How to Install asphalt 3-tab shingle starter course

When you shingle a roof, the starter course is the row under the first course on the roof. By the way a course is a row. We will assume you have already installed roofing felt and flashing over your roof decking.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tools needed:
• Framing hammer
• Tape measure
• Chalk line
• Ladder
• Air operated roof nailer (optional)
• Air compressor roof nailer (optional)
• Materials Needed:
• 3-tab asphalt shingles
• 3/4 inch roofing nails

1. Look at the shingle and note the cutouts on the color side of the shingle, these make the 3 tabs, on the side of the shingle without cutouts there are small slits, these align with the center of the tabs and help you stay centered when you begin to run your courses. The back of the shingle will be smooth with a tar strip covered with a clear plastic strip.

2. You need 1 inch of shingle overhanging your eave so that you have adequate water shedding so that your soffit and fascia don’t get wet and rot. Measure the short width of the shingle and subtract 1 inch, now, with this measurement, measure from the drip edge of the roof back towards the top. Do this on both ends of your roof edge and mark the location. Drive a nail in one mark and hook your chalk line to it, stretch it to the other mark, pull it tight and snap the line. This gives you a reference line for your starter course.

3. Lay the shingles color side up on the reference line with the tabs facing up towards the top of the roof. Nail the shingles thru the tar strip at four places. One nail at each tab cutout and about one inch from the ends. This gives you a waterproof solid shingle surface with one inch of overhang. You are now ready to install your first course of shingles.

[wags99b]

on 9/26/2009 My home was recently inspected for sale and it was discovered that the company that replaced the roof PRIOR to us purchasing the house eight years ago failed to install the starter course of shingles. Aside from the issue I will be taking up with the roofing company, how important is the starter course?

[projectmgr]

on 8/20/2008 The instructions are on the shingle package. Your "starter course" should be comprised of shingles with the lower tabs cut off and facing down so that the first row of shingles will be sitting on the self sealing tar tabs. Make sure to offset the starter course shingles from the first row so the joints don't line up. Or the starter course can be a row of roll roofing or "ice and water shield" material.