Bel Air, MD · Member since 2014 · 119 posts · 36 votes
I have a two year old shingled roof on a rental house in Dundalk, MD (Rowhome). This past Saturday a section of the shingles blew off. We had winds in the 30-40 mph range (gusts). The roofing company does not want to honor the repair under warranty. I didn't see any other homes on the block with missing shingles. I could understand if we had near hurricane level winds, but gusts 30-40, I think the shingles should stay in place. I have a pic, can't figure out how to post it though. Would you push them to cover the repair as part of the warranty? I do have a 10 year warranty, but they say it's for leaks, not shingles being blown off due to wind.
I don't know how anyone can say that's an incorrectly installed shingle based on that picture. Shingles can whip around, crease and break off in a number of ways with strong winds.
We're not saying it based on that picture. We're saying it because the roof is only 2 yrs old and the wind gusts were only 30-40mph. Properly installed, they should be able to withstand winds twice that speed. It appears they were either short-nailed (3 nails instead of 4) or applied using a nailgun with the pressure set too high (over-driven).
@rob gribben: Having seen the pic, it's odd that they wouldn't just come and fix it. It wouldn't take long. If you were closer, I'd come do it for you!
Contractor · Raleigh, NC · Member since 2014 · 651 posts · 510 votes
10y
@Rob Gribben Properly installed shingles should not have blown off at that wind speed and the likely culprit is improper fastening. Did they even come out to look?
If you know the shingle manufacturer, you can ask that they send a rep to come inspect. Verification by them that the shingles were improperly installed, could perhaps be used to convince the roofer to fix it.
If they still refuse, then practically speaking, you're probably stuck but at least you know whom not to recommend.
Bel Air, MD · Member since 2014 · 119 posts · 36 votes
10y
@Art Allen I've asked my tenant to save the shingles that blew off, and I'll be able to see how many nails they used. They were 3-tab shingles. Thanks for the info, i'll see if I can get the shingles, and see how many nail holes there are.
Contractor · Baldwin City, KS · Member since 2015 · 16 posts · 6 votes
10y
Squeaky wheel gets the grease.... If its not covered under warranty it should be covered by your insurance. If you are unable to do the repairs yourself, a handyman probably shouldn't charge very much to lace in a few shingles. It doesn't sound like anything more than an hours work.
Contractor · Baldwin City, KS · Member since 2015 · 16 posts · 6 votes
10y
@art allen . After thinking about this a little more, Im wondering if it is more about the failure of the adhesive strip than it is being improperly fastened. Maybe both.
Contractor · Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2013 · 112 posts · 67 votes
10y
And I would agree with @Dustin Strahle. The adhesive strip prevents the shingle from lifting up in the wind. Once the front of the shingle lifts up in a 30 mph wind, you're odds of losing a three tab are pretty good. That is why it's not a great idea to shingle in the winter months if you live in northern climates. It takes heat to adhere that strip. Any chance the lost shingle is from the north side or a shaded part of the roof?
Contractor · Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2013 · 112 posts · 67 votes
10y
That looks like a whole section of shingles right up to the ridge cap missing. Looking suspiciously like installer error but of course, can't tell for sure from an image. Wish I could zoom in. Is the felt installed vertically? If so, that too is wrong.
Frederick, MD · Member since 2015 · 654 posts · 256 votes
10y
I'm with @Chris Christianson... the way the edge of the felt paper is lifting - it almost looks like it was installed with the slope of the roof instead of across the roof's width...? Additionally, very unlikely that the shingles, nails and all were removed so cleanly in such a nice neat square. I'm questioning whether they were nailed down with proper fasteners at all.
Anyway, if there is a 10 year warranty, why are they saying they won't fix it given that it's only two years into it? Even if the warranty is for leaks and not shingles that blow off, shingles no longer in place will surely lead to leaks...
Contact the MHIC - that's what they're there for... if they're licensed, you may have recourse (although they are prejudiced against folks who own more than three properties).
Rental Property Investor · Tulsa, OK · Member since 2014 · 241 posts · 187 votes
10y
@Rob Gribben As a commercial contractor here in Florida I agree with @Chris Christianson. This is an incorrectly installed shingle and it does appear that the felt is installed incorrectly as well. Each state is different but typically a contractor, certainly a roofing contractor, must hold a state license in order to provide this type of service to the public. Follow the link below to search for the contractors licensing status.
http://www.dllr.state.md.us/pq/
This will give you an idea of the direction you can take. I would speak directly with the owner of the roofing company and explain the situation clearly. You are not asking for a reroof, just a warranty repair. If he refuses then explain that you will have to take the next step. I would not spell out your next steps, let them ponder on it.
First - file a complaint complete with photos of the roof, the shingles that released, and the weather report from the day of incident. No contractor wants formal complaints on their license.
Second - contact your REI attorney and have him draft a letter stating that you are requesting the warranty repair, no more at this point. The contractor should get the point as he sees this is elevating.
Third - No response, take the contractor to small claims. I cannot imagine you not winning this one. Roofs are installed to a design wind speed of 75 mph even in Maryland I believe.
Fourth - File an insurance claim if the value of the roof damage exceeds your deductible. You may even find the roof needs reroofed after further inspection if they installed with improper fasteners or not enough. Obviously something went wrong on the install already.
Good luck to you and get that roof covered up after taking lots of photos for evidence.
Investor · Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2015 · 374 posts · 120 votes
10y
I don't know how anyone can say that's an incorrectly installed shingle based on that picture. Shingles can whip around, crease and break off in a number of ways with strong winds.
Rental Property Investor · Cedar Park, TX · Member since 2014 · 414 posts · 272 votes
10y
Read the full text of the warranties from the manufacturer and installer. If they're vague, you are left with the interpretations suggested here. If they're specific, that should answer the question about coverage.
Los Gatos, CA · Member since 2014 · 20 posts · 15 votes
10y
Were the nails removed too? if they're still in the roof, it'd suggest that they were overdriven through the shingle--a common problem when the pneumatic pressure is set too high.
Professional Auctioneer · Baltimore, MD · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
10y
Good luck with your roofing company, we are doing some commercial roofing and discovered that this particular roofer is just not responsible. He recently bid on a job for us and he was $10,000 lower, we elected to not give him the business because of his past performance. (I bet it is the same roofer).
Bel Air, MD · Member since 2014 · 119 posts · 36 votes
10y
Thanks everyone for the feedback and opinions. It is the felt paper that you see in the photo, and I would have to agree that it's not installed correctly. The contractor went over and repaired it last night in the dark, after 3 days of constant calling and texting, finally his wife made him go, probably because she was sick of hearing from me. Obviously I was panicked given that they called for, and we got at least an inch of rain today. Water would have gone right into the attic for sure. My tenant mentioned to me that he overheard them talking about the 2 inch overhang off the edge, which sounds excessive to me. I'm thinking that could be a major contributor, especially with wind hitting the roof next door to my house, which sits a few inches lower than mine.
construction · Nacogdoches, TX · Member since 2011 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
10y
I used to have a roofing division on my company and I can tell you that 2" OH is not what you need. I was even licensed for it in Florida which is the most stringent in the US. For starters, in a few more years they will be hanging down with age and look horrible. They also catch the wind as you have found out.
As far as your warranty, you can forget that. There will be a clause in all shingle warranties that state they will not warrantee the product if it is not installed properly. That immediately voids the warranty from the day they walk off the job.
I don't know how anyone can say that's an incorrectly installed shingle based on that picture. Shingles can whip around, crease and break off in a number of ways with strong winds.
We're not saying it based on that picture. We're saying it because the roof is only 2 yrs old and the wind gusts were only 30-40mph. Properly installed, they should be able to withstand winds twice that speed. It appears they were either short-nailed (3 nails instead of 4) or applied using a nailgun with the pressure set too high (over-driven).
@rob gribben: Having seen the pic, it's odd that they wouldn't just come and fix it. It wouldn't take long. If you were closer, I'd come do it for you!
Bel Air, MD · Member since 2014 · 119 posts · 36 votes
10y
They did finally repair it, but was a hassle, and wanted to get paid for it. Obviously I'm not paying him for it, and will be looking for a new roofing contractor next time.
construction · Nacogdoches, TX · Member since 2011 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
10y
@Account Closed I agree Art. Its hard to tell but it even looks like the nails came up with the singles. Maybe the nails were only 3/4" and/or the decking was too thin. Maybe they were staples and didn't hold. We use 6 nails per shingle now. Its what I learned in Miami Dade codes and it only costs maybe 20-30 bucks extra per roof.