I started the roof today, got about 25% (about 4 square) tore off and underlayment applied. I also tore my chimney down and redecked over it, which was sort of a pain since it was in a valley...and replaced some rotten decking on my eave.
To my question: I ordered almost all of my materials from Oregon Roofers Supply, and I asked for 100 feet of starter strips...but they gave me a bundle of architectural shingles and a bundle of hip and ridge shingles to use as starter strips (apparently, "most people like that cause it saves money"). The hip and ridge shingles could be used as starters just like 3-tabs, since there is a tar strip in the right location...but there are also perforated from top to bottom every 8 inches or so, which doesn't seem desirable for my starter course.
But I cannot figure out a reasonable way to use the architectural shingles as starters. If you cut the exposed portion off and then flip them over (like you would for a 3 tab), the tar strip on the first course of shingles (which is preapplied on the bottom, about 1 inch from the bottom edge of the exposed portion) will line up directly with the strip of plastic on the cut and flipped starter, which will obviously not seal properly.
The only way I could think to make it work would be to cut the exposed portion off, then apply the unexposed part as a starter strip without flipping, but this leaves my cut edge as the leading edge, and it takes a lot of effort and time to make that cut perfectly straight.
My conclusion is that they had extra shingles they knew they couldn't sell and figured I might not notice, since I was obviously a newcomer to roofing.
Am I missing something?
To my question: I ordered almost all of my materials from Oregon Roofers Supply, and I asked for 100 feet of starter strips...but they gave me a bundle of architectural shingles and a bundle of hip and ridge shingles to use as starter strips (apparently, "most people like that cause it saves money"). The hip and ridge shingles could be used as starters just like 3-tabs, since there is a tar strip in the right location...but there are also perforated from top to bottom every 8 inches or so, which doesn't seem desirable for my starter course.
But I cannot figure out a reasonable way to use the architectural shingles as starters. If you cut the exposed portion off and then flip them over (like you would for a 3 tab), the tar strip on the first course of shingles (which is preapplied on the bottom, about 1 inch from the bottom edge of the exposed portion) will line up directly with the strip of plastic on the cut and flipped starter, which will obviously not seal properly.
The only way I could think to make it work would be to cut the exposed portion off, then apply the unexposed part as a starter strip without flipping, but this leaves my cut edge as the leading edge, and it takes a lot of effort and time to make that cut perfectly straight.
My conclusion is that they had extra shingles they knew they couldn't sell and figured I might not notice, since I was obviously a newcomer to roofing.
Am I missing something?