I am going to put a new roof on my house very shortly. I would like to know whether there is any visual difference between 25/30/40 year architectural shingles. I will be in the house for 5-8 years and would like to upgrade the appearance of the roof without paying too much. From a distance of 40-50'(looking from the yard/street, is there any appearance difference? Does anyone havre any recommendations as to a good quality manufacturer/make/grade. Thanks!

To the naked eye there is no diference from 25/30/40 yr shingles. If your only going to be there for 5-8 yrs the only thing I suggest is fungus resistant shingles, I prefer Celotex or GAF shingles. If you live in a hot state I would go with a light color, if you live in a cooler area go with a darker color. A lighter color will stay fresher longer in a hot area and make the house cooler during the day. The darker color will still stay fresh in cooler areas and make the house warmer during the day.

There is not a lot of difference in the way they look. In my area we get lots of Big hail so why pay for the extra heavy? We replace roofs around every 7-8 years.

If your only going to be there a few more years do the 25-30.