A Close Look At Owens Corning Duration Shingles (2022 Review)

Owens Corning has been producing building materials for decades. While the company’s roots reach back to the 1800s, they didn’t start producing building materials until the late 1920s and 1930s.

Today they have established their brand as one of the premier asphalt shingle manufacturers and several other building materials. Owens Corning is a name that homeowners trust, and for good reason.

In this year‘s shingle comparison and review, the Roofing Insights team put the Owens Corning Duration Shingles to the test.

This post will break down our video and the information specific to the Owens Corning Duration shingles.

What’s in the Shingle Test?

Our shingle test seeks to showcase different factors that make a good shingle and tries to replicate some of the experiences that roofers have when installing and working with shingles on homes.

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

Every roofer has a different opinion on which of these tests is most important and offers the clearest value. But, after extensive testing and conversations with roofers around the country, we feel confident that our tests give a clear understanding of how well shingles are manufactured and how well they will hold up on a roof.

Each of the test scores you see below is on a 1 to 5 basis, with 5 being the best and 1 being the worst.

Packaging: Scored 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As we’re performing these tests, we start with the obvious things and work towards the final installation. Packaging makes more of an impact on a product than you might think. Without good packaging, shingles can become damaged before they even make it up on your roof.

Two things we look for when examining the packaging are how well it holds up and how well it protects the shingles from the outside elements. The Duration shingles scored a 4/5 in this test. They have well-built packaging, but the packaging itself is open on the ends, which lets water in that doesn’t dry easily.

Weight: Scored 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Next is weight; and while weight varies greatly between different brands, it dramatically impacts the shingles. A light shingle is easier to carry up and down ladders to the roof, but it also can blow off the roof more easily. We like heavier shingles because they are more durable and provide better protection for the roof.

The Duration shingles score a 4 in this portion of the test, along with many others that we examined. There were only a few shingles that got a 5/5 on weight. Many brands are looking for ways to make their products lighter to save money manufacturing.

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Nailing Zone: Scored 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The nailing zone is one o the most important factors needed to help ensure that a roof is installed correctly. It’s the one guidance given to the manufacturer’s installer on how the product should adhere to the roof. Things we look for with a nailing zone.

• How clear is the nailing zone?
• Is it consistent on all the shingles?
• Does the nailing zone offer the best place to nail?
• Is there anything that prevents nailing correctly?

Some manufacturers will place tar or other shingle features over the nailing zone, and others won’t mark them clearly. However, the Owens Corning Duration shingles are marked clearly and offer an excellent nailing zone for roofers.

Pull Test: Scored 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There are mixed opinions among many roofers on the pull test. This test is designed to resemble how well a shingle will hold in high wind or other abuse. Unfortunately, we can’t simulate high wind, so instead, we use a scale that can show us how much force it takes to pull the shingle off a simulated roof.

Again these shingles performed well and received a perfect score. They’re strong and well-built. The pull test helps show that.

True Coverage: Scored 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

True coverage refers specifically to how well the shingles cover and whether they cover the full amount that they’re meant to. Some shingle manufacturers don’t cover the full amount they’re supposed to within three bundles. So, while some manufacturers have skimped out in this area, other manufacturers ensure that you’re getting consistent and true coverage out of every shingle package.

Owens Corning isn’t at the top of this list, but they’re definitely not at the bottom either. When you choose a shingle brand to work with and install, the brands that provide more coverage will save you money and lead your company to more profitability.

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Consistency: Scored 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Next up, we have consistency. Manufacturers don’t always count every shingle in a bundle, and some companies will come up short on the number of shingles in each bundle. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with this, but it can affect the true coverage and how many roofs you’ll be able to cover with a certain number of bundles.

The Duration shingles received a 4 of 5 on this portion of the test because not every bundle had the same number of shingles.

Reputation Trend: Scored 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Roofing Insights CEO Dimitry Lipinski regularly travels throughout North America to meet and talk with roofers. We also host the annual Roofing Process Conference, where we talk with roofers about building better and stronger businesses.

After talking with roofers and hosting these events, we can get a pretty good feel for what the word on the street is about different brands and how well they treat their customers. When something goes wrong with the roof or the shingles, does the company respond and help or provide a warranty?

Owens Corning has a great reputation, and they’ve been providing excellent customer service to their customers for years. When stuff goes wrong, you can count on Owens Corning to be there for you.

Granule Loss: Scored 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Next up, we have granule loss. If you’re a roofer, then you know how important it is for the shingles to keep their granules intact. Granules that come loose can fill gutters or cause dangerous conditions on the roof during installation. And, fewer granules means that the roof is less likely to last as long as it should.

Well manufactured shingles will hold their granules well with minimal loss. To test how well the shingles held granules, we picked them up and dropped them several times as a whole bundle. The bundles were then opened, and the granules that fell out were swept up and placed on a scale. Our Owens Corning shingles received a perfect score and lost the minimal shingles.

Feedback Friendly: Scored 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Last we cover feedback. This portion of the test isn’t specific to anything that we perform, but our team at Roofing Insights takes to the phones. We call the manufacturers to ask about the shingles and offer our opinion on elements that could use improvement.

Some companies are very responsive and even watch our videos or read our blogs to improve their shingles and learn about their competition. We love to see innovation in this market and look at it highly when the feedback is taken well. No shingle will be perfect, but manufacturers should be striving for perfection.

Final Score: 4.44/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

All the tests combined bring our final score to 4.44 of 5. That’s pretty darn good and nearly a 90% on this roofer-approved shingle test. The Owens Corning Duration Shingles weren’t on the top of the list, but they were just .11 away from being on the top. These shingles are great, and they offer a lot of value, but when you’re choosing a shingle brand, you need to look at more than one review. And you should be consulting more than one source. This video gives a further breakdown of the Duration shingle for those looking to take their research a bit further.

At Roofing Insights we’re looking to help you take your roofing business to the next level. Whether that means growing your business, installing better products, or attending a conference to learn from other roofers, we’ve got you covered.

Connect with our team and reach out to learn more about how we can help you!