CertainTeed Listens to Roofing Contractors and Gives them a Wider Nailing Area.

Business Editors

VALLEY FORGE, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 29, 2003

Responding to the requests of thousands of professional roofing contractors, CertainTeed launches the new Landmark(TM) - WideTrack QB(TM), taking the company's highly popular Landmark Series laminated shingle

A typical laminated shingle has a nailing area of 1/2"- 3/4", a space many contractors complain is too narrow, which can lead to application problems. The nailing area on Landmark - WideTrack QB is 1 1/2", making it easier for contractors to apply shingles correctly and avoid misapplied fasteners, potentially reducing callbacks and improving homeowner satisfaction.

Introduced on a regional basis in the Southeastern United States in February 2003, WideTrack QB has been received enthusiastically and is growing in popularity. "We've been using WideTrack QB since it first came out and we're really enjoying it," says Jerry Fowler Jr., Vice President of B & F Roofing Company of Greenville, South Carolina. "WideTrack QB is so much more forgiving than most shingles - the wide nailing area is a real advantage. We are no longer experiencing a problem with shingle slides."

For 20 years CertainTeed has been hosting roundtable meetings with contractors throughout the United States to gain their feedback and insight into ways of improving products, warranties, and business development programs. "We take great pride in listening to professional contractors and responding to their concerns," says Jay Butch, Contractor Programs Manager, CertainTeed's Roofing Products Group. "The narrow nailing area on laminated shingles has by far been the hottest topic among this group in recent years. I'm glad we could be the first nationwide roofing company to solve this problem."

"Most manufacturers are not giving shingles enough nail line to work with," says Clint Dunn, Manager Dave Dunn Contractors of Salisbury, Maryland. The wider nailing area on WideTrack QB is definitely a big plus for applicators. It is truly a roofer friendly product."

In addition to its wider nailing area, WideTrack QB features specially formulated Quadra-Bond adhesive for extra strength and durability to hold the two-piece laminated shingle together. WideTrack QB also features sealant strips on the back of each shingle. This eliminates any chance of nail guns gumming up from sealant that used to be applied on the front of the shingle, on or near the nailing line.

Landmark-WideTrack QB is currently available in most areas of the United States. For more information contact CertainTeed at 1-800-233-8990 or go to www.certainteed.com.

CertainTeed Corporation is a leading North American manufacturer of building materials including roofing, siding, insulation, windows and patio doors, ventilation, fence, decking, railing, foundations and pipe. The company is headquartered in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, and has approximately 7,000 employees and more than 40 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States. The company had sales of approximately $2.5 billion in 2002. www.certainteed.com