Caught a news bit about how Owens Corning (and maybe some other brands?) are updating their shingle packaging and labels. Apparently, they're trying to make it more clear which product is which, and there was something about new color coding and bigger print for the specs. I guess it's supposed to help contractors and even DIY folks avoid grabbing the wrong stuff.
Honestly, I get why they're doing it—I've stood in the aisle squinting at bundles more than once, especially if you're in a rush or it's a busy site. But I'm wondering if this is actually going to help, or just make things more confusing for folks used to the old look? Has anybody run into the new packaging yet? Did it make things easier, or just slow you down while you figured it out? Curious what y'all think—especially if you've had to swap out a bunch of shingles mid-project.
But I'm wondering if this is actually going to help, or just make things more confusing for folks used to the old look? Has anybody run into the new packaging yet? Did it make things easier, or just slow you down while you figured it out?
Ran into the new Owens Corning bundles on a job last week. At first glance, I’ll admit it threw me off. We’re used to grabbing the Duration in that old pink and gray, and suddenly there’s bold color bands and bigger numbers staring at me. Took a minute to double-check I wasn’t picking up Oakridge by mistake. The color coding is supposed to help, but if you’ve got muscle memory for the old packaging, it does slow you down at first.
Here’s how it played out for us:
1. First trip to the yard, I had to actually stop and read instead of just grabbing by sight. Not a huge deal, but it did add a couple minutes.
2. Once we got the bundles on site, the bigger print made it easier for the crew to spot which was which from a distance. That part’s a win—less yelling across the roof.
3. Swapping out shingles mid-project, though, was a bit of a pain. We had some old stock mixed in with the new, so we had to pay extra attention to make sure we weren’t mixing colors or lines by accident.
If you’re running a big job or have helpers who don’t know all the brands by heart, I think the new labels will help in the long run. For now, there’s definitely a learning curve. If you’re mid-project and need to swap out bundles, I’d recommend:
- Laying out all your bundles before opening anything, just to confirm you’ve got the right ones.
- Double-checking the product line and color on every bundle, since the new look can blend together if you’re not careful.
- Letting your crew know about the change so nobody grabs the wrong stuff in a hurry.
Overall, I think it’s headed in the right direction, but it’ll take some getting used to. Kind of like when they changed Gatorade bottles and everyone kept grabbing the wrong flavor for a month... you adjust eventually. Just keep an eye out if you’re mixing old and new stock—easy way to end up with mismatched patches if you’re not careful.
I just ran into this too while patching my shed roof. The new packaging definitely made me double-check before opening anything. What worked for me: lay out all the bundles first, then match up the numbers and colors before you start tearing into them. It’s a little slower at first, but after a couple bundles I got the hang of it. I’d say it’s less confusing once you know what to look for, but yeah, mixing old and new stock is a pain.
Honestly, I get why you’d want to lay everything out first, but in my experience, that just slows me down. I’ve found it’s easier to open one bundle at a time as I go—especially if you’re working solo and space is tight. The new packaging threw me off too, but once I figured out the color codes, I just double-checked each bundle before opening. Mixing old and new stock is still a headache, though... had a patch job last month where the shades didn’t quite match up. Sometimes you just can’t win with these changes.
Yeah, I got tripped up by the new bundles last week. Was trying to restock after a windstorm tore half the roof off one of my rentals—nothing like chasing shingles across the yard at 7am to wake you up. The bigger print is nice if you’re juggling your phone and a coffee, but I swear, every time they “improve” packaging, my muscle memory goes out the window for a bit.
The color coding’s probably smart for folks who do this all day, but for me, it took a couple double-takes to make sure I wasn’t grabbing hip & ridge instead of 3-tabs. Had a tenant poking their head out asking why it was taking so long… told them I was just admiring the fancy new labels. Not sure if it’s actually faster yet, but at least I don’t need reading glasses to see the specs now. Mixing old and new bundles is still a pain though—had to play “find that shingle” when patching up, since the colors didn’t match 100%. Progress? Maybe. Less squinting? Definitely.