Replies

1. 
   Piffin | Feb 26, 2005 06:28pm | #1

   They can be, but it is a tedious process. I have laid asphalt shingles in temps down to minus 14°F, but don't recommend it. The labor is a killer.

   A new houise with smooth firm sheathing makes it easier to do it in colder temps. A board sheathing makes it harder. Laying over old makes it nearly impossible.
   Also, if shingles are delivered with ripples from being stacked on pallets, those ripples may become permanently nailed in place.

   for you, the biggest concern is that the shingler knows how to do it in the cold, but also that most manufacturers limit there warrantee to installations above a certain temp, usually 45°F.
   If you live in a wind zone, this is more critical, because the sealdown strip can become coated with dust before it warms enough to become tacky. This will prevent it ever sealing down properly.

    

    

   Welcome to the
   Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
    where ...
   Excellence is its own reward!

1. 
   IBEWChuck | Feb 27, 2005 03:05am | #5

   Perhaps you could explain something to me about the seal down strips on shingles? When the roofers put my roof on I asked them if they shouldn't peel off the protective strip [looked like cellaphane] before nailing the shingle to the roof. The answer I got was something like" yeah, we should, but it takes too long. Besides, your roof is under warranty " Later I  observed another crew installing another brand of shingles with paper covering the seal down strip. I saw no one removing the paper before nailing the shingle. I would think that the seal down material would work much better,especially in cold weather, if this was done. Is my thinking on this skewed?   Thanks in advance.

1. 
   DanH | Feb 27, 2005 03:12am | #6

   The plastic strips on the backs of shingles do not need to be removed.They're arranged so that, when the shingles are stacked in a bundle, the plastic will sit on top of the tar sealing strip of the shingle below. When the shingles are separated the plastic strip (hopefully) remains stuck to the bottom of the top shingle, and the tar strip is exposed. When the shingles are placed on the roof, the plastic strip ends up "uphill" of the tar sealing strip, and so doesn't interfere with the tar strip's function.

2. 
   rasconc | Feb 27, 2005 03:17am | #7

   DanH said it first.  Just read the package on the shingles, it says not to take it off.  At least Certainteed (sp) ones do.

3. 
   MojoMan | Feb 27, 2005 03:43am | #8

   Great story!

   I want that roofer to do my house! He was too damn lazy to remove the strip AND too ignorant to know it wasn't supposed to come off! I can only imagine what other wisdom he brings to his jobs.

   Al Mollitor, Sharon MA

1. 
   Piffin | Feb 27, 2005 03:56am | #10

   LOL. Roofers have fun sometimes with owners whio make that suggestion. Kindf of like the black diamond question here.IBEW mentions the strips on his shingles without being clear about location, but when he speaks of the other roof he saw, he is pretty clear that the strip was on top of the seal strip, so something was letting them come lose from the backs of the shingles to sit on the surfaces, something that occasionally happens.
   I'm curious which it was with IBEWChuck 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

1. 
   MikeSmith | Feb 27, 2005 04:16am | #11

   when the roof needs doin..... there was always barry....

   View Image

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

   Edited 2/26/2005 8:17 pm ET by Mike Smith

2. 
   Gunner | Feb 27, 2005 04:22am | #12

   BTW, How's Barry doing?Free Sancho! 

3. 
   Piffin | Feb 27, 2005 04:46am | #13

   Yeah, what's the update on Barry? Also, what kind of shingles are those. I never saw a four tab shingle before. 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

4. 
   skyecore | Feb 27, 2005 05:14am | #15

   woah.. good eye piffin..that is weird!______________________________________________

   --> measure once / scribble several lines / spend some time figuring out wich scribble / cut the wrong line / get mad

5. 
   MikeSmith | Feb 27, 2005 05:35am | #16

   those are Hatteras..  50 year Certainteed.. probably my favorite shingle..8" exposure.. 9" tab..

   Barry is doing great.. wrote me a letter two weeks ago.. claims he's comming back to Jamestown in the Spring..

    he's living with his son in Albany.. keep the positive vibes flowingMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

6. 
   Sphere | Feb 27, 2005 06:55am | #17

   This was fun this week......... 

   Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

   Restoring, Remodeling, Reclaiming The Quality..

7. 
   MikeSmith | Feb 27, 2005 07:09am | #18

   stand up, hook up , shuffle to the doorMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

8. 
   Gunner | Feb 27, 2005 08:38pm | #19

   Look out below....Oh lord.Free Sancho! 

9. 
   Piffin | Feb 27, 2005 09:46pm | #21

   Good to hear. You scared me for a minute, speaking in past tense, "...there WAS Barry." 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

10. 
    Mooney | Mar 01, 2005 02:53pm | #23

    50 year huh?  Are those shingles doubled ? A full backing behing the face shingle ?

    Face value looks like a 3 tab 15 year, so I figgure its double.

     

    Now , the roof top gaurd . It looks like plastic reinforced tarp like ya buy to cover stuff. Nope, Ive never seen that either. Got any thing to do with ice which we dont have here?

    Tim Mooney

4. 
   Piffin | Feb 27, 2005 03:48am | #9

   The reason the waxed paper or plastic strips are there is to prevent the shingles from sticking together while stored in bundles. If not for that, you would never be able to install them. There is also a talcum powder or cornstarch that helps with this. back in Florida, where it got plenty hot - sometimes so hot that handling asphalt shingles could be like handling wet toilet paper for all the integrity left to them, we sometimes got deliveries of shingles that had been stored outside where rains had washed much of the talcum from between the shingles in the bundle, and the resulting solid block of asphalt would have to get tossed.back to your Q -
   If the paper strips were on the top of the shingle, over the sealdown strip, then yes, it should have been peeled aas they laid them. Normally, those strips will remain adhered to the back side of the shingle where you would never see it. only occasionallywould it come free from there and remain on the face when the individual shingles are peeled fromthe stack. For me, it would only take one swipe with my hatched to peel it away to let the wind take tare of it. If these guys were leaving the paper strips over the seal down, they did you no favors. It remains as a barrier to letting the strip seal to the back of the next shingle and hold it down against high winds. 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

2. 
   hammer1 | Feb 26, 2005 11:53pm | #2

   Roofers have to work. Once things warm up the shingles will stick down, the surface gets pretty warm with just a little sun. You get a lot less damage to the materials when it's cold. I'd much rather do roofs in winter than in the heat. It's a good idea not to jam the shingles too tight in either weather conditions, they will expand slightly. Sometimes the buckling will look like the sheathing wasn't nailed but it's often just expansion of the shingles.

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

1. 
   Piffin | Feb 27, 2005 02:57am | #4

   I'll disagree that you get less damage in cold weather. You get different kinds of damage in different weather conditions, but careless roofers can and will damage the shingles in any conditions and good roofers rarely damage teh materials they install. 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

1. 
   hammer1 | Feb 27, 2005 05:13am | #14

   Unless you can work backwards, your feet damage the surface when the shingles are hot. Even when you are careful a few shingles are going to get stepped on. You won't find too many roofing crews working in their slippers. Crews aren't going to stage every couple of rows unless the roof is too steep to walk on. Given a 35° day in February or a 98° day in August, I'll take February.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

1. 
   Piffin | Feb 27, 2005 09:41pm | #20

   I did thios for twenty years. We worked above theshingles up to a 6/12 pitch, then hung jacks and planks. Never a need to walk on the shingles enough to damage them in hot weather. Par for the course in plenty of places. 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

3. 
   DThompson | Feb 27, 2005 02:40am | #3

   When You rip off an old roof in winter you don't have to worry about rain. Snow becomes a problem because the exposed sheathing becomes slippery sometimes you have to sweep snow 2 or 3 times.

4. 
   JeffBuck | Mar 01, 2005 08:15am | #22

   I'm confused ...

   the thread is titled "shingling in the cold" ...

   then U mention a temp of balmy 25 deg ...

   so whcih do U wanna know about ...

   the cold ...

   or shingling in a balmy 25 deg?

    

   btw ... 25 deg is plenty warm for shingling.

   it's too cold when they freeze and explode from nailing.

   Jeff

     Buck Construction 

      Artistry in Carpentry

           Pgh, PA

1. 
   Mooney | Mar 01, 2005 02:56pm | #24

   What he dont mention is what time it was in the day it was 25 degrees. I picture the guy with the coffe cup holing it with both hands telling the wife hes not going out there , but everyone else is out side working . I had to bring that super bowel commercial up. If it was 25 degrees here it would be at 7am and we would be looking at temps of 50 degrees by 12 pm.

   dada

    

1. 
   MikeSmith | Mar 01, 2005 04:00pm | #25

   tim... every time i see that commercial.. i swear i know that guy.. just can't remeber from where or when..

    the Hatteras ?  single ply, extra thick... 18" x 36"   double glue strip..., 8" exposure... heavy bundles....fast install.. go to Certainteed's site for specs

   The RoofTopGuard II ?   comes 10 sq. to the roll.. (5'x200' )  seals around nails.. is not a stick down.. you put if on with either caps or tins..  you can leave it exposed for 6 months..

    we love it for tear offs... once we have it papered in ( w/ RTG II ) we're safe ..

    it's all we use on roofs now.. i stopped using felt when we switched to RTG II..safer to walk on too... won't tear out.. has a fuzzy non-skid surface.. some think it's slicker than felt.. but i find it easier to walk onMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

2. 
   WayneL5 | Mar 02, 2005 01:42am | #27

   I used to live on the Canadian border where 25° was quite a nice day.  When I saw a new coworker from Carolina walk in on a 40° day looking really cold, I told him it gets worse, imagine it 80° colder!  25 would be quite nice for playing hockey, but it seemed like it might be too cold to work shingles properly.

5. 
   blues_hound | Mar 01, 2005 04:04pm | #26

   If I were you I would get on the phone with the contractor you are looking at now because it may be spring when he can get to it.  Secondly I would not worry about roofing in the cold if your contractor is a good one, if he is good he will not have a problem with fixing a few blown off shingles before spring.

   man found sitting on toilet is said to be high on pot!