IKO Dynasty Shingles Review (Pros & Cons)

IKO is a name that has long dominated shingle manufacturing, and one that we’ve come to know and trust. As a roofer, it’s important that you do some research and find a company that you can trust to provide you with consistent and quality shingles.

This year when we completed our annual Best Shingles Guide, the IKO Dynasty shingles were put to the test along with a number of other top brands. And we liked what we saw from these shingles. Today we’re going to be breaking it all down so that you can see for yourself what the IKO Dynasty shingles are made of.

What’s in the Shingle Test?

Every year, our Roofing Insights team gets together with some reputable roofers from across the country to perform a simple test that will help tell us what shingles are good and which ones could improve and get better. These are the criteria that we test the roofs on:

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

Some of these factors might mean more to you than others, but we’ve found that each one of them is very important when it comes to getting a good understanding of a roofing shingle and its ability to stand up in the market.

We’ll be breaking down how the IKO Dynasty shingle performed within this test based on a scale of 1 (being the worst possible) and 5 (the best possible).

Packaging: Scored 3

Off the bat, we have packaging durability and appearance. The downside that you’ll find in the IKO shingles packaging is that the packages are open on the end. This is supposed to let water out of the shingles, but instead, it often lets water in, and then it gets trapped and stays inside the packaging. The brands that did best on this test had packages that were fully closed off from the elements.

Weight: Scored 5

Shingle weight is very important to roofing contractors. If shingles are too light, they could blow off your roof easily and not adhere properly. IKO had some of the best performing shingles when it came to weight and consistency of weight. You can trust that these shingles are going to stay up on your roof.

Nailing Zone: Scored 5

The Dynasty shingles scored an impressive 5 when it came to the nailing zone as well. This should be really important to you as a roofer. While yes, it is the installer’s job to make sure that the nails end up in the right spot and that they attach the shingles correctly, some shingles make that easier than others. The Dynasty shingles have a wide nailing zone and very clear instructions on where the nails are supposed to be located on the shingles.

Pull Test: Scored 5

Not every roofer will agree that the pull test is a fair test. But we think that it’s still worth performing. The pull test is supposed to simulate what wind would do to shingles and to show how strong the shingles are when they’re subjected to a lot of force pulling right on them. The IKO Dynasty shingles nearly led the group in this test and offered outstanding strength.

True Coverage: Scored 5

True coverage is very important if you want to save money and get the most out of each and every one of your shingle bundles. Some shingles just aren’t the same size as others, and you won’t be able to cover as much surface area as you would with a different shingle. Dynasty shingles offer a lot of coverage per bundle and will help you save money by allowing you to complete your next roofing job with fewer shingle bundles.

Consistency: Scored 5

Shingle manufacturers have been struggling since the beginning to make each and every bundle consistent. Some manufacturers still struggle to have a consistent number of shingles within each bundle. This is extremely unfortunate because it means that you’re not always getting what you paid for. IKO has it figured out for their Dynasty shingles. They offer great consistency and we gave them a 5 for this test.

Reputation Trend: Scored 5

At Roofing Insights we travel throughout the United States to talk with roofers about the trends they see in the industry, the products that they trust, and the products that they don’t trust. If there’s a product out there that everyone loves or doesn’t love then we know about it. The IKO Dynasty shingles have a great reputation among roofers as a renowned shingle that performs extremely well. Even among the roofers at our test, this shingle was given a gold star!

Granule Loss: Scored 4

Lost granules pose a problem for roofers and a safety hazard. If too many granules fall off your shingles while you’re installing them they won’t hold up as well over time. The Dynasty shingles received a poor rating of just 1 last year but they took note and have dramatically improved their score to 4 this year. Granules are supposed to stay on the shingles, we look forward to seeing how IKO continues to improve on this score.

Feedback Friendly: Scored 4

As a roofing contractor, you might have a different opinion about how well IKO takes feedback about their Dynasty shingles. But we found that they’re responsive and willing to help when you have problems with the shingles that they produce. We don’t like to include shingles in our tests if the manufacturer isn’t willing to support their product. It’s important that you’re able to get a hold of the manufacturer, ask questions, and get help when there are problems with the product.

After all of these tests, the IKO Dynasty shingles were at the very top of our list with a score of 4.55 out of 5. These shingles offer many benefits and are only tied with one other shingle, the Atlas Pinnacle Pristine. If you’re looking for high-end quality and a great all-around shingle, Dynasty might be the right choice for you.

Be sure to check out our other reviews to learn more about trends throughout the roofing industry and how you can continue to grow your business and provide excellent service to your customers.