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My house is new construction and approaching its one year warranty anniversary mid April.

The house has its back to a cornfield where it gets pretty windy.. i think the highest this year way 65mph.. a couple times. These are 3 tab asphalt shingles not architectural ones. 

I have had a few occurances after they have set on a hot day with some pieces of shingles blowing off here and there. 

When these were installed, it was around Feburary of 2016, so they didn't correctly ser until April or May.. we had a few instances where they blew off badly from wind because they were flopping around before setting. They were corrected before move in.

So far the builder says the roof spot repairs fall under the one year warranty.. after that i am on my own per them, but clearly im fighting it. 

When these were installed in winter, were they supposed to be manually sealed or glued in anyway to prevent what happened during cold months?

Below are a few pictures of the shingles blowing in the wind after first installed, and recently with a few missing shingles. Could these shingles be a side effect from improper installation? Or just not able to withstand the wind.. if the latter, well what to i do other than spot trear shingles blowing off every year?

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    It's common for "builders" to use the cheapest shingles they can, to reduce building costs. To make matters worse, they often install the shingles in the cold winter months so that the builder can be productive all year round. These two factors often lead to exactly the problem you're seeing. Unfortunately for you, you're probably going to be patching the roofing until you replace it.
    – Tester101
    Mar 29, 2017 at 11:10
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    Thanks tester. Apparently the warranty is only for 54mph... anything more to them is considered "an act of god" thats a joke.. 55mph is act of god wind. I tell you i def learned a lot from this process. And that is no matter how friendly they (all builders) seem, or no matter the "quality" products they claim to be giving you they are all full of shit and don't be afraid to challange them or give them a hard time. In the end they ust want your money and can care less about you.
    – eaglei22
    Mar 29, 2017 at 12:26
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    When shopping for shingles, you'll hear terms like "25 year shingles", "30 year shingles", etc. This is usually the warranty term, and gives you an indication of how long the roof should last. Those shingles, are 5 year shingles (at best). They typically just barely outlast the home warranty.
    – Tester101
    Mar 29, 2017 at 12:45
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    When you do replace the roofing, make sure they strip the roof . You don't want those crap shingles under the new roofing material. And make sure it's installed in the summer, so that the shingles can seal properly.
    – Tester101
    Mar 29, 2017 at 12:49
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    Yes, get a highly rated roofing company to do the inspection. While they're there, get a quote on a new roof.
    – Tester101
    Mar 29, 2017 at 12:59

2 Answers 2

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It's good that the roof is not leaking (you didn't mention that) but improper installation will create leaks in the future. So, verifying a few key items and then officially notifying your builder (by certified, return receipt mail) of incorrect installation will protect your rights. I'd check the following:

  1. Number of nails in each shingle: Each roofing manufacturer requires a certain number of nails into each shingle, usually 4 minimum. Depending on your location, it could be 5 or 6, depending if you are located in a "high wind area". (Where I live, 65 mph winds would require 5 nails per shingle.) You'll find this info on each wrapper around each bundle of shingles. If no wrapper is around, you can find it on the manufacturer's website. If you don't know the name of the manufacturer, call the builder.

  2. Nail Placement: I see this wrong on a lot of jobs. If nails are placed too high, then the nail will not penetrate the top of the shingle on the layer directly below. Nails should be above the top of the cut out in the 3-tab shingle, but about 1" below the mastic strip. Most roofers want to nail "in" the mastic strip. This is bad for two reasons: a) it misses the shingle directly below, so there are only 4 nails holding the shingle on the roof instead of 8 nails, and b) it creates a little dip in the shingle because it causes the shingle to bend down over the top edge of the lower shingle.

  3. Lack of Hand-Tabbing: Most shingles do NOT require hand tabbing, unless you are in a "high wind area". Hand tabbing is placing a quarter size dab of roofing mastic "by hand" under each shingle. However, most roofing manufacturers require hand tabbing "if the shingles have not self-sealed in a sufficient time." This is a bit arbitrary, but "sufficient time" means "within the guarantee period." (You can get that confirmed by the roofing manufacturer.) So, the way to test this is to go up on the roof and try to lift a shingle tab (bend a shingle tab up). I'd try about a third of the shingle tabs. The roofer will tell you the shingles will "self tab" down. That means they anticipate the sun heating the shingle up until it sticks to the mastic strip under each tab. The problem is that it may not get warm enough in your area or the nails are not set flush and the nails are holding the shingles up above the mastic strip. (See #7, below.)

  4. Too large of exposure: Three tab shingles should have only a 5 5/8" exposure. Most roofers will stretch that to 6" or 6. 1/2". That gives the opportunity for the wind to lift more of the shingle and creates improper nailing, (missing the top of the lower shingle, etc.)

  5. Too short of nails: Nails should completely penetrate the plywood. Can you see the nails from inside the attic?

  6. Roof sheathing is too thin: 1/2" plywood or 5/8" particle board minimum, I think. Check with manufacturer. Again, this info is on the wrapper.

  7. Nails or staples are not set flush: That is to say the nails are held up slightly (maybe 1/8") which keeps the shingle from self-sealing.

These are the things that lead to blow off, but other typical bad roofing issues are: A) no starter course, B) shingle ends are not staggered, C) blown off shingles not repaired correctly and the holes in the paper underlayment not sealed correctly where nails have withdrawn from blow off.

One thing that seems odd is that various shingles are blowing off. Usually, one shingle blows off and it takes 10-12 more shingles above it in a "V" shape pattern. This indicates to me, that the nails are not in the correct position below the mastic strip, (see item #2, above.)

Also, where I live, by law, roofing has to be guaranteed for 2 years not 1 year. So, your guarantee period may go another year. You can verify that with your state's Construction Contractors Board (CCB). Also, check the roofing manufacturer's wrapper.

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  • Thanks Lee for all the great i formation . No i do not see one nail from the attic. I will post a picture i had taken. Of the light, but shows the ceiling.
    – eaglei22
    Mar 29, 2017 at 12:35
  • The roof in the rear is about 30ft from the ground. So i planned on hiring an inspector from a roofing company.. the shingles were laid in February i believe and they definitely were nlt glued down.. and from tbe pictures above the shingles blew off twice.
    – eaglei22
    Mar 29, 2017 at 12:37
  • Particle board on a roof? Not on my watch. Perhaps you meant OSB. Around here, 1/2" OSB is the de facto standard. Good answer otherwise.
    – isherwood
    Mar 29, 2017 at 14:20
  • Wow, no nails penetrating the roof sheathing. How did they do that? Good move to have an expert review the roof.
    – Lee Sam
    Mar 29, 2017 at 16:20
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    Get an expert opinion and the tell the builder you want a new roof or compensation to get one put on. Tell him your lawyer will be in touch.
    – BrianK
    Mar 30, 2017 at 3:31
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Had a licensed contractor come and inspect my roof. These were his findings:

  • Shingles revealed high nailing patterns not consistent with manufactures installation requirements.

  • Nails were consistently over driven and/or not flush.

  • All slopes showed evidence of improper nailing patterns

  • Previous repairs were completed in unsatisfactory fashion. Wind damaged shingles were not removed and replaced, the damaged shingles were glued in place.

  • The overall condition of this 25 year 3-tab roofing system is "Poor" based on improper installation.

I attached pictures. What a shame. Inspection took place today, showed the builder my evidence, along with some strong words. Awaiting their response.

http://imageshack.com/a/img924/8687/0onjRI.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img924/8072/uUWtCA.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img922/1356/VVUwTl.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img923/6800/0umPGx.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img924/5292/J3rXzM.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img923/8106/Vog0AB.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img923/6155/nZNuzs.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img923/8168/dctexv.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img923/873/l5gstc.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img922/944/TyaGLl.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img924/9531/AbcCu5.jpg

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  • So, I see too great of exposure, damaged shingles and improper nailing. I would guess the shingles are not sealed either, if you can pick them up and photograph the nails. Don't forget to notify both the General Contractor (the company you signed the contract with) and the roofing company in writing (certified mail with return receipt).
    – Lee Sam
    Apr 2, 2017 at 4:28
  • @Lee I read on the internet it is acceptable to glue down with roofing glue torn or ripped shingles.. is this really acceptable? Especially on a brand new roof?
    – eaglei22
    Apr 2, 2017 at 4:30
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    No, that is repair for old roofs without a guarantee. Glue / mastic applied shingles are not acceptable for guarantee. Also, it needs to be replaced because of the improper nailing and that some shingles have too much exposure. The installation requirements are mandatory...not a recommendation.
    – Lee Sam
    Apr 2, 2017 at 4:35
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    Remember to turn your claim into the Construction Contractors Board (CCB) in your state too. Good luck.
    – Lee Sam
    Apr 2, 2017 at 5:07
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    @mjuarez Yes. Given the evidence they ended up replacing the roof.
    – eaglei22
    Apr 19, 2018 at 0:43

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