roof shingles

[debodun]

I got tired of going out and picking up roofing shingles that have been blowing off a small area of my back porch roof with all these windy days lately. I shove them back on where I see they have blown off. I finally got the idea of weighing them down with a few bricks. Not aesthetic, but so far, effective. I don't understand why they are so crumbly and pull right off around the nails and they aren't that old. Sometimes I think contractors install used materials to cut costs.

A few years ago I had to have a "patch" done on the main part of the house and the roofer didn't even try to match the color. The newer shingles look silvery next to the dark gray of the original ones. He probably just used some that were left over from another job.

 

[NancyNGA]

Ahh... I have that problem too right now. Are whole shingles coming off or just the bottom half breaking off?

If it's only half shingles coming off...
The roofer should have put a dab or two of tar under the flaps (the bottom halves) of the shingles as he put them on, but it takes time. If this is not done, I think strong winds blow those flaps up and down, if the wind comes from the right direction. Eventually they will get weak at that point, and the bottom half of the shingles will break off. That is happening to my mobile home roof out in the country.

Ideally if it were a new roof, I'd go up, lift them up and put some tar under them, but my roof is old, and I'm afraid I'd just break more by lifting them up and walking over them.

If it's whole shingles coming off...
Sometimes a roofer will use a nail gun, and go so fast he simply misses some of the shingles. That happened to several on my house in town. I hired a handy man to go up and re-nail the loose ones.

If they are half shingles I don't think it would help much to just lay a brick on them. Might even trap water and make it worse. Not sure. My roof is not leaking---yet.

I have learned now what to look out for next time I get a roof.

(Sorry for getting so long-winded )

 

[debodun]

Are whole shingles coming off or just the bottom half breaking off?

A little of each. I think they are so crumbly that they tear apart more and more each time they blow off. There are a few of what looks like whole slabs, but most are "pieces" anywhere from 12" to 4" on a side. I may just have to take a second mortgage out on the house to get the roof repaired. The last time I had roofing done it cost over $5000 for just one dormer.

 

[Don M.]

Asphalt shingles generally last only about 15 years. The sun begins to dry them out, and they start to loosen up...then, any gust of wind begins to lift them up and they will start to crack and break. We had a couple of minor leaks on our roof last year, and I was able to stop it by lifting the shingles in the bad area and spraying some of this flex seal under the shingles, then tacking them down with a brad nailer. Then, I got some estimates on a new roof....both asphalt and metal, and we are scheduled to get a new roof installed in late April/early May...depending upon the weather. I found a company which offers architectural shingles with a 30 year warranty....$6,000. We've been here for 14 1/2 years, so this was expected.

 

[nvtribefan]

How old is the roof?

Patch jobs would be pretty hard to match.