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shingle starter course

mtlhabsfan | Posted in Construction Techniques on September 30, 2009 02:37am

It’s been many years since I installed any roofing thus, I have never installed any architectural shingles and am not familiar with common practices. Just looked at a house that had water getting in at the eave. Newer architectural shingles with aluminum drip edge applied over top of ice and water shield. The installer didn’t use any starter course of shingles (on three tab we would cut the single on the sealant line and install it bottom side towards the top and stagger the cut end to fall under the middle of a tab). I don’t know if the lack of a starter course caused the leak but I am wondering if I am wrong to presume that some sort of starter course is needed 1)by code and 2)to preserve manf. warranty?

Also, before ice and water shield we would install the tar paper (15# felt) OVER the aluminum drip edge at the eave and under the drip edge on the gable ends. Is this method out of date too?

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  1. Piffin | Sep 30, 2009 02:49pm | #1

    I've always installed the tarpaper first, then the metal drip edge. There is disagreement on this with good opinion on boith sides.

    Now, with I&W, I run it first, then the metal, with a 6" strip[ of vycor over the metal top edge.

    To the original problem, starter course IS definitely required. Somebody goofed.

     

     

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    1. rez | Sep 30, 2009 03:19pm | #4

      Don't forget to mention the I&W gets 3/4inch 90'd over the edge of the sheathing before the dripedge is placed. 

    2. mtlhabsfan | Oct 01, 2009 02:12am | #6

      Thanks for the reply- I too thought that the second strip of ice and water would be the answer.

  2. MikeHennessy | Sep 30, 2009 02:52pm | #2

    Don't know about code or warranty, but I'm pretty sure the instructions on every bundle of shingles I've ever looked at shows starter courses. Otherwise, every slot between the tabs and joint between shingles would have nothing under them but, in your case, I&W -- is that how it was installed? Really NO starter course, or just something under the first course that you would not characterize as a "starter course"?

    Mike Hennessy
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Everything fits, until you put glue on it.

    1. MikeSmith | Sep 30, 2009 03:16pm | #3

      we do the belt & suspenders with I&W  just like Piffen...

      my roofing subs do I&W,  then  the drip edge... then starting course

      you can make your own starters from 3-tab... or BUY the starter  shigles that the mfr makes

      you need a starter for 3 reasons :

       one  ---warranty

      two--- appearance... the bottom course will not lay at the same angle as the succeeding courses

      three----wind resistance:  the starter course has the adhesive on it to hold down the first course

       Mike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

      1. mtlhabsfan | Oct 01, 2009 02:17am | #8

        Thanks Mike- you confirmed my thoughts on all issues.

    2. mtlhabsfan | Oct 01, 2009 02:16am | #7

      Thanks Mike- ya no starter course of any kind under the first full row of shingles. I wasn't sure that it might not be necessary because with arch. shingles they butt together tightly- not like having the cut-out of three tabs exposed to the weather.

  3. jimAKAblue | Sep 30, 2009 03:31pm | #5

    Water is getting in at the eave? How wide is the eave? Where is the water showing up?

    Starter shingles are the best value. They are less expensive than cutting a 3 tab down.

    1. mtlhabsfan | Oct 01, 2009 02:23am | #9

      Thanks for the reply Jim. The water is getting in above a bow window, running across the head board and exiting into the home at the casing. No separate roof for the bow, they just added vertical siding between the top of the bow and the under side of the over hang which still sticks out past the vertical siding by an inch or two.

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