asphalt shingle question

Just had a new roof completed the other day and a neighbor commented this afternoon that there aren't any pieces of tape scattered around the yard. He says shingles have a piece of cellaphane tape covering a strip of tar or something that serves as an adhesive so the shingles stay put. He said that sometimes roofers neglect to remove the tape which makes the shingles vulnerable to wind damage and that if it ahd been removed it would be scattered around the lawn. Living in S. Florida with the threat of hurricanes, this additional adhesive would be important.

In fact I did come across a piece of scrap shingle and it still had this tape on it. My question is, is there a way to check the shingles without disturbing the installation job too much to see if tape remains on a random number of shingles or would it be prudent to contact someone who actually knows what they're doing to take a look. And if I do find that the tape has not been removed, what can be done about that? If all or most of them have to be removed does that mean the paper beneath them also would have to be replaced?

It wouldn't surprise me to find that they had not removed the tape because they have already had to come back on three other ocassions to correct not insignificant oversights in their work, from failing to replace rotton wood to sloppy installation of fascia to reusing the aluminum drip edge they had to remove to replace the wood.

Thanks (again) for any suggestions.

Reply to
al
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Concur re importance.

They're supposed to:

1.) Remove the tape. 2.) Properly discard the tape. You aren't supposed to see any lying around.

If you can get to them, you can check. Be very careful with the ladder, etc. Very, very gently pry up the bottom of a shingle and lift it just enough to examine underneath. You know what the tape looks like. I'd consider using a knife blade, but very carefully.

Not certain why they couldn't return and remove the tape given recent install.

You mean remove the shingles? Shouldn't be necessary.

Did you contract for such replacement?

I'm guessing this last is common practice.

I'm guessing they removed most/all of the tape, but it merits an inspection, followup, as necessary.

Cheers, Puddin'

Reply to
Puddin' Man

I often forget to state the potentially obvious.

If a shingle presents much resistance to being lifted, it's likely that the tape has been removed and the sun has bonded it to the shingle underneath.

"Don't Force Them Up" if they present much resistance. Check some more. If they're all like that, you're likely OK.

Best, Pudd>>

Reply to
Puddin' Man

200' were included in the contract. It's been harder than pulling teeth from the mouth of a hungry croc to get them to replace what they did replace. When I called them to come back and check some more, the first piece they checked broke off in the guy's hand...

The drip edge was new and had been carelessly pried up leaving it bent and rippled, on the top.

Thanks very much for the helpful information. Part of the problem down here is that roofers are overwhelmed with work from last year's hurricane and they're having a hard time keeping laborers, so many are inexperienced. I'm aware of this and have been patient with them and when I've called to complain, I've tried to convey it in such a way that I'm just pointing out oversights. But when this company, or at least one of its reps, is confronted with a complaint they (she) immediately goes into attack mode demonstrating a practiced agility for misrepresentation.

Anyway, your comments suggest I have less to be concerned about than I had thought and I appreciate the help.

Thanks again!

Reply to
al

It doesn't matter whether they removed the tape or not -- the tape is there to keep the shingles from sticking together while bundled from the factory. Once the shingles are installed on the roof, the tape is irrelevant, because it's not touching the tar strip anyway.

Consider:

tar strip ----------+ v shingle ============== ^ tape ---------------+

When installed on the roof:

===================== tape tar ======================= tape tar ===========================

Reply to
Doug Miller

"al" wrote

The tape stays on, it's not supposed to be removed. In fact, the shingle manufacturers now have printed on the tape "Do not remove". They have printed this on the tape for many years.

The tape is on there to keep the shingles from sticking together in the bundles. If the tape were removed b/4 installing, it would be near impossible to replace shingles. Also, if wind were to catch under shingle material, in which the shingles were all stuck together, it would be very likely to rip off the entire roof, instead of pieces.

Don't mess with factory installation procedures, you will void the warranty.

Reply to
Moisés Nacio

Look at the package instructions, or ck. the mfg. website. The instructions for our shingles say that it is not necessary to remove the strip. We had problems with our roof, Elk Prestique Plus (in FL) which were due mainly to poor nailing, but also poor choice of shingle for our roof. We have steep mansards on our roof, and after all was said and done, our city changed code requirements for masards so that now an adhesive is required under each tab on mansard roofs. Also installed in winter, not optimum. After lots of callbacks they have finally quit falling off. 40 yr.

Reply to
Norminn

Sorry, "Moises", but if the tape were removed, replacement issues would be unaffected. As for "messing with factory installation procedures" though, I'll concur. Tom Mois=E9s Nacio wrote: > The tape stays on, it's not supposed to be removed. In fact, the shingle

Reply to
tom

Totally wrong. Just check the instructions on the bundle wrappers. Removing the tape is contrary to the installation instructions.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

So if I'm understanding this now, the tar strip on the bottom of the shingle on which the tape is applied is really just a "residual" artifact from the application of the strip on the top. The tar strip on the bottom obviously has no purpose or it wouldn't be covered, whereas the thin strip on the top is functional. Is that about right?

Reply to
al

Puddin' Man wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Where do you get this info from (aside from your beleif)?

The manufacturer says leave it on in their instructions. The tape itself has do not remove stamped right on it. I have never done it (because I can read and follow instructions). I have NEVER seen ANY pro remove it. The shingles are picked from the stack, dropped in place (if you're real good) and pop-pop-pop-pop (6 pops for mansard or high wind areas).

Reply to
Al Bundy

You are so wrong.

Reply to
JimL

OK. If I (and the OP and his neighbor) were "wrong" about removing the tape, then I cry "Mia Culpa"!

But I've seen construction industry manufacturers etc include all manner of strange, weird, and sometimes flat-out crazy stuff in their instructions ...

So I gotta ask the shingle-cognoscenti some simple questions:

1.) Why do they put the tar strip on the bottom of the shingle (if not to allow bonding with other shingles on install)? 2.) Given that the plastic tape over the tar strip is to prevent bonding -prior- to install, why wouldn't one remove the tape -at- install time to promote bonding???

Is not my impression that shingles are designed to flap in the wind. Is my impression that they are designed to fasten to the outer roof -and- to bond together.

Puddin'

Reply to
Puddin' Man

Absolutely.

They don't put the tar strip on the bottom, they put it half way up just over where the tabs are joined together.

Becuase the plastic strip is also in the middle of the shingle, so that when they're stacked neatly, but you don't apply them to the roof like that, you spread them out, and the tar strip then is hitting a place on the shingle where the plastic ain't and you get fine adhesion.

Correct, and unless you apply them to the roof with a 1" reveal or less, you're going to get that adhesion. The only exception to that would be if the pitch is so steep that you don't have enough pressure on the seal strips in which case the mfg recomends applying adhesive.

Removing the plastic strips is both a waste of time and possibly going to damage the shingles as they're not designed to have that part removed.

John

Reply to
raven

I don't follow that. There is only one tar strip on a shingle, on the top side. I just gave away all my leftovers to my neighbor so I can't play around with them. I think someone else in this thread made a diagram.

Bottom line is that the manufacturer says not to remove them.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

Mea Culpa. I should've reviewed shingle construction and application before responding.

Pudd>Pudd>

Reply to
Puddin' Man

So the black strip on the bottom which the tape covers is not tar then. Just a strip of something black that will allow the tape to adhere to the shingle, to keep them from sticking when bundled. My mistake in thinking that that "stuff" is tar.

Thanks to everyone for clearing this up.

Reply to
al

"tom" wrote

Absolutely incorrect.

I had over 30 years of hands on experience in construction, with an emphasis in trouble shooting leaks & custom roof flashing. I do believe I corrected more jobs, than the average tradesman would ever believe is possible.

Reply to
Moisés Nacio

Yep, you got it.

Reply to
Doug Miller

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