The Best Roof Shingles for Ohio Weather

Wind and Impact Resistance Come First

Ohio storm season brings straight-line winds and hail, so the two ratings worth understanding are wind resistance and impact resistance. Wind resistance tells you how well the shingle stays sealed and in place when a storm pushes on it. Impact resistance tells you how well it stands up to hail without cracking or bruising.

For most Central Ohio homes, a quality architectural shingle is the practical sweet spot. It is heavier and more durable than the old thin three-tab style, it seals down better against wind, and it holds up to our storms far more gracefully. Thicker, better-anchored shingles are simply harder for a storm to peel or dent.

On a two-story near W 5th Ave and Grandview Ave, we recently installed a wind-rated Owens Corning system that suits the older homes on that block while standing up to Ohio hail and wind.

The Shingle Is Only Part of the System

This is the part cheap bids skip, and it is the part that keeps your roof from leaking. A shingle sits on top of a system, and in Ohio that system has to be built for water and ice. Ice-and-water barrier at the eaves and valleys guards against the ice damming our freeze-thaw winters produce. Quality underlayment adds a second line of defense. Proper flashing seals the vulnerable joints.

When you compare two quotes, you are usually not comparing shingles, you are comparing systems. A premium shingle installed over a skimped system will still leak. A solid shingle installed as a complete, properly detailed system is what actually protects your house. Compare the whole package.

• Architectural shingles rated for wind and impact
• Ice-and-water barrier at eaves and valleys for freeze-thaw
• Quality underlayment as a second water barrier
• Correct flashing at valleys, chimneys, and wall intersections

Ventilation Is the Quiet Deciding Factor

The best shingle in the world will age early on a poorly ventilated roof. Balanced attic ventilation lets heat and moisture escape, which keeps shingles from cooking from below in summer and helps prevent the ice damming that freeze-thaw winters cause. It is one of the most overlooked parts of a roof and one of the most important in this climate.

When we plan a roof, ventilation is part of the design, not an afterthought. Getting the intake and exhaust balanced is how you actually reach the upper end of a shingle’s usable life instead of trading a good shingle away to trapped heat and moisture.

Why We Install Owens Corning

We are an Owens Corning Preferred contractor, and we install Owens Corning systems because the shingles and components hold up well in Ohio and the system is engineered to work together. That last part matters, because a shingle, underlayment, ventilation, and accessories designed as one system protect a roof better than a mix of odds and ends.

We will match the specific product to your home and budget rather than push one line on everyone. What we will not do is quote you warranty terms or numbers we cannot stand behind. When we talk coverage, we talk about it in person and in writing, honestly, so you know exactly what you are getting.

The Best Shingle Is the One Installed Right

Here is the honest bottom line. Two roofers can install the same premium shingle and get very different results, because the difference is in the details, the flashing, the ventilation, the ice-and-water barrier, and the crew doing the work. Our in-house licensed crews install every roof, never unlicensed subcontractors, because that is where a good shingle either earns its keep or gets wasted.

If you want a straight recommendation on the right shingle and system for your Central Ohio home, we will come look and give you one in writing. Call us at (614) 927-8335.