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wanglisc

the shingles are not lying flat

wanglisc
9 years ago

I got my roof shingles replaced by a contractor one month ago, but the shingles are still not lying flat, and I talked to the manager about this issue when they finished the work, and he told me it is quite normal, and it would be lying flat after two weeks. But it is not true.

Is it normal if the shingles are not flat at the beginning, or the workers didn't install the shingles properly. Thank you.

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Comments (17)

  • roof35
    9 years ago

    I can't see the cut outs for a 3 tab shingle. So, I'm assuming these are "architectural/dimensional" shingles. It's hard to tell from the angle of the photo, but from the supplied photo, it appears to be the normal look "if" they are architectural.

    Here is a link that might be useful: An architectural look

  • wanglisc
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you so much for your reply, the shingles they used are GAF Timberline HD shingles, and I checked the GAF website, they are architectural.

  • snoonyb
    9 years ago

    What the contractor told you was true.

    What was omitted was "really warm days".

  • kats737
    9 years ago

    We had the same shingles put on our house in Chicago in very early spring.. My husband was concerned about the same thing.

    The did flatten out a bit more after a summer and now are normal architectual look. I think you will be fine, but I would double check your contractors' guarantee for terms of labor in case this is a bad job or something.

  • Vertise
    9 years ago

    Why would random shingles look like they are popping up and why will they flatten later rather than at install?

    I notice some roofs have a few shingles that are peaked. Isn't this a problem for water and snow getting underneath? Sometimes I see them along the gutter line.

  • snoonyb
    9 years ago

    An architectural shingle is a multiple ply and when installed cold from a set that was not necessarily flat, they appear as deformed and will flatten later.

  • roof35
    9 years ago

    "Why would random shingles look like they are popping up and why will they flatten later rather than at install? "

    From the supplied photo, it appears normal for an "architectural" shingle. Architectural shingles are laminated, and will never appear to lay flat like a non laminated shingle such as a 3 tab or 4 tab. It's because of optical illusion, the laminated part fools the eye.

    There very well may be some nail pops, someone over lapped the butt edge, or shingles installed dropped below where they should be. But from the photo angle & pitch of roof, they appear normal for a laminated shingle. Look at any pictures of laminated shingles, from the same view and angle as the photo.

  • tim45z10
    9 years ago

    It's possible some of the packages were not laying flat prior to installation and will have taken a set in cold weather.

  • live_wire_oak
    9 years ago

    We did architectural shingles on our shop 15 years ago now, and from below, they look almost the same. Maybe slightly flatter in some areas. But, you will get a "bumpy" look with architectural. It's part of why you choose them.

  • Vertise
    9 years ago

    I must look at this on a better monitor, but based on the OP's concerns (and seeing something that looks crazy sloppy from here, but might be a distorted image), I will say that we put on architectural style and they looked great at install. Neat and uniformly textured appearance. I also see plenty of applications of them around here and all are uniform and neat (with the exception of sometimes seeing one or two shingles on a roof popped up different from the rest, like above). They don't look rumpled and sporadically, erratically, raised as above (which is what it looks like on my screen). They are a stable pattern.

    Drive around and see if other roofs look like yours. Ask your friends and neighbors who can see it in real life. Send the manufacturer some clear photos from various distances and angles to see what they say.

    Maybe they will flatten out. Pay by credit card so you have recourse and protection.

  • elleau
    9 years ago

    What month did they install the shingles? Is your roof getting enough sun or it is shaded by trees?

    When roof shingles have just been placed, they look uneven with a raised appearance because the adhesive used was not totally 'melt down' yet. But when the roof gets enough heat from the sun, they must soften, lie flat, forming a permanent seal.

  • Vertise
    9 years ago

    This looks the same on a better monitor. Like cr#p. I have never seen the architecturals install like this and don't understand why some are saying it's fine. The beauty of dimensional shingles? Interesting to say the least. To each his own, discerning a quality job.

    Best of luck and protect yourself in the event they don't flatten and even out. At a month in, find out how long this should take, because this does not look correct in my experience. It's a popular style around here.

    This post was edited by snookums2 on Fri, Dec 19, 14 at 20:24

  • mag77
    9 years ago

    Don't worry, it's normal, they'll flatten out in warm weather.

  • wanglisc
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you so much for the replies. I really appreciate it.

    The new roof was installed in November, and all the shingles are new, and the old shingles are completely removed. I am living in Chicago area, and the highest temp after the installation is 55 degree (only 2-3 days), most of the time, the temp is around 35 degree.

    I really hope the shingles will eventually flatten out in summer, but whether the adhesive in the shingles still does its work after 5-6 months?

  • norar_il
    9 years ago

    We had shingles put on last year in the fall and on one section of the roof they did the same thing, only I think ours were worse -- looked almost like ocean waves in places! They would look more bumpy on some days than on others.

    We thought it was due to installer error, the installer -- no surprise -- disagreed and said they would improve. The good news is they did finally settle down and are now flat. I still wonder why it was only on one place on the roof and not on others. Like yours, the old roof had been removed.

  • Vertise
    9 years ago

    Please do post back what happens and how long it took to flatten out.

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