How to Tell if You have CertainTeed Organic Shingles

CertainTeed Corporation, according to their website, manufactures sustainable building products using (whenever possible) post-consumer and post-industrial recycled materials. With so many environmental challenges facing our generation, this Earth-friendly approach can be a great thing! However, one CertainTeed product called Organic Roofing Shingles proved to be defective and is costing the green company a lot of greenbacks in settlement money.

Homeowners who installed the Organic Shingles noticed, within a short five-year period, extensive premature deterioration that included curling, pitting, cracking, and gutters filled with thick muck. Even though CertainTeed typically provided a 25 or 30-year warranty, many homeowners either misplaced paperwork or moved, leaving the next owner with a quickly deteriorating roof. Hundreds of homeowners documented problems with the Organic Shingles and finally sued the company.

The settlement agreement became effective on October 2, 2010. If you have CertainTeed Organic Shingles on your roof, you may be able to file a claim if the shingles are damaged prior to the expiration of the warranty.

According to the CertainTeed Settlement website, the settlement resolves a lawsuit over whether or not Organic Roofing Shingles manufactured by the Defendant, CertainTeed Corporation are defective, and failed to perform as promised when installed on buildings located in the United States and Canada.

These organic asphalt shingles were manufactured between July 1, 1987 and 2005. Any CertainTeed shingle made after 2005 is fiberglass and not part of this lawsuit. Look for these brand names: Hallmark Shangle, Independence Shangle, Horizon Shangle, Custom Sealdon, Custom Sealdon 30, Sealdon 20, Sealdon 25, Hearthstead, Solid Slab, Master Slab, Custom Saf-T-Lok, Saf-T-Lok, and Custom Lok 25.

However, be aware that not all shingles sold under those brand names were CertainTeed Organic Shingles. Some brands (Horizon, Independence, Hallmark, and Hearthstead) sold both organic and fiberglass shingles.

The class action settlement covers all CertainTeed Organic Shingles installed throughout the US and Canada. However, around 94% of them were sold in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Much of the rest was sold in Canada. So unless you live in one of those states, it’s unlikely that you are affected by the lawsuit.

If you think your roof might have the Organic Shingles, there are several ways you can check:

• Check to see if you still have purchase or repair documents (receipts, warranties, bills of sale, etc). They might tell you whether roofers installed the CertainTeed Organic Shingles.
• There might be leftover shingles in storage, with packaging that identifies the shingle brand.
• The company or contractor that installed the roof may know whether they used the organic shingles.
• An experienced roofer like those at New Exteriors may be able to tell by looking at your roof, or the roofer could remove a shingle and send it to CertainTeed for identification. CertainTeed will reimburse up to $50 if the single is determined to be CertainTeed brand.
• If you determine that your roof contains the CertainTeed Organic Shingles, click on the settlement website link http://www.certainteedshinglesettlement.com for more information on filing a claim.