Installation Errors

Installing asphalt shingles is not a suitable activity for amateurs. While installation of an asphalt shingle roof can be basic in theory, the devil is in the details, and it is much more complicated than most people would assume. Roofing contractors have great responsibility – responsibility that extends well beyond making sure a roof is leak-proof when the job is finished.

By applying shingles to a deck, the installer is affirming that the deck and underlying structure are suitable for the material being installed. By attesting that the shingle manufacturer’s warranty is valid, the installer is affirming that all of the manufacturer’s conditions to make the warranty effective have been met – conditions that are more rigid than the roofing contractor and the property owner realize. By performing work under a building/construction permit that references a particular building code, the installer must hold his workmanship and the entire roof system against the rigid requirements of modern codes.

Unfortunately, there are little or no barriers to entering this industry and no prerequisites in order to certify oneself as an experienced roofing contractor. Roof installation is hard work, and given the extreme competition and shortage of experienced labor in this industry, errors, mistakes, shortcuts, and other problems are an inevitable consequence. Installation errors, mistakes, and damages are very common in asphalt shingle roofs – human error is perhaps a greater cause of asphalt shingle roof problems than all other potential culprits combined.

Donan Engineering studies asphalt shingles and the roofs they cover from inception in a manufacturing plant to disposal in a landfill. We’re familiar with the challenges that a competent asphalt shingle roofing contractor faces, and we strive to place ourselves in the shoes of the contractor when studying these roofs and interpreting how and why installation errors, mistakes, and damages occur.