Building product manufacturer CertainTeed has been the subject of a CertainTeed class action lawsuit on three major fronts: organic asphalt roofing shingles, fiberglass Horizon shingles, and WeatherBoards fiber cement siding. Two of those settlements have effectively closed their claim windows. The Horizon fiberglass shingles settlement is the one where most homeowners still have time to file, with a claim deadline of March 2, 2030. A narrow group of organic shingle owners can still file if their roof remains within its original warranty period.
Fiberglass Horizon Shingles Settlement
This is the active settlement for most current claimants. It resolves Segebarth, et al. v. CertainTeed LLC, Civil Action No. 2:19-cv-05500-PD, in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Judge Paul S. Diamond granted final approval on December 22, 2022.1Fiberglass Horizon Settlement. Frequently Asked Questions CertainTeed denied the defect allegations but agreed to settle.
The class covers roughly 600,000 building owners nationwide whose properties had fiberglass Horizon shingles installed between 1995 and 2010. Class counsel valued the deal at approximately $900 million.2Angeion Group. Plaintiffs’ Motion for an Award of Attorneys’ Fees It is claims-made, meaning there is no fixed fund and payouts depend on how many homeowners file.
What You Can Recover
Eligible homeowners receive $40 per square (100 square feet) of the roof’s “replacement area,” prorated by how long the shingles have been on the roof. Shingles originally sold with a 25-year warranty are extended to 30 years and prorated over 32 years. Shingles sold with a 30-year warranty are extended to 35 years and prorated over 37 years.1Fiberglass Horizon Settlement. Frequently Asked Questions
How much of the roof counts depends on a five-percent rule. If qualifying damage covers more than five percent of a roof plane, the whole plane is treated as the replacement area. Below that, only the damaged shingles qualify. Class members also receive an additional five years of warranty coverage. If you previously filed a warranty claim with CertainTeed and received a written cash offer, you are entitled to whichever is larger: that prior offer or the settlement formula payment.
How and When to File
Claims can be filed at www.ctroof.com or mailed to the Horizon Settlement Administrator in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. The deadline to submit a claim is March 2, 2030.1Fiberglass Horizon Settlement. Frequently Asked Questions The window to opt out or object closed on November 22, 2022, so remaining class members can only file a claim or do nothing.
Organic Asphalt Shingles Settlement (MDL 1817)
The organic shingles settlement resolved In re: CertainTeed Corporation Roofing Shingles Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1817, and covers organic asphalt shingles manufactured between July 1, 1987, and 2005. Homeowners alleged the shingles blistered, cracked, curled, and otherwise deteriorated within their warranty periods. The court approved the settlement on September 1, 2010, with an effective date of October 2, 2010.3CertainTeed Shingle Settlement. Home Page Co-lead counsel Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca has described the settlement’s value as between $655 million and $741 million.4Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca. Accomplishments
Covered brand names include Hallmark Shangle, Independence Shangle, Horizon Shangle, Custom Sealdon, Sealdon 20, Sealdon 25, Hearthstead, Solid Slab, Master Slab, Custom Saf-T-Lok, and Custom Lok 25.5Builder Online. CertainTeed Settles Shingle Lawsuit Fiberglass versions of these same names are not covered. Over 94 percent of the affected shingles were sold in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Payment Formula
The settlement is claims-made. Qualifying homeowners receive $74 per square, prorated by how long the shingles were installed relative to their warranty period. Recognized damage types include blistering, clawing, cracking, curling, fish mouthing, and spalling. Up to $50 is reimbursed for having a professional roofer pull a shingle sample. CertainTeed retained the right to deny claims it believes stem from improper installation or maintenance, and denied claimants can appeal through a process spelled out in the settlement.6CertainTeed Shingle Settlement. Frequently Asked Questions
Who Can Still File
Most claim categories closed years ago, some as early as October 2011, and the opt-out deadline passed on May 11, 2010.7CertainTeed Shingle Settlement. Claims Deadlines The only building owners who remain eligible to file new claims are those whose organic shingles are still within their original warranty period.3CertainTeed Shingle Settlement. Home Page Because CertainTeed stopped making organic shingles in 2005, that window is closing on its own as older warranties run out. Claim forms are available at the settlement website, and claim status can be checked online or by calling 1-888-898-4111. CAC Services Group, LLC administers the claims.
WeatherBoards Fiber Cement Siding Settlement
The siding case, In re: CertainTeed Fiber Cement Siding Litigation, Case No. 2:11-md-02270 in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, involved WeatherBoards products that homeowners alleged were manufactured with fly ash instead of sand, causing water absorption, shrinkage, cracking, warping, and delamination despite CertainTeed’s 50-year marketing claims.8Marx | Okubo. CertainTeed Siding Class Action Lawsuit Settlement
The court approved a $103.9 million cash settlement on March 20, 2014.9GovInfo. In Re CertainTeed Fiber Cement Siding Litigation Final Approval Order The class included all individuals and entities in the United States that owned buildings with WeatherBoards installed on or before September 30, 2013. The claims process has closed; the final submission deadline passed in early 2023.10CertainTeed Settlement (Canada). Submit a Claim Homeowners with WeatherBoards problems today no longer have a class action route through this settlement.
Other Fiberglass Shingles: Independence, Landmark, and Presidential
CertainTeed shingles sold after 2005 are all fiberglass, and none of those post-2005 products are covered by the organic shingles settlement. Attorneys have looked at possible class claims over Independence, Landmark, and Presidential fiberglass shingles based on homeowner reports of severe granule loss, warping, cracking, adhesion failures, and shingles blowing off roofs.11For The People. Homeowners Allege Defects CertainTeed Shingles Lawsuit
An investigation into fiberglass Independence shingles alleging inadequate adhesion has been completed, but no new class action has been filed, and the investigation page is marked for reference only.12ClassAction.org. CertainTeed Shingles CertainTeed denies the defect allegations and says its shingles perform as intended. If your fiberglass shingles are failing, the practical path today is a direct warranty claim to CertainTeed rather than a class settlement.
Asbestos Claims Are on a Separate Track
The three settlements above concern shingles and siding. They do not cover asbestos claims tied to CertainTeed’s legacy products. The former CertainTeed Corporation made cement pipes and other asbestos-containing products until 1992, and by 2020 more than 60,000 asbestos claims had been filed, with over 32,000 in active litigation.13Saint-Gobain. DBMP LLC Bankruptcy Filing
Saint-Gobain, CertainTeed’s parent, transferred those liabilities to a new subsidiary called DBMP LLC, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Western District of North Carolina on January 23, 2020, aiming to set up a trust under Section 524(g) of the Bankruptcy Code. Internal documents referred to the plan as “Project Horizon,” and critics have called the maneuver a “Texas two-step” bankruptcy, in which liabilities are moved to a new entity that then files bankruptcy to pause suits against the parent.14The Guardian. Asbestos Mesothelioma Victims Compensation CertainTeed Legal teams have challenged DBMP’s eligibility for bankruptcy protection, arguing it has no real operations to reorganize. A Saint-Gobain spokesperson said the company was “confident in DBMP’s legal position” and sought a “final, full and fair resolution with asbestos claimants.” Anyone with an asbestos exposure claim tied to CertainTeed products should treat that as a separate matter from the product settlements described above.