I've installed quite a few squares of elk timberlines and what I like about them is, that compared to a three tab shingle, the elks have a better adhesion strip at the leading edge of the shingle that keeps them down in high winds. They are also heavier than three tabs. I cant speak for owens corning architectuals. I dont think you can go by mfgr's claims concerning longevity, in this case 30 years, as it is dependent on location and the weather extremes. The main concern is that you have a reputable installer that will do a competent install concerning underlayments, flashings, as well as the shingles themselves and will warrant their install in writing coinciding with the mfgr's warranty on the shingles.

Did you ever get a response? What did you decide to go with? We installed GAF HD Timberline Barkwood shingles on our roof, but we haven't moved in yet, so no way to review. I love that color but we don't know about the color choices you were choosing from. I wonder if I should've gone with OC, if it's a better quality product.

Hope you caught these persnickitydesign posts: "It was pretty much a full time job (plus overtime) and it still took a year and a half for me to get everything purchased & everyone lined up. ...One of my oldest & dearest friends' DH owns the HVAC company. He did our house at cost. Another owns the company that did our fireplace and garage doors. He also worked at the lumber yard for years and gave us the names of many of the subs that we ended up using. ...our friends came by to help us out and worked for free" "Our permits were $433. We're on county water & sewer and did have to pay a tap-in fee of $1067. There were no charges for the gas and power." "We are fortunate enough to live in an area where the cost of living (and cost to build) is extremely low. Plan prices are not mentioned. Also, keep in mind the year of the build--2008. There was a wee bit of a recession going on then, centred on the collapsing housing market. Trades were desperate for work, suppliers for customers. I had the fortune to build in earlier declines. With cash in hand, you were like a god.Now, not so much.

If you paste the photobucket html code in your post, your pics will appear and you'll get more action! You can click on the "edit" link in the body of your message to delete the code that's there now and add the html codes. Click preview to make sure they are there and then post. Darling house, by the way.