On May 22, 5:24 pm, Dottie wrote:
I live in FL and we are thinking about going ahead and getting a new
roof this year. I've been trying to educate myself about what is out
there - and a friend who lives in Miami is getting a new roof.
She said she was using "three dimensional" because it had stayed on
houses during the 2005 hurricanes. It's more expensive than the three-
tab kind which I read was what most people used.
How much more expensive? Does anyone know? Is GAF and Owens Corning
about the same quality?

I don't know the exact details but what I do know is that the cost of
the shingles is a small expense compared to the overall cost including
labor. IMHO, is almost always makes sense to buy a better shingle
where available and affordable. This can be determined by the
manufacturers warranty.

One of my neighbors is getting a new roof
now and they are going to use something to water-proof the surface
under the shingles in case they blow off and re-nail it with longer
nails that meets the new code. So with the waterproofing is getting
the more expensive shingles overkill?

No, shingles are cheap compared to the overall cost of the job. Don't
try to save a few pennies on the most important component of your
house. If you really need to save the dough then try to find
something less critical to cut.

That is standard advice but the ultimate decision may be determined by
how old you are or how long you plan to stay in the home. Just make
sure you compare the cost of the shingles to the overall cost of the
job before you decide.