love a shingle brand, others might not. So for this test, we took from Dmitry’s travels and all the time that he spends interacting with different roofers throughout the United States. The Roofing School also brings a lot of different roofers together, and sometimes we poll our Roofing Conferences for their opinions on shingles.

Atlas Pinnacle Pristine is known throughout the industry as a truly pristine choice that provides great protection for roofs and offers roofers some of the best manufacturing and customer experiences. This score was definitely earned through years of improvements and hard work by this shingle brand.

Granule Loss: Scored 4/5

Second to last, we have granule loss. This test is really specific and addresses something that often drives roofing companies and homeowners crazy. Granule loss is the annoying and frustrating part of roofing that often takes place throughout the life of a shingle but can get a head start while the shingles are being installed.

For this test, we took the shingles and dropped them several times, then measured the weight of the granules that fell off when we opened the package. The Atlas shingles performed well with a rating of 4, but they didn’t perform the best, and there is still some room for improvement.

Feedback Friendly: Scored 5/5

And finally, the last category on our list, Feedback Friendly. Now, many roofers might say that this category is less than important. There’s a lot that goes into producing and manufacturing shingles, but why do you need the roofing company to be available for feedback?

When something goes wrong with the shingles or when we produce one of these shingle review videos, we want to be able to help the manufacturer improve their product. This helps the industry overall and also helps us know that they’re serious about providing a high-quality product. Atlas is great about feedback, and they’re always trying to provide their customers with a better product.

Final Overall Score: 4.55/5

When you add up each of the tests, you’ll get the final score that the Atlas Pinnacle Pristine shingles received. 4.55 of 5 is an impressive score that proves these shingles are in it to win it—tied with the IKO Dynasty shingles for one of the highest scores our tests have ever received.

All of the shingles we reviewed proved to be at or above average, but if you’re looking for a top-of-the-line, great shingle, the Atlas Pinnacle Pristine is a good choice. We’ve been really happy with how they perform year after year.

If you want to learn more about Roofing Insights, check out our Roofing Business School, the annual Roofing Process Conference or any of the other offerings that we provide for our customers. Contact us today if there’s anything else we can provide for you!