My Favorite Roofer

Young_Buck

Thought you guys would get a kick out of this guy.

I was asked to re-roof a garage by a "GC". I have since learned that his qualifications include and are limited to painter's liability insurance and a pickup-truck.

Anyway. Turns out he really just wants someone willing to work, because he sure as hell isn't going to do tear off, clean up, or carry shingles. Turns out he doesn't really want to lay them either. Think he's afraid he'd scuff up his pretty knuckles.

Anyway. He doesn't let me lay the roof the way I want to, because it's apparently incorrect. So get this.

Along the eaves, we cut starter shingles (ripped the tabs off 3-tab shingles), and laid them upside down (so that when you look up, you see stone!), peeled the plastic wrap off the back top side to "activate the tar strip" which will apparently hold down the bottom of the first course. Same thing along all the rakes. I would have run starter just at the eaves, with the tar-bead along the edge.

He tried to convince me to pull the plastic strips off the back of every shingle, saying that if we left them on, the roof will fail. I flat out refused. I might have just done it, but wasting that much time felt like extorting bucks from the HO.

8" galvanized drip edge, and he insisted on a 1/4" overhang, measured precisely with a 4" combo square. He assures me that his 4" combo square is the "best tool he's ever had".

Here's a question, though, because there's one thing that I'm not 100% convinced he's wrong about: laying shingles, do you guys leave an overhang past your drip edge? I have always run it flush.

world llc

even if you (the guy u worked for) didn't even know what a shingle was, there are instructions on proper instalation on or in every bundle! some even in spanish!!!

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A. Spruce

Yes, I do. IMHO it just looks better and it helps prevent water from going under the shingle at the edge. I don't measure though, I just use my finger as a guide.

JonM

...Read the directions...they pay allot of money for those things....

oh...and before you start...both of you should retire...

red_cedar

I had a guy who started to run the starters upside down so they sealed to the drip edge ( gutter apron ) then was going to run the shingles. The shingles were GAF/ Elk
whose tar strip is on the bottom underside. At first I thought what the f;;;; is he doing. Its not the way I do things but I try not to be closed minded either.
He ended up doing it the way I told him.

Grumpy

Nothing wrong with running a starter at the rakes. That's how we do it on every job. Obviously you'd want to do it face up however.

Overhang past the drip edge is the way it's supposed to be everywhere, except FL.

Consider reading the CertainTeed Shingle Applicator manual. I keep one within arms reach of me and has all the answers of how to properly install a roof.

232323

I have always kept my shingles flush with the roof edge, mainly because its too easy to damage the edge of the shingles with ladders or any other object if there is any overhang. Many houses here don't have gutters, so the edge of the shingle is left exposed.

Renegade

umm, wow

Young_Buck

Directions on the IKO shingles we had on site didn't specifically contradict anything he said, and believe me I looked. I always check instructions for shingles, anyway to make sure I don't void warrantees.

Oh, and JonM? I'm way too young to retire. I love what I do, and I'm great at it. I acknowledge that I have a lot to learn and a long way to go. I get all everyday to the guys who make a construction business work (unless you're a bag of who shuts down every 7 years to avoid liability). Thank you for your opinion, but .

bcdemon

So he wants you to pull off the strip that usually says "DO NOT REMOVE"? Crazy. Pull those off a Certainteed shingle and see how far the warranty goes.

As for upside down starters, I don't know of one brand that instructs to do that, so don't.

Starters up the rake edge that way you only have 3-5 shingle joins going up as opposed to 20 or 30. And cut a little off the top of each starter on an angle (like a 1/2 inch) so water won't track into the roof.

JonM

You may have read the back of the package...but you haven't looked and educated yourself in advance....you look for a solution after you find a problem....This took me 2 minutes to locate on IKO's web site...you should think about things in advance...that is one of the most important aspects of what a GC does...think 2-3 or more steps ahead

http://www.iko.com/shared/residentia...eleaseFilm.pdf

Also spend a half hour at the movies...

http://www.iko.com/advantage/advanta...task=Blueprint

Young_Buck

Jon:

I'd installed IKO shingles before. I knew the instructions. I looked at the wrappers on site so that I could try to show this fool he was wrong. I know that part of my job is researching before hand. This is a light hearted thread about how some doofus asked me to peel the plastic off the back of every shingle. So why you gettin' all heavy on me bra?

JonM

Just passing some information along...don't take it personal....