A New Bundle Can Still Contain a Damaged Shingle

The Malarkey bundles have arrived in your driveway, and one corner of the stack looks crushed. Does that mean the shingles need to go back? Not necessarily. It means the contractor needs to inspect the material inside before installing it. A damaged wrapper and a damaged shingle are different findings. The decision belongs at the open bundle, while the material can still be set aside.

For a St. Louis homeowner choosing a roof, the product name is only part of the material decision. You also need usable shingles delivered and handled in a condition suitable for installation. Ask who checks them, what happens to questionable pieces, and whether replacement stock is available before the existing roof comes off.

Material and spec

Malarkey's storage and handling bulletin says storage before installation can affect both application and long-term performance. It identifies indentation, deformation, staining and sticking as possible consequences of stacked material, particularly in warmth or direct sunlight. Its instruction about damaged shingles is direct: they should never be installed.

That does not make every mark a reason to reject a delivery. The same bulletin distinguishes storage staining from other problems and says that staining typically disappears after a few weeks of weathering on the roof. A homeowner should not have to decide from the driveway whether a visible mark is temporary staining or physical damage. Ask the installer to explain the finding and, when the answer is uncertain, obtain guidance from Malarkey before using the affected shingles.

Keep the distinction specific. A torn wrapper calls for a look inside. A shingle torn while being separated from its neighbor should be set aside. A distorted bundle needs evaluation before anyone assumes the shingles will lie correctly on the deck. The explanation should concern the actual material in front of you, rather than a general reassurance that new shingles always look that way.

Heat changes how bundles need to be handled

A summer delivery may sit on a driveway that receives afternoon sun even when the front yard is shaded. Choose the unloading location with the contractor before the truck arrives. The convenient spot for the truck may not be the intended storage spot for a delivery that arrives several days ahead of the crew.

Malarkey's hot-weather installation bulletin calls for small stacks in a shaded area at the jobsite. It warns that excessive stack height or cross-stacking can create pressure points that distort shingles or cause coating bleed-through and staining. It also directs installers to keep bundles flat during roof loading and once they are on the roof.

Ask where the delivery will wait if the installation date moves. This is especially useful when your driveway must also accommodate a dumpster, parked vehicles and access to the garage. A delivery plan should identify an actual place, rather than leave the driver to discover that every suitable location is occupied.

Cold material needs its own preparation

A St. Louis job can begin with a cold morning after a mild afternoon. Material that was easy to handle the previous day may need different preparation when the crew returns. The relevant question here is whether the shingles can be separated and laid flat without damage.

Malarkey's October 2024 cold-weather bulletin, covering installation below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, says bundles can retain the shape of the surface beneath them. It directs installers to store them flat, make sure shingles are flat before installation, and warm frozen bundles enough to separate the shingles without damage. It also says not to bend, throw or drop bundles.

You do not need to supervise that preparation. You do need an answer if someone proposes installing visibly misshapen material immediately and relying on later weather to correct it. Ask the contractor to identify the manufacturer's instruction that supports the proposed action.

What it costs

There is no useful universal dollar allowance for damaged delivery material. One affected bundle and several affected pallets create different problems. Replacement availability, another delivery and the stage of the work all matter. Before signing, ask whether the quoted installation price includes inspecting delivered material and arranging replacement of pieces that arrive damaged.

The contract should also explain who bears that expense. Do not assume the homeowner must buy another bundle simply because the first one has already reached the property. Equally, do not rely on an unwritten assumption about what the supplier will reimburse. Ask the contractor to state how supplier damage and damage during crew handling will be addressed.

Separately identify any material you purchase or move yourself. If you arrange the delivery, the contractor may not control its timing or unloading location. If you move bundles after delivery, there may later be disagreement about when damage occurred. Decide those responsibilities before the order, while everyone can still choose a workable arrangement.

The timing of discovery matters as much as the bundle price. If questionable material is identified while your old roof remains intact, there is an opportunity to resolve the issue before tear-off. If it is discovered after removal, replacement stock and temporary protection become immediate scheduling questions. Ask how much material will be checked before work starts and what the crew will do if more damaged pieces appear as bundles are opened.

A reasonable scope can address this without a separate inspection fee or an elaborate procedure. Ask for a written statement that damaged shingles will be excluded, questionable material will be evaluated before installation, and any proposed extra charge will be explained before you authorize it. Those are requested contract terms, not a promise about what every contractor currently includes.

What to ask

Start with one question: Who decides whether a questionable shingle goes on my roof? The answer should identify the person responsible for the installation. A delivery driver can record a damaged package, but that does not settle whether the contents meet installation requirements.

Then ask these questions before delivery:

• Where will the bundles be stored, and what changes if the start date moves?
• Who checks visibly crushed, distorted or torn packages?
• Where will rejected shingles be kept so they are not mixed back into usable stock?
• Who obtains manufacturer guidance when the crew cannot confidently identify a condition?
• Who orders replacement material, and how will that affect the work schedule?

Take photographs from the ground if you notice a problem. Include the overall stack, the affected package and any readable product label. Send them to the contractor with a concrete description, such as, "The bottom bundle beside the garage has a crushed corner. Please inspect it before loading." Leave opening and moving the bundles to the crew.

If someone says the condition is harmless, ask for the explanation to be recorded with the photographs. If material is rejected, ask how its replacement will be confirmed. Keep that exchange with your proposal and product information so the decision is documented while the material is still identifiable.

To discuss a Malarkey roof for a home in St. Louis or the greater St. Louis area, call Keys Roofing at (314) 220-2333. If you already have a proposed installation date, ask to settle the delivery location and material inspection responsibility before the order is scheduled.