Inside Reliable Roofing

When we started Reliable Roofing & Construction in 2014, we were a residential roofing contractor. We loved building roofs, doing roof repairs, and working directly with homeowners across South Bend, Mishawaka, and Granger. We built a lot of relationships in those early years, and we built a reputation for doing things the right way. But as any contractor will tell you, once you establish a name for yourself, the opportunities start to grow.

In 2018, we decided to step into the commercial market. We started with light commercial work, and in the blink of an eye, we were taking on six- and seven- figure developments. It was an incredible period of growth for our company. But here is the honest truth that nobody tells you when you make that leap: commercial construction is not what it is talked up to be. It is a completely different beast, and the learning curve is massive.

Today, we are one of the highest- quality commercial professionals in the Michiana area. We have framed and built Starbucks locations from the ground up. We have worked with Marriott, Holiday Inn, and more general contractors and large developers than I can type out. But getting here was not easy, and I want to be transparent about what it actually takes to succeed in commercial roofing and construction.

The Cash Flow Monster: Net 45s, Net 90s, and Missed Draws

When you are a residential roofer, the financial model is relatively straightforward. You give an estimate, you do the work, and the homeowner pays you when the job is done. Commercial construction does not work that way.

When you step onto a commercial job site, you are stepping into a world of procedures, Requests for Information (RFIs), and Change Order Requests. But the biggest shock to the system is the cash flow. In commercial work, you are introduced to terms like "Net 45" and "Net 90." This means you might not see a check for 45 or 90 days after you submit an invoice.

In some cases, it is even worse. You might be 100% responsible for all the materials and labor on a massive TPO roofing project, and you end up waiting much longer than 90 days simply because someone in an office forgot to put you on a draw that month. You have to float the cost of the entire operation while you wait. It is a monster when you first get started, and it breaks a lot of good contractors who simply do not have the capital or the patience to survive the cycle.

The Chaos of a Commercial Job Site

The other reality of commercial construction is the sheer number of moving parts. On a residential roof, your team is usually the only one there. On a commercial development in Elkhart or Goshen, you are working alongside electricians, plumbers, HVAC crews, and framers.

Sometimes, you will finish a flawless commercial roof installation, only to come back the next day and find that another contractor damaged your TPO membrane or your James Hardie siding because they had to run a pipe or a light fixture through it. It is frustrating, but over time, you catch on. You learn the process. You learn to be patient, to document everything, and to trust your team to handle the chaos professionally.

Proper Training Is Everything: Our Partnership with IKO Innova

Because the stakes are so high in commercial construction, having the right partners and the right training is crucial. You cannot fake your way through a massive commercial roofing project. You need guys in the field who understand exactly how warranties work and how to execute an installation that meets the manufacturer's strict specifications.

That is why we partnered with IKO Innova. We did not just read a manual; we took a good portion of our team up to Maryland to take their advanced courses. Today, we are a certified TPO installer for IKO. We are well- trained in commercial drainage systems, sloping, and installing TPO roofing ranging from .60 to .80 mil thickness. We have the right equipment, we know how to weld the seams perfectly, and we have the expertise to take on just about any size project in Northern Indiana.

We have also taken on massive James Hardie installations for commercial developments, including extensive lap siding and board- and- batten projects. As one of the only James Hardie Alliance members in Northern Indiana, we bring the same level of precision to our commercial siding as we do to our commercial roofs.

Building the Community, One Project at a Time

It has taken us time to learn the commercial ropes. We have been on incredibly large jobs for other general contractors, and we have faced difficult circumstances on almost every one of them. But through it all, we have always delivered a successful installation, and we have always finished our projects.

Commercial construction is tough. The cash flow is stressful, the job sites are chaotic, and the learning curve is steep. But at the end of the day, this is who we are now. We are able to leverage our wealth of knowledge and experience to help our community and push forward some of the most important developments around us.

Whether we are framing a new Starbucks in South Bend, installing a TPO roof on a Holiday Inn in Mishawaka, or handling the exterior siding for a major development in Granger, we bring the same work ethic and integrity that we built our company on in 2014.

If you are a general contractor, a developer, or a business owner looking for a commercial roofing and construction partner in St. Joseph County or Elkhart County, contact Reliable Roofing & Construction. We know what it takes to get the job done right.

If you have been following Reliable Roofing & Construction, you may have noticed a change in the shingle systems we recommend for residential roofing projects across the South Bend, Indiana area. For years, CertainTeed was our primary roofing system. Today, we have made TAMKO our number one recommended shingle line - specifically the TAMKO Titan XT - with CertainTeed and IKO now serving as our secondary options.

This was not a decision we made lightly, and it was absolutely not a decision driven by marketing dollars or distributor incentives. If you are a homeowner in Mishawaka, Granger, Elkhart, Goshen, or anywhere in the Michiana region shopping for a roof replacement, you deserve to know exactly why we made this change. That is the kind of transparency we believe every roofing contractor in South Bend, Indiana should offer - and it is the standard we hold ourselves to at Reliable Roofing & Construction.

Our History with TAMKO: Why We Walked Away the First Time

To understand why we are so enthusiastic about the TAMKO Titan XT today, you first need to understand why we stepped away from TAMKO in the first place. Years ago, we installed TAMKO's Heritage line on residential roofs throughout the South Bend and Mishawaka area. Frankly, we were not impressed. The Heritage line had performance issues that made it difficult to recommend as a primary option, and for several years, we installed maybe one TAMKO roof per year - and only when a customer specifically requested it.

During that period, CertainTeed became our primary offering for residential roofing in South Bend, Granger, and the surrounding communities. CertainTeed is a well- known brand with excellent marketing, and they make a genuinely good shingle. We installed hundreds of CertainTeed roofs across Elkhart County, St. Joseph County, and the broader Michiana region. But over time, a recurring issue began to surface that we could not ignore.

The Problem We Kept Seeing with CertainTeed

Our biggest complaint with CertainTeed was shingle delamination under strong wind conditions. To be clear, this was not a common occurrence — but it happened. In Northern Indiana, where high winds, severe thunderstorms, and harsh winters are a fact of life, a shingle that occasionally delaminates under wind pressure is a real concern. When a homeowner in Goshen or Lakeville calls us after a storm to report blown- off or separated shingles, that is a problem we take personally.

Shingle delamination refers to the separation of the laminated layers of an architectural shingle, which can be triggered by wind uplift, improper sealing, or manufacturing inconsistencies. When it happens, it compromises the waterproofing integrity of the entire roof system and can lead to costly repairs. We raised this concern with CertainTeed repeatedly, and while their product remains solid overall, we believe the solution lies in adding a reinforced bonding strip to their shingle — something they have not yet implemented as of this writing. Until that changes, CertainTeed will remain a secondary option in our lineup.

December Changed Everything: Testing the TAMKO Titan XT

Last December, a TAMKO representative visited our team to showcase their new and improved shingle line: the TAMKO Titan XT. We were skeptical. We had been down this road with TAMKO before, and we were not going to change our primary recommendation based on a sales pitch.

So we tested it.

We conducted multiple pull tests on the Titan XT shingles, and the hold strength was next level. The results were not even close to what we had seen from the older Heritage line. The TAMKO Titan XT features AnchorLock™ technology — a reinforced base layer engineered specifically for superior wind protection and system hold strength. Combined with TAMKO's TriShield™ technology, which is a three- part system built around advanced asphalt formulation, a premium fiberglass mat, and strong granule adhesion, the Titan XT addresses the exact delamination concerns we had with our previous primary brand.

The numbers back it up. The TAMKO Titan XT carries a 160 MPH high wind warranty (when installed with TAMKO starter strips and TAMKO hip and ridge shingles) and a Class 3 impact resistance rating under UL 2218 testing. For homeowners in South Bend, Mishawaka, Elkhart, and Goshen — where severe weather is a seasonal reality — these are not just marketing numbers. They are meaningful performance benchmarks.

In 2024, the Titan XT was named "Product of the Year" by a leading industry publication, a recognition that reflects the shingle's real- world performance and contractor adoption across the country. Because of our commitment to quality installation and our extensive training with this product, Reliable Roofing & Construction is proud to be certified through TAMKO as one of their only Platinum Contractors in Northern Indiana. This elite status means we can offer enhanced warranties and a level of installation expertise that very few contractors in the Michiana region can match.

What We Love About the TAMKO Titan XT

After months of installing the Titan XT on residential roofs throughout St. Joseph County and Elkhart County, here is what has genuinely impressed us:

Hold strength is the standout feature. The AnchorLock™ layer is not just a marketing term - our pull tests confirmed that the bond between shingle layers and the roof deck is significantly stronger than what we observed with comparable products from other manufacturers. For homeowners in Granger and Lakeville who are worried about their roof surviving the next major storm, this matters enormously.

Color selection is also a genuine strength of the Titan XT line. TAMKO offers two distinct color collections - a nature- inspired series and a timeless classic series - both enhanced by APEX Color® technology that delivers rich, dimensional tones. In my personal opinion, the colors are nicer than many competitors. That said, I believe the color market is still dominated by Owens Corning overall, so if color variety is your top priority, that is worth noting.

Calling It How It Is: The Honest Downsides of the Titan XT

We are not here to sell you a shingle. We are here to help you make the best decision for your home. That means being honest about the Titan XT's shortcomings as well.

Granule Over- Packing. The Titan XT has a noticeably higher volume of granules than many competing shingles. While this contributes to the shingle's longevity and granule adhesion performance, it creates a real challenge during installation. When our crews are working on a roof in Mishawaka or Elkhart, excess granules shed onto the roof deck and can make the surface slippery and dangerous. This is a legitimate safety concern, and it is one area where we would like to see TAMKO make improvements in future product runs.

Occasional Uneven Cuts. On one occasion, we encountered uneven cuts in the material from what appeared to be a single factory run. We have not seen this issue repeat itself, and it may have been an isolated quality control incident. However, we believe in calling it how it is — and that happened. We will continue to monitor this as we install more Titan XT roofs across the South Bend area.

The Bottom Line: Why TAMKO is Our Primary Recommendation

All things considered, the most balanced option in the residential roofing market right now - dollar for dollar - is TAMKO. The Titan XT delivers durability, strong wind resistance, solid impact protection, and a fair price point that makes it accessible to homeowners in South Bend, Goshen, Lakeville, and beyond without sacrificing quality.

We are not the budget roofer. We are the roofing contractor that offers quality installation, great service, and a fair price. Our reputation in the Michiana area depends on the products we put on your home, and we would not recommend the TAMKO Titan XT if we did not genuinely believe in it.

If you are ready to talk about a roof replacement in South Bend, Mishawaka, Granger, Lakeville, Elkhart, or Goshen, contact Reliable Roofing & Construction today. We will give you the honest truth about your options - and we will put a roof on your home that we are proud to stand behind.

If you have been following our journey at Reliable Roofing & Construction, you know that we do not make decisions lightly. When we find a product that works, we stick with it. But when we find a product that completely changes the way a home or a commercial building looks and performs, we go all- in.

That is exactly what happened with James Hardie siding.

Over the last few years, we have been working hard to move away from other siding products. It was not an overnight decision, but the more we worked with James Hardie fiber cement siding, the more we realized that nothing else on the market even comes close. Today, we use James Hardie exclusively on all of our residential projects, and we are incredibly proud to be one of the only James Hardie Alliance members in Northern Indiana. We are a preferred contractor for them, and that partnership has allowed us to bring some truly spectacular exteriors to life across the Michiana area.

Big Projects, Big Impact: Five Corners and Notre Dame

When I say we trust this product, I mean we trust it on the biggest stages. We recently finished a massive multifamily project at Five Corners in South Bend, right next to Notre Dame. Go Irish!

We also just wrapped up a major mixed- use building in the area. On those two projects alone, we installed hundreds of squares of James Hardie siding. When you are a partner in inner- city development, you cannot afford to use materials that are going to fade, warp, or fail in a few years. You need durability, and you need an aesthetic that elevates the entire neighborhood. James Hardie delivers on both fronts. The way those buildings look now is just incredible, and knowing that the siding is engineered to withstand the brutal Northern Indiana winters gives us — and the developers — total peace of mind.

The Simple, Spectacular Look of Lap Siding

While we love the big commercial jobs, our heart is still in residential construction. We have been installing James Hardie on single- family homes across South Bend, Mishawaka, Granger, and Elkhart, and the transformation is always my favorite part of the job.

There is something about the simple aesthetic of James Hardie lap siding on a home that is just spectacular. It gives the house a much more refined, custom look compared to traditional vinyl. The shadow lines are deeper, the boards are thicker, and it just feels solid. As an installer, I can tell you that the lap siding is easy to install when you have a trained team, and the final product is something we are always proud to put our name on. We have truly loved the installation process, the unmatched durability, and the high- end look it brings to every neighborhood we work in.

Color Your Way: Pre-Finished or Custom Painted

One of the things our customers love most about James Hardie is the color flexibility. We have been really happy with their pre- finished materials — the ColorPlus® Technology bakes the color right into the board, meaning it resists fading and looks fresh for years.

But we also know that some homeowners want something completely unique. Many of our customers love the ability to make their home any color available by Sherwin- Williams. Because James Hardie siding takes paint so beautifully, we can install primed boards and then paint them to match whatever custom Sherwin- Williams color you have in mind. Whether you want a classic pre- finished look or a custom- painted exterior, we handle the installation and the painting, giving you exactly what you want without having to juggle multiple contractors.

Why the Alliance Membership Matters to You

Being a James Hardie Alliance member is not just a badge we put on our website. It means we are a preferred contractor. It means our team has been trained to install this specific product exactly the way the manufacturer intended.

When you hire a contractor to install fiber cement siding, the installation is everything. If it is not flashed correctly, if the clearances are wrong, or if the nailing pattern is off, the siding will not perform the way it should. Because of our Alliance membership, you can trust that when Reliable Roofing & Construction installs your siding in Goshen or Lakeville, it is done right the first time, and your warranty is fully protected.

We are not just a roofing company anymore. We are exterior experts, and we believe that your home deserves the best. If you are thinking about upgrading your home's exterior in South Bend, Mishawaka, Granger, Lakeville, Elkhart, or Goshen, let's talk about James Hardie. I promise you, once you see it on your home, you will understand exactly why we went all- in.