CertainTeed Landmark Shingles vs. TAMKO Heritage Shingles

Trying to choose a shingle for your upcoming roof replacement? Are you deciding between CertainTeed’s Landmark shingle and TAMKO’s Heritage shingle?

CertainTeed and TAMKO are both recognized as top shingle manufacturers in the United States. So, it’s not surprising that you’re considering one or the other.

Well, there’s a lot of opinions in the roofing industry when it comes to comparing brands and specific shingles. And trust me, most roofers have a preferred brand they like for a variety of reasons.

Even though I have my own opinion, you have to make the best decision for you. That’s why it’s important to get all the facts about CertainTeed’s Landmark shingle and TAMKO’s Heritage shingle before being pushed in one direction or the other.

For over 35 years, Bill Ragan Roofing has helped homeowners save time with their research by providing transparent information. So, let’s break down both types of shingles and compare them on things that matter the most to homeowners.

In this article, you’ll learn:

• What are CertainTeed Landmark shingles?
• What are TAMKO Heritage shingles?
• CertainTeed Landmark shingles vs. TAMKO Heritage shingles
• Are Landmark shingles or TAMKO Heritage shingles better?

What are CertainTeed Landmark shingles?

CertainTeed’s Landmark® shingle is an architectural shingle with a multi-layered design on a tough fiberglass base and protective outer layer. They come with CertainTeed’s StreakFighter® algae resistance against black streaks caused by algae growth.

(Photo courtesy of CertainTeed.com) 

On top of algae resistance, CertainTeed’s Landmark asphalt shingles also offer:

• 21 color options (availability varies by location)
• Class 3 Impact-Resistance Rating
• Tear resistance
• Class A Fire-Resistance Rating (highest rating available)
• Class F Wind-Resistance (110 mph)

Landmark shingles come with CertainTeed's lifetime-limited warranty, but they also come with specific warranties to back up the performance features.

These warranties include:

• 10-year SureStart™ warranty (covers 100% replacement and labor costs due to manufacturing defects)
• 25-year StreakFighter® warranty against streaking and discoloration caused by airborne algae
• 15-year, 110 mph wind-resistance warranty (upgradable to 160 mph)

CertainTeed’s Landmark asphalt shingle line is a high-quality and reliable choice for residential roof replacement. However, their affordability is a big reason Landmark shingles are incredibly popular.

What are TAMKO Heritage shingles?

TAMKO Heritage® shingles are an architectural shingle built to deliver beauty and built for durability. Made with their proprietary TriShield™ technology, the shingles have a three piece system engineered for durability and long-lasting color retention.

(Photo courtesy of TAMKO.com)

On top of the TriShield™ technology, TAMKO Heritage shingles also offer:

• 6 color options (availability varies by location)
• Class A Fire-Resistance Rating (highest rating available)
• Class F Wind-Resistance (110 mph)

TAMKO Heritage shingles come with a lifetime-limited warranty, but they also come with specific warranties to back up the performance features.

These warranties include:

• 10-year FULL START® warranty (covers 100% replacement and labor costs due to manufacturing defects)
• 10-year Algae Cleaning Limited warranty against streaking and discoloration caused by airborne algae
• 15-year, 110 mph wind-resistance warranty (upgradable to 130 mph)

TAMKO Heritage® shingles strive to deliver uncompromising performance that homeowners can trust. And with the APEX Color technology and proprietary blending method, the colors are crafted to stand out.

CertainTeed Landmark shingles vs. TAMKO Heritage shingles

Now you know the key differences between CertainTeed Landmark and TAMKO Heritage shingles. However, let's dig deeper into the things that matter the most for homeowners.

Let's compare Landmark and TAMKO Heritage shingles on:

• Warranties
• Durability
• Colors
• Cost

Warranties

CertainTeed and TAMKO provide a variety of warranties for all their shingles. Both manufacturers offer a come with basic a lifetime-limited transferable warranty, but they also offer others on algae resistance and wind warranties.

The table below compares these warranties for Landmark and Heritage shingles:

Key takeaway: Landmark and Heritage shingles pretty much come with warranties that cover the same things. However, TAMKO’s aren’t nearly as comprehensive or long as CertainTeed’s.

Durability

Landmark shingles have the Class 3 rating, which makes them durable. On top of this, Landmark shingles are the heavier and thicker shingle.

Well, TAMKO Heritage shingles don’t have an impact rating. So, CertainTeed Landmark shingles are the much more durable shingle.

Key takeaway: CertainTeed Landmark shingles have a class 3 impact rating, which means they offer more durability and protection compared to TAMKO Heritage shingles. Also, TAMKO has had many more manufacturer recalls and defective shingle batches than CertainTeed.

Colors

Color selection is always in the eye of the beholder and greatly varies based on the specific home's style. When it comes to numbers, Landmark has 21 options while TAMKO Heritage only has 6 color options.

Landmark has a very large color selection compared to Heritage, but they don't have the dramatic color contrast. However, the availability of colors heavily depends on your area and what suppliers have in stock.

Key Takeaway: When it comes to colors, CertainTeed Landmark has many more options compared to TAMKO Heritage shingles.

Cost

TAMKO Heritage shingles are considered “builder’s grade”, which means they are meant to be mass produced and budget friendly for contractors on new home builds.

So, Heritage shingles are cheaper than CertainTeed Landmark shingles. However, you won't find a better option than Landmark shingles when it comes to the price and quality balance.

Key takeaway: TAMKO Heritage shingles are cheaper than CertainTeed Landmark shingles. However, the slight increase in price is worth it for the perks that Landmark shingles offer.

Are Landmark shingles or TAMKO Heritage shingles better?

My subjective opinion is that CertainTeed Landmark shingles are much better than TAMKO Heritage shingles. Mainly for the increased durability, more color selections, and longer warranties.

However, it’s also because of the simple fact the TAMKO Heritage shingles are a builder’s grade material. On top of this, TAMKO has gone through many recalls in the past for defective materials.

Keep in mind that this is simply my opinion based on working in the roofing industry for 35-plus years and using different shingle brands. Every roofing contractor has a preferred brand they like to use for various reasons.

When this happens, take the roofing contractor’s recommendation, ask questions, get the facts, look at alternatives if needed, and then make the right decision for you.

Is the shingle brand or roofing contractor more important?

Now you know that I consider CertainTeed Landmark shingles to be better than TAMKO Heritage shingles. That isn’t to say that Heritage shingles or TAMKO are bad.

But CertainTeed’s products have not let me down for the 35-plus years we’ve been in business, and their warranty department is great. After reading this article, you should feel confident about deciding if Landmark or Duration shingles are right for you.

However, both these shingles can only perform as well as their installation. You can buy the best and most expensive shingle, but it’ll mean nothing without a good roofing contractor.

So, which should you care about more when making a decision: the shingle brand or the roofing contractor? To help you even further, I wrote another article answering this question.

Check out Shingle Brand vs. Roofing Contractor to learn which one should be more important when going through the decision-making process.