The history of GAF charts 139 years of firsts. From the 1892 invention of ready-to-lay asphalt roofing to the 2022 launch of the world's first nailable solar shingle, GAF has set the pace for roofing innovation—and continues to do so today.
Here's how an 18-person company in 1886 New Jersey evolved into North America's largest roofing and manufacturing company today, supporting more than 30 plants and 4,800 employees in hometowns across the U.S.
When Was GAF Founded?
GAF started in 1886, introduced ready-to-lay asphalt roll roofing in 1892, reinvented residential shingles with GAF Timberline® in 1967, and launched the first nailable solar shingle in 2022. This powerful history of innovation is backed by a broad U.S. manufacturing footprint that helps keep products available and consistent with warranties that stand behind the products.
The history of GAF began as the Standard Paint Company in Bound Brook, New Jersey, with an 18-person team and a chemist curious about asphalt compounds. The evolving company launched RU-BER-OID ready-to-lay roll roofing in 1892—an early "do more, faster" breakthrough for builders.
Colored granules were embedded into the asphalt coating in 1904, a durability and appearance step up that's become the standard for modern shingles. In 1921, Standard Paint became The RUBEROID Co. In 1967, the firm merged and adopted the GAF name, while a laminated, dimensional shingle—Timberline®—changed residential roofing looks and performance for good.
Why Do People Trust GAF?
The GAF brand combines broad availability, long-standing warranties, and a steady record of innovations that solve real-world roofing problems, like wind uplift, algae staining, and heat.
Reputation (proof on the roof): With one in four homes across U.S. neighborhoods under a GAF roof, homeowners and contractors believe in the product lines, installation methods, and warranty pathways. That familiarity reduces guesswork during planning, installation, and service.
Accessibility (materials when you need them): A national network of manufacturing plants and thousands of employees means products are produced closer to where people live. That can translate into steadier inventory, shorter shipping distances, and faster recovery after storms.
Warranties (confidence built in): Starting in 2011–2012, lifetime limited warranties expanded across laminated shingles and complete roofing systems. Select shingle families paired with required accessories also qualify for enhanced wind coverage, giving homeowners clearer expectations on performance.
Innovation (difference you can feel): Technologies like LayerLock® (for fastening power and installation efficiency), enlarged nailing zones for accuracy, and StainGuard Plus™ (to help resist blue-green algae discoloration) are engineered for durability, cleaner looks, and contractor confidence.
Plus, GAF builds more than roofing materials. GAF Community Matters, a social impact initiative, invests GAF materials, money, and people power into building more resilient hometowns across the country. This means building safe housing in tandem with Habitat for Humanity, fostering a skilled workforce through tuition-free training via GAF Roofing Academy, and more.
What Are the Most Important GAF Innovations?
A run of practical firsts that improved install speed, durability, appearance, and—more recently—energy production.
Here's a look at the history of GAF, its biggest milestones, and why they matter:
1892: RU-BER-OID ready-to-lay roll roofing with faster dry-in and less exposure while a roof is being built or reroofed.
1904: Embedded color granules for better UV protection and longer-lasting, more stable color that today's shingles still rely on.
1912: First individually cut asphalt shingles, providing a modular roof system that installs faster and looks cleaner than earlier methods.
1933: Interlocking Tite-On shingles, demonstrating early wind-resistance thinking decades before modern wind warranties.
1967: Timberline® laminated shingles, introducing the dimensional look that reshaped curb appeal and helped define the modern asphalt shingle category.
1970s–80s: A leading provider of film and cameras as well as the manufacturer of the iconic View-Master, GAF reigned on Main Street as the official film supplier to Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
2003: Self-adhered TPO membranes (commercial) with cleaner, more efficient installs in low-slope applications—evidence of a broader solve-the-labor-challenge mindset.
2011–2012: Lifetime limited warranties on all laminated shingles, then complete systems, providing coverage that reset homeowner expectations industry-wide.
2020s: LayerLock®, larger nailing zones, long-term algae protection, all of which helped deliver more installation accuracy, better wind performance, and cleaner roofs in humid or rainy regions.
2022: GAF Energy Timberline Solar®, the first nailable solar shingle that installs like roofing while generating electricity.
2023: Timberline UHDZ®, offering a richer, wood-shake-inspired aesthetic with advanced algae protection—without leaving the familiar asphalt platform.
2024–2025: TimberSteel™ premium metal system (regional roll-out), introducing a modern, layered metal roof option designed to balance strength, looks, and long-term value.
The history of GAF evolved from and into better wind performance, longer-lasting color and curb appeal, code-friendly cool-roof options in hot zones, and now, a way to integrate solar cleanly without a rack bolted through shingles. GAF is a company that helps define the future of roofing.
Did GAF Certify Roofing Contractors First?
Yes, GAF certified roofing contractors first in regards to providing a truly comprehensive program. In 1997, GAF set a new industry precedent, backing not only GAF materials but also the workmanship of the installing contractor. The program has evolved to include the GAF Master Elite®, GAF Certified Plus™, and GAF Certified™ contractor designations.
GAF certifications require training, insurance and licensing checks, and meeting performance standards. Because certified pros are trained in GAF roofing best practices, they can offer customers GAF enhanced warranties. These offer more comprehensive coverage for longer periods of time than non-enhanced warranties. Because these enhanced warranties rely on proper GAF roofing installation techniques, they may only be purchased from a GAF Master Elite®, Certified Plus™, or Certified™ contractor.
As a homeowner, ask which accessories and installation details your job needs to qualify for the strongest coverage. For the best warranty coverage, look for GAF Master Elite® contractors. Due to their commitment to continuing education and training, the Master Elites are an exclusive club of the best contractors installing the best GAF systems and providing customers with the best warranty coverage.
Does GAF Support the Community?
Yes—GAF supports the community at a national scale. Through GAF Community Matters and GAF Roofing Academy, the company funds, trains, and partners with contractors and nonprofits to deliver roofs, jobs, and resilience in the communities where people live.
Community roofs delivered (housing security): Through structured programs and nonprofit partnerships, GAF has supported more than 900 contractors who've donated, repaired, or rehabilitated over 4,200 roofs across the U.S. Programs include the GAF Habitat for Humanity Program.
Workforce development (tuition-free): The GAF Roofing Academy runs classroom and hands-on training in residential and commercial installation, solar, in-home sales, and restoration. The program welcomes underrepresented communities—including the formerly incarcerated, veterans, and women—and helps place graduates with GAF-certified contractors. To date, the academy has hosted more than 365 classes, trained more than 3,400 people, and placed more than 2,000 graduates in quality roofing jobs.
Additional programs include the Affordable Housing Reroof Program (pairing local 501(c)(3)s with contractors) that leverages GAF materials and resources, and Roofs for Troops, which provides roof repairs, rehabs, or replacements for community heroes with GAF-donated shingles. These initiatives help grow a skilled roofing workforce, provide quality careers for underrepresented populations, and improve community resilience to severe storms and disasters.
As GAF leadership often emphasizes, these efforts go beyond making shingles. They're about relationships, trust, and building resilient communities—values that show up both on the jobsite and in the programs GAF funds.
How Has GAF Innovated Modern Residential Roofing?
GAF innovates modern residential roofing by evolving proven asphalt systems with science-backed upgrades (wind performance, algae resistance, installer accuracy, cool roof requirements, and more) and by adding new categories—solar shingles and a premium metal roofing system—without price or complexity.
The through-line is a practical innovation you can see and feel. Early advances made roofs faster to install and tougher against the weather. Later, dimensional shingles changed curb appeal and durability at the same time. Today, GAF pairs technical innovation with an increasingly local supply chain—so when storms hit or schedules tighten, materials are more likely to be close at hand, and the carbon impact is lowered.
What you'll notice on your own roof:
Wind resilience: Many GAF shingle families installed with the required accessory combinations qualify for enhanced wind warranties, giving homeowners clearer expectations of performance in severe weather.
Cleaner look, longer: Stain-fighting technologies target blue-green algae discoloration on eligible GAF products for extended periods, keeping roofs looking newer in humid and/or rainy climates.
Amplified curb appeal: Dimensional lines of GAF Designer Shingles add rich shadowing and mimic natural materials (wood shake, slate tiles) while providing the technologies, warranties, lower price point, and reliability offered by asphalt shingle roof systems.
Solar that installs like roofing: Timberline Solar® uses nailable shingles that integrate into standard roofing workflows—preserving weather protection and streamlining project timelines compared with rack-mounted panels.
A modern metal option: TimberSteel™ introduces a premium metal roofing system designed for strength, longevity, and curb appeal, rolling out regionally to broaden homeowner choice.
This is the history of GAF in a nutshell. It's a story of innovation, industry leadership, community involvement, and a commitment to quality. To learn more about GAF, visit our History page, where you can discover key product innovations and their impact.
