Now in case you haven’t noticed already, there are tons of good articles on asphalt shingles online that are centered around how they are made, what types are available, and how to install them on a roof. Even so, there is one topic that seems to have been passed over, and that’s what I like to call the “pitfalls”.
It’s the “stuff” that no one wants to talk to you about because let’s face it. People for the most part, like to give you feel good information. No one wants to tell you all the things that can go wrong on a roof, because quite frankly, there are quite a few of them. So having noted that fact, please allow me to inform you about all the ways you can screw things up with asphalt shingles.
The First Possible Screw Up to Watch Out for
It all starts out when you’re buying them and if you look on the side of each shingle package it will have clearly printed on it “Do not stack more than two pallets loads high”. Now of course you’re not buying pallet loads for your roof, so that warning is for the people working in the yard you’re buying them from.
Go out back and have a look
Now this warning is put there because if asphalt shingles are stacked more than two pallets high, the pressure will cause them to fuse together along the tar strip on each shingle. Now in some cases the shingles can be worked apart if they’re cold, but even then the tar seal will be compromised.
So are the roof yard guys careful not to stack asphalt shingles more then two pallets high? The answer to that is most of the time yes, and some of the time no, so it’s up to you to check. If possible, go and look where they are stored as they’re loading your truckload, or at the very least let the person at the counter know about your concerns, so they can find some other sucker to unload their smashed asphalt shingles on.
Your Second Possible Screw Up to Not Do
You need to get your asphalt shingles loaded “on your roof” when they’re are delivered because if you get them on the ground you are screwed. You see, most folks and you may be one of them, have never had the pleasure of humping 100 or so bundles of asphalt shingles up a ladder and onto a roof, one miserable load at a time.
Loading asphalt shingles the easy way
Trust me. You don’t want to find out what it’s like and keep in mind that as the day drags on and gets warmer, the bundles sag and ride on your shoulder like a sack of potatoes. It’s an all day job and it can be completely avoided if you just do one thing.
That is that you must insist that they be loaded on your roof when you order them, and that if they can’t do it you will buy your asphalt shingles elsewhere. Don’t worry because all the roofing supply yards have at least one truck that’s equipped with a conveyer boom, so they can do it.
The problem for them is that quite often the roof loading truck is booked up with a cramped delivery schedule, so they will try to sucker people into taking their loads on the ground. It also takes more then one person to load asphalt shingles from a truck to a roof, and only one man to ground load them.
Your Third Possible Screw Up to Avoid
Make sure that you get two separate lengths of nails, or staples. You see, you will need shorter nails, or staples when you’re working over exposed eves, and the longer ones for when your out on the open roof. Go outside and take a look for yourself, and you can see what I’m referring to.
He's getting close to the exposed eve
Try to understand that if your decking is say, 5/8 inch plywood and your asphalt shingles are, say a little over 3/8 inch when two are stacked on top of each other, then if you’re using nails or staples that are longer then that, the excess is going to pop through the back side of the roof decking. It’s simple math.
Now that’s no problem out in the open roof area. However; when you get over an exposed eve, it is a problem because anything that pops through there will be plainly visible to anyone outside your home who looks up. Simply keep a few racks of shorter nails in your bag, so you can drop them in your gun, or hand pound them when your over an eve.
Your Fourth Possible Screw Up to Step Over
Make sure that you lap your asphalt shingles well and if you have a roofer doing the work, make sure that he gives an adequate lap. Now the steeper the pitch of your roof, the less critical it is, but just the same, even with a steep pitch 6/12 and up you want a nice lap for looks.
This is the minimum lap for asphalt shingles
However; for a lesser pitched roof like, say a 3/12 pitch, if you fail to lap your shingles well, in windy storms rainwater can be driven up under the shingles to create a leak. A leak that can be a real nightmare to fix because your roof is installed, and there really is nothing that can be patched.
In fact folks have been known to completely tear off a perfectly good roof to do it all over again as a result of these types of windblown water problems on poorly lapped roofs. So if your live in an area that’s prone to heavy storms that pack a lot of wind, you need to contact a local roofer to see how much they lap their asphalt shingles.
Also be aware that roofers who are paid to install asphalt shingles have been known to adjust up the gauges on their guns to shorten the lap to put some ill gotten money in their pocket. You see, a shorter lap means fewer shingles to install per square. Plus they’ll take home the extra bundles that are left over as a result.
Your Fifth Possible Screw Up to Not Do
This last warning has to deal with your ladder, and how you use it when you’re installing asphalt shingles on a roof. First of all, make sure that you put some blocks of wood in your gutter, so you don’t smash it in as you go up and down the ladder. Also some cloth padding tied on the end of it will prevent paint chipping, and scratching.
Don't smash the rain gutter
Also make sure that it extends at least four feet beyond the top of your roof where you get on, and off it, or it will tend to be unstable and hazardous to use. Still yet, one more thing to remember, is that if you aren’t leaning it against a gutter then place a block of wood behind it at the top, so it doesn’t smash the shingles at the edge of your roof.
Lastly, be aware that asphalt shingles become soft as the day warms up and constant foot traffic to, and from your ladder can leave a huge ugly scar on your roof. One solution is to lay down sheets of plywood near your ladder, place it in a shady area, or to periodically move your ladder around your home, so the traffic is spread out to different roof areas.