Ask for the Shingle Data Sheet Before You Approve the Name

A shingle quote usually names a product in a few words: the brand, the line, sometimes the color and the profile. That name points to one published product, and the manufacturer publishes a data sheet for it. The data sheet gives the numbers: how far each course shows to the weather, how much a square weighs, how many fasteners go in and where, and which ratings apply to that exact product. Your roofer's quote does not carry those numbers, and the bundle wrapper carries only some of them. Before you approve the order, the sheet is the document to read.

What the wrapper leaves out

The wrapper is the printed label on the bundle. It names the product, shows the color, and often prints one or two ratings. It is written for the person unloading the truck, not as a full specification. The install instructions inside the bundle cover the steps on the roof. The data sheet covers the product itself, and it is published separately, so you have to ask for it or look it up by name.

Two products can share a line name while their sheets differ. A line may be sold in more than one profile or weight, and a revised sheet may replace an older one. That is why the sheet has to match the exact product named in your quote, not only the product family.

The numbers worth checking on the sheet

Read the sheet for these items, and compare each one against the quote and the bundle in your hand:

• Exposure. The part of each shingle that shows to the weather. Exposure sets how many courses fit up the slope, so a wrong exposure leaves a visible line of mismatched rows.
• Weight per square. Check it against the deck and the framing. If the old roof was lighter, ask whether anyone reviewed the structure for the weight of the new one.
• Fastening. The number of fasteners per shingle, where they go on the nail line, and the length the sheet calls for. If the sheet gives a specific length, the order needs fasteners that match it.
• Ratings. The wind and fire ratings the product holds, and the test each one was measured against. If the quote names a rating, the sheet should name it too. If the sheet does not list a rating, the quote should not claim one.
• Pitch and starter. The minimum roof pitch the product is rated for, and the starter product the sheet requires at the eave and the rake.
• Installation temperature. The air and surface temperatures the manufacturer expects during install. St. Louis gets cold snaps in late fall and early spring, so the sheet tells you what the crew should do when the morning is cold.

Matching the sheet to the quote

Start with the product name. Copy it exactly as the quote prints it, then ask Keys for the data sheet under that name. When the first bundle arrives, compare the wrapper against the sheet. If the two disagree on any number, stop and ask before the crew starts. Do not assume the sheet is wrong because the bundle looks different, and do not assume the bundle is wrong because the sheet is older.

Exposure also changes how much material a square takes. That means a bundle count that does not fit the sheet shows up as a counting problem before it shows up on the roof. Check the count against the sheet when the delivery is unloaded, and write down any gap while the truck is still there.

Next, check the quote for claims the sheet does not support. If the quote describes the shingle as impact resistant or names a wind speed, the sheet should have a line that says the same thing. If it does not, ask the roofer where the claim comes from before it goes into the contract. The answer tells you whether the quote was written from the product itself or from a brochure.

When the sheet changes after you order

Manufacturers revise data sheets. A revision can change the exposure, the nailing guidance, or the rating table. Ask for the sheet with its revision date, and keep a copy in your file with the order. If the shingles arrive late, or the order is changed to a different product, get the sheet for the new product before the crew starts and run it through the same list above. A substitution is a change to the spec, and the spec should be reread for every change.

Keep the sheet with the lot record and the order paperwork. The sheet and the lot record together show what was installed, which matters if you later need to show a roofer, an inspector, or a future buyer what went on the roof.

What to ask Keys

Ask for the data sheet for the exact product name, with its revision date. Ask Keys to point out the exposure, the fastening, and the ratings on the sheet, and to show where each one appears in your quote. Ask what happens if the bundles that arrive do not match the sheet, who makes that call, and how you will be told. Keys can be reached at (314) 220-2333. It is reasonable to ask for the sheet in writing, by email or on paper, so the copy you keep is the copy the crew followed.