Which Shingle Brand Is Right for Your Franklin County Home?

Ask most roofers which shingle brand you should install and you'll get one answer, because most roofers only carry one brand. That's not a knock on them; certification with a single manufacturer is how the majority of local roofing companies operate. It just means the recommendation you get is shaped by what's on their truck, not necessarily by what's best for your roof.

CertainTeed, Owens Corning, Malarkey, and GAF collectively account for the large majority of asphalt shingles installed on American homes, and each makes a genuinely good architectural shingle based on our experience here at Emmendorfer Exteriors. The differences that matter for a Franklin County home come down to impact resistance, warranty structure, and how each performs against the specific weather pattern eastern Missouri deals with: spring and summer hail, straight-line wind, and a hard winter freeze-thaw cycle.

The four brands, side by side

Why rubberized asphalt matters here more than in most climates

Malarkey's shingles use SBS, a styrene-butadiene-styrene polymer blended into the asphalt itself, which makes the shingle more flexible and more resistant to cracking as temperatures swing. That property is specifically useful in a climate that puts a roof through repeated freeze-thaw cycles every winter, because a standard asphalt shingle stiffens in cold weather and becomes more prone to cracking under impact, including hail impact. It's also why Malarkey's Highlander and Legacy lines carry Class 4 impact resistance as a standard feature rather than an upgrade tier, which is the detail that matters most if hail is your primary concern.

That doesn't make Malarkey automatically the right choice for every roof. CertainTeed's Landmark Pro and GAF's Timberline HDZ are excellent, widely proven products with strong track records and, in GAF's case, the deepest warranty ceiling in the industry at up to 50 years of non-prorated coverage under its Golden Pledge program. Owens Corning's Duration line has a reputation for color consistency across production batches, which matters if you ever need a small repair years down the road and want the patch to actually match. Each brand made a real engineering choice, and the right one depends on what you're optimizing for.

What actually moves the decision for a Franklin County roof

If hail is your top concern. A Class 4 impact-rated shingle, whether that's Malarkey's Highlander, GAF's Armorshield II, or a Class 4 option from CertainTeed or Owens Corning, is the meaningful upgrade. Class 4 is the highest rating in the UL 2218 impact resistance test, and it's the rating most Missouri insurance carriers recognize with a premium discount. Given eastern Missouri's storm and large hail history, this is where the brand conversation should start for most homeowners here.

If you're matching an existing roof after a partial repair. Color-line consistency and product availability matter more than brand prestige. Owens Corning's broad TruDefinition color range and consistent batches make this easier, but any brand's regional product availability can shift year to year, so the practical answer is whichever brand your contractor can source in the exact shingle and color your existing roof needs.

If you want the longest warranty ceiling on paper. GAF's Golden Pledge, available only through Master Elite certified contractors, offers the longest non-prorated coverage among the four. CertainTeed's SureStart PLUS through a SELECT ShingleMaster contractor is a shorter maximum term but still real, non-prorated materials and labor coverage.

If you're building or replacing on a budget. All four brands make a solid standard architectural shingle in the same general price range, and the gap between flagship products is smaller than most marketing suggests. The bigger cost lever is usually the scope of the job itself: whether it's a full tear-off versus a layover, and whether decking replacement is included. Our roof cost guide breaks down real Franklin County pricing by material.

Why the warranty tier matters more than the brand name

Every one of these manufacturers ties its strongest warranty tier to installation by a specifically certified contractor: GAF Master Elite, CertainTeed SELECT ShingleMaster, Owens Corning Platinum Preferred, and Malarkey's own certified network. That means the brand printed on the shingle wrapper isn't the whole story. A homeowner who gets a CertainTeed roof from a non-certified installer may only qualify for CertainTeed's baseline materials-only warranty, not the SureStart PLUS coverage the brand advertises. The certification is what unlocks the real coverage.

That's the practical reason a single-brand roofer's recommendation is worth questioning, not because their shingle is bad, but because their advice is structurally limited to the one warranty program they can offer at the highest tier.

Frequently asked questions

Is one of these four brands simply the best?

No. Independent comparisons consistently find the performance gap between flagship products from CertainTeed, Owens Corning, Malarkey, and GAF to be small. Each brand made different engineering trade-offs, and the right one depends on your priority: impact resistance, warranty ceiling, color matching, or budget.

What is a Class 4 shingle, and do I need one?

Class 4 is the highest rating under the UL 2218 impact resistance standard, meaning the shingle withstood the largest steel ball drop test without cracking the mat underneath. Given Franklin County's documented hail history, a Class 4 shingle is a reasonable upgrade for most homeowners here, and many carriers offer a premium discount for installing one. Malarkey's Highlander and Legacy lines include Class 4 as standard; GAF, CertainTeed, and Owens Corning offer it as an upgrade tier.

Does the shingle brand affect my insurance premium?

It can. Class 4 impact-rated shingles, regardless of manufacturer, qualify for a discount with many Missouri carriers. Standard architectural shingles without an impact rating typically do not.

Why does a contractor's certification matter if I'm the one choosing the brand?

Because the manufacturer's top-tier, non-prorated warranty is only available through contractors specifically certified by that brand. A GAF Golden Pledge or CertainTeed SureStart PLUS warranty requires a certified installer; without it, you're likely covered under a thinner, prorated standard warranty even if the shingle itself is the same product.

Can I mix brands if I'm only replacing part of my roof?

Not cleanly. Shingle profiles, thicknesses, and colors vary enough between manufacturers that a mixed installation will usually show a visible seam. If you're doing a partial repair or replacement, matching the existing brand and line, or replacing the full roof, is the more honest path, and it's also relevant to Missouri's line-of-sight insurance standards on storm claims.

How do I know which brand my current roof is?

Check your original installation paperwork or warranty registration if you have it. If not, a contractor can usually identify the shingle profile and manufacturer during an inspection, which also confirms what's actually available for a matching repair.

Get a straight recommendation, not a one-brand pitch

Emmendorfer Exteriors is factory-certified across CertainTeed, Owens Corning, Malarkey, and GAF, which means the shingle named on your written estimate is the one that actually fits your roof, your budget, and your insurance situation, not the only one we're able to sell. See our roof replacement page for how we scope every job, or our metal vs. shingle guide if you're weighing materials beyond asphalt. Ready for a real recommendation? Get a free written estimate.