All,
I just had the roof redone, and am seeing that some shingles have air pockets underneath. My thought is that each sheet of shingle should be fastened to the one beneath, without void. It seems like I have 3 feet of adhesion, .5 feet lifted off (about 1 inch off), and another 3 feet of adhesion. Is this normal? Is each shingle sheet expected to adhere completely to the one below? Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks.
What do you mean by 'shingle sheet'? Shingles are normally much smaller than the dimensions you've listed.
Hmm, I'm not sure what you're defining but something definitely sounds "OFF" there. INX, but gaps, especially of an inch or so, unless they are part of the design you bought, ain't right. Shingles don't actually "adhere" all the way to the edge right away, especially this time of year if they're the type with the mastic on them, so it wouldn't be unusual to be able to lift them a bit along the edges. However, a one inch gap isn't right for a standard shingle job.
Why are you asking for advice here as opposed to getting hold of that contractor and making him look at and explain the situation? If you didn't like his answer, THEN you might have something to post about, but, as it is, it's impossible to tell much of anything with so little detail. Too many different types of roof designs around to make even an intelligent guess based on input so far.
Regards,
Pop
Try>> All,
What brand/style of "shingle"? Did you have a building permit for the work? Written bid? Licensed roofer? The shingle package normally has installation instructions printed on it, including the number/spacing of nails. That could also likely be found on the internet. Winter not the best time for reroof, as sun helps stick them down.
If you have shingles that are truly raised an inch at the edge instead of laying flat, something is very wrong. In fact, it's hard to imagine how this would happen. These will be gone in the first good wind storm. I'd hire a home inspector to give you a written opinion and then deal with the contractor.
On 19 Dec 2004 15:58:17 -0800, snipped-for-privacy@optonline.net scribbled this interesting note:
Hard to imagine? In the winter? If they are asphalt composition shingles it isn't hard at all to imagine that there might be voids underneath the edges of the shingles given that they sometimes, in certain climates, take a while to conform to the underlayment. Nope, not hard at all to imagine...
-- John Willis (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)
Nor is it hard to imagine the wind pulling them off, in long, multi-row fashion, and driving rain being pushed up under them, and a horrendous mess resulting in the home. Nope, not at all. Do you have a point, or are you trolling? The post preceding yours makes lots of sense, asks the right, relevant questions, and offers logical advice. You on the other hand have offered absolutely nothing of value to the thread other than to look silly. Did you actually have a point to make?
Pop
Here's the scoop from my contractor... Due to winter weather (40-60 degrees here in California), the shingles will contract, leaving voids underneath. He assured me that when summer comes, the shingles will spread out and laminate to the ones below. He also assured me that for now, rain will not be an issue. The question I have is, why would the shingles automatically laminate to one another, just because they're softer (due to heat)? And once they're laminated, what prevents them from curling up in the winter? I guess I don't have enough knowledge on how shingles mate to one another. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
"Winter" that is not winter, in Canada it is a warm spring or fall day. If shingles were installed frozen and curled in a Canadian winter (yesterday -5 degrees) I would expect your problems as there is not enough heat in the sun to soften them and flatten them out. BUT 40 to 60 degrees, as soon as the sun hits them they should be settling down and flattening out. You should not have to wait until summer, as the first day over 60 degrees should work.
On Mon, 20 Dec 2004 11:53:31 -0500, "Pop" scribbled this interesting note:
The point is, if shingles are installed in cloudy, cool weather, say below fifty degrees, and they are not absolutely flat to begin with, they may not all lay flat until a hot, sunny day comes along. Every shingle wrapper indicates this is a possibility. They also say they may not seal together until that hot, sunny day. Ever read a wrapper on a bundle of shingles?
The point is, the manufacturers of asphalt, composition shingles know and indicate on every wrapper on every bundle of shingles so every purchaser and installer that can read may know that in cold weather composition, asphalt shingles may not seal down, hence they may have voids underneath them.
The point is that until he gets a warm day his roof will look a little rough, assuming the shingles are installed correctly and the underlayment is smooth.
The point is, experience illustrates the points I've made in this post very well, over the course of thousands of roof installations.
Your point???
-- John Willis (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)
I have no point, as I am just the original poster, and trying to learn something from you all. I don't have the packaging and could only base my concerns on what the contractor told me.
Follow-up Question: Will installing "curled" shingles in the winter cause damages or continue the uneven look in the long run? Thanks.
On 20 Dec 2004 17:52:12 -0800, "Trying to Help" scribbled this interesting note:
Stepping on or otherwise trying to straighten out curled asphalt composition shingles when they are below fifty degrees may cause them to break. Don't do it. Allow them to warm up naturally and smooth out and all will be fine.
It gets pretty warm in the spring where you live, right? You even have very warm days in the dead of winter, do you not? Over time, those uneven shingles will warm up and straighten out. Even freshly installed forty and fifty year shingles sometimes look rough all winter long around here in north Texas, but when the hot weather arrives, those shingles all smooth out, lie flat, and the roof looks great.
As with most things, time takes care of it!:~)
-- John Willis (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)
All, Here's the definitive answer (Wished I had known this earlier). In speaking with the roofing representative, the shingles contract in the winter and harden, causing the curls. The shingles should soften and laminate to one another when the sun comes out. There is no long term effect, as the shingles should stay laminated going forward. The learning here is that Winter is not a good time for roofing. Thanks to all that have responded to this post.
Under the lip of the shingle the manufacturer runs a tar strip. When you get a nice warm day the tar softens and bonds to the granuals un the shingle below.
And once they're laminated, what prevents them
The base material of the shingle is asphault impregnated fiberglass. When this heats up, it softens and sticks together so that when it again gets cold the tendancy to curl is imparts less force than the stickum so it stays stuck. When applied in cold weather, the memory of the shingle is what it was in the bundle so they act independantly.
If the roofer was not worried, you should be fine. He is the guy that is going to get called a 3:00 A.M if your roof starts to leak and would have to make good any damage.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.