The Importance of Starter Strips
Starter strips are an important and integral part of an asphalt shingle roof system. They aid the roof’s water-shedding function by covering shingle joints (and cutouts in traditional three-tab shingles) at the eaves.
What is starter strip shingles?
Starter strip shingles are long, narrow shingles typically made of asphaltic material. Roofers install them along the edges of the roof after installing the underlayment and before installing the regular shingles.
How many feet does a bundle of starter shingles cover?
Starter Strip shingle is designed to be broken into two pieces, and each piece has its own sealant strip. When separated, each starter shingle is 65 ⁄8″ x 393 ⁄8″, and each bundle will cover approximately 105 lineal feet.
Do you need starter strip on rake?
Applying starter strip shingles should fall on your roof’s eaves and gables or rake edges. Applying it on the eaves helps cover the joints between the finished shingles to provide waterproofing. Installing a starter shingle on your gables carries a different function from using it to the eaves.
Are you supposed to remove the plastic strip on the back of shingles?
The film strips on the back of each shingle are to prevent sticking together of the shingles while in the bundle. Their removal is NOT required during application.
What length should I cut my starter shingles?
Cut 12 inches (30.4 centimeters) off the length of the first shingle that you lay. Then lay down whole tiles to the end of the row, trimming the last shingle so that it fits correctly.
Do you run starter shingles on the rake?
A starter shingle is used to seal with the field shingle at the first course along the eave and rake. This helps prevent wind and water from getting beneath the shingle in this critical location. The underlayment is a secondary water barrier if any moisture gets beneath the shingles.
Does starter strip overhang drip edge?
After installing drip-edge along the eaves, double the first course of shingles or, as shown, install a starter strip. The lower edge of the starter strip overhangs the drip-edge by 1⁄4 in. to 3⁄4 in. —or even 1 in. if bowing eaves or rake boards require it.
How do you measure a starter strip for shingles?
Rake-edge starter shingles
Determine the number of shingles to order for starters by measuring the length of the eaves and rakes, then round up to the nearest foot and divide by three (the length of a shingle).
Can you put a second layer of architectural shingles on a roof?
The quick answer is yes you can re-roof architectural shingles over existing architectural shingles (however you must check with the shingle manufacturer as well). Having said that it will be nearly impossible to get a good looking quality installation.
Why do you put the first row of shingles upside down?
Bad Starter Strip
Some roofers simply take regular shingles, flip them upside down and nail them down as a starter course. The problem with this approach is that it doesn’t allow for proper adhesion between the starter course and the first layer of shingles.
