Every Component on Your Roof — Explained by Iowa’s Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor

Most contractors talk about shingles. We talk about systems. Every layer — from the underlayment sealed to your deck to the ridge vent at the peak — has to work together to protect your home. Here’s what we install, why we install it, and how to know if your current roof is doing its job.

• ✅ Free drone inspection — we document everything before we quote
• ✅ Estimate within 24 hours — no waiting, no runaround
• ✅ 1 of 8 OC Platinum Preferred contractors in Iowa
• ✅ 3,100+ roofs installed across Central Iowa
• ✅ Calls answered 24/7 — real people, real answers

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Why a Complete Roofing System Matters

A roof fails at its weakest point. That point is almost never the shingle.

What Is the Best Asphalt Shingle for Iowa?

Iowa roofs take a beating. Hail, 130 MPH wind gusts, freeze-thaw cycles, and ice dams don’t care what brand is on your house. When homeowners across Waukee, Ankeny, Johnston, Urbandale, and the Des Moines metro ask us what the best shingle is, we give them the same answer we’d give our own family.

Our go-to is the Owens Corning Duration. SureNail Technology locks it down in 130 MPH winds, StreakGuard algae resistance keeps it sharp through Iowa’s humid summers, and the dimensional profile gives your home real curb appeal. As one of only eight OC Platinum Preferred contractors in Iowa, we back it with a 50-year non-prorated warranty that doesn’t shrink over time.

When you need more protection, we step up to the Duration STORM or Duration FLEX. We also carry Tamko Titan XT, Malarkey Vista AR Class 4, and select GAF lines. We’ll tell you straight which one makes sense for your home.

A great shingle installed wrong is still a problem waiting to happen. The right choice usually becomes obvious once you see the options side by side on your own roof.

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What Is the Difference Between Class 3 and Class 4 Shingles?

Class 3 shingles survive a 1.75-inch steel ball drop. Class 4 survive a 2-inch hit — the highest UL 2218 impact rating available. In Central Iowa, where hail hits hard and often, that difference matters.

Our go-to Class 4 is the Owens Corning Duration FLEX. Built with SBS polymer-modified asphalt that absorbs hail strikes instead of cracking under them — and performs better in cold weather than standard shingles. We also install the OC Duration STORM, Malarkey Vista AR Class 4, and Tamko options. But nine times out of ten, we’re recommending the FLEX to homeowners across Waukee, Ankeny, Johnston, and the Des Moines metro.

Many Iowa insurance carriers discount premiums up to 20% for Class 4 — which can pay for the upgrade over time. Want to know if the math works for your home?

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Do I Need Ice and Water Shield in Iowa?

Yes — and if your contractor only installs it at the eaves, they’re doing the bare minimum. Iowa code requires ice and water shield along the eaves, but ice dams and leaks don’t only happen there. We install Owens Corning Rhino Ice & Water at every valley, every penetration, and every wall junction — because that’s where Central Iowa roofs actually fail.

Freeze-thaw cycles hit Des Moines, Johnston, Grimes, and Ankeny from November through March. A $50 shortcut at a chimney junction or valley turns into a $5,000 ceiling repair. We’ve seen it hundreds of times.

Going beyond code isn’t an upsell — it’s how we’d protect our own homes.

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Is Synthetic Underlayment Better Than Felt?

It depends — and most contractors won’t give you that honest answer. We install both Owens Corning Rhino Synthetic U-10 and traditional #15 felt, and we’ll tell you why that matters.

Synthetic is lighter, stronger, and qualifies for the OC Total Protection 50-year warranty. On paper, it checks every box. But after seven years of installation data across the Des Moines metro, we’re seeing more attic condensation with synthetic than we ever did with traditional felt. Since synthetic underlayments and code-required ice and water barriers create a tighter envelope, moisture that used to escape now gets trapped. Most contractors haven’t noticed — or won’t talk about it.

We provide options and use our field data to help you choose the right underlayment for your home, your ventilation, and your climate.

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What Is Roof Flashing and Should It Be Replaced?

Flashing is the metal installed everywhere your roof meets something vertical — chimneys, walls, dormers, skylights, and pipes. It’s where most leaks start, and it’s the component most often skipped or reused by contractors cutting corners.

We use aluminum or galvanized steel depending on the application, match pipe boots to each specific penetration, and choose valley methods — open metal, closed-cut, or woven — based on your roof’s design. Any contractor who uses the same method on every roof is making your roof fit their process instead of the other way around.

Whether we replace every piece depends on the job scope — but we inspect every inch. We won’t leave compromised flashing behind a brand-new shingle. That’s how a $15,000 roof starts leaking in year two.

Call NowIs Your Flashing Putting Your New Roof at Risk? →

Why Are Starter Shingles Important?

The first row of shingles along your eaves and rakes is the most vulnerable to wind uplift — and in the I-80/I-35 corridor, wind is constant. Skip the starter or use a field-cut shortcut, and one good Des Moines thunderstorm can peel your shingles back from the edge. It’s one of the fastest failures we see when inspecting storm damage across Waukee, Urbandale, and Ankeny.

We install manufacturer-matched starter strips with factory adhesive engineered to bond directly to the first course of shingles. That’s what seals the roof edge against blow-off — and it’s why manufacturer warranties require it.

It’s a small component most homeowners never think about — until it fails.

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What Is Drip Edge and Is It Required in Iowa?

Drip edge is metal flashing along the eaves and rakes that channels water into your gutters instead of letting it roll down the fascia and rot the wood behind it. Iowa code requires it — and we install it on every job from Ames to Clive.

We also recommend gutter apron — additional flashing that closes the gap between drip edge and gutter trough so water can’t overshoot or run behind it. The homes we see with fascia rot and peeling paint almost always have the same problem: water behind the gutter nobody addressed.

Here’s what most contractors won’t tell you: if your existing drip edge and gutter apron are in solid condition, we can reuse them — giving you a high-quality system while keeping your budget in check. We do what we’d do on our own homes. No corners cut, just the right call for every situation.

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Does Roof Ventilation Matter?

More than most homeowners realize. An unventilated Iowa attic hits 150°F in summer — baking your shingles from below and cutting years off their lifespan. In winter, trapped warm air melts snow on the roof and refreezes at the eave. That’s how ice dams form, and it’s one of the most common problems we see in Ankeny, Johnston, and Waukee every winter.

We install top-quality Lomanco ventilation products and check every soffit intake on every job. If your intake vents are blocked or undersized, we provide affordable options to correct the balance. We prefer passive ventilation — no maintenance, no electricity, no moving parts to fail.

Here’s something worth knowing: the top exhaust system is actually a turbine or static box vent — not always a ridge vent. Ridge vents look great and work well on many homes, but the right answer depends on your roof design and attic space. Most contractors install the same thing on every house. We enjoy having that conversation — because we do what’s right for each family we serve.

Call NowIs Your Attic Destroying Your Roof? →

What Is Included in a Complete Roof Replacement?

When Superstorm replaces a roof in the Des Moines metro, you get a complete system — not just shingles nailed to plywood. That means Owens Corning Rhino Ice & Water at every vulnerable point, Rhino Synthetic U-10 or #15 felt across the deck, manufacturer-matched starter strips, architectural or impact-resistant field shingles, hip and ridge caps, drip edge, step flashing at every roof-to-wall junction, flashing at every penetration, and the right ventilation for your attic — whether that’s a Lomanco ridge vent, turbine, or static box vent.

When every component is Owens Corning, you qualify for their 50-year non-prorated Total Protection warranty — materials and workmanship under one guarantee, no finger-pointing between manufacturers. On top of that, Superstorm backs every installation with our own 10-year workmanship warranty.

There are only eight Platinum Preferred contractors in Iowa. That’s not a marketing badge — it’s the only way to access the strongest warranty Owens Corning offers. We’ve earned it, and we put it to work for every family we serve across Waukee, Urbandale, Clive, Grimes, Johnston, Ankeny, and Ames.

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