Roofing from the top down?

[harryc]

I'm about to shingle the roof on a new addition my brother and I just built. We're not pros, but have done at least 8 roofing projects in the past, and am confident this one will be no problem, if its done the way we've done the others - from the bottom up. But my bro want to do this from the top down? He says the pros do it, especially on a steep roof (this is 10/12). I never heard of this, is he right? It doesn't sound easier or quicker to me, you'd have to fold up or hold up every shingle to nail the one beneath. What would you align it to? What do you do when you get to the bottom and end up with an odd reveal? Thanks for for any info on this procedure, if it really exists.

[Rich]

I would like to meet the pros he's talked to. Think of it this way.
You've got your steep roof. Are you going to nail/staple everything from the top? If you do it the comfortable way you will be on the down slope side of what you're working on. So essentially you will be standing on tar paper. Which tar paper never stays where it's supposed to no matter how well you staple it - and also the granules from the shingles will be rolling off onto the tar paper making it even more unstable to walk on.
Now when you get to your valleys and stuff guess how hard it's going to be to overlap shingles from the top down. :shock:
If you do decide to do it let me know how it comes out. Maybe I'll write an article on it from your experiences.

[harryc]

I cornered my bro on where he got this procedure from. It was apparently in an article in "Fine Homebuilding" magazine. He's digging through his "archive" to see if he still has the mag, I went online to the mags website and they do list the article, May 2002 issue, on shingling from the top down. If bro can't find his copy, I may buy the online reprint, but I still dont think I want him practicing on my roof. Thanks.

[Rich]

haha - yeah I'm going through a similar situation where I don't want to be the guinea pig for an odd type of construction method. Anyway let me know some of the details from that article. It sounds interesting.

[harryc]

I finally checked out that article. Its not really shingling completely from the top down, just shingling sections of about 10 rows each, with the sections starting from the top and working down. It seems like it does have some advantages, but I won't be experimenting with it on this addition after all. With all my other delays, I hired a roofer after all to just come in and just do it so I could move on. This does lead to another question, (flashing) but as a new topic. Thanks.

[Rich]

I didn't think it could go all the way but I'll have to see if I can find that article. Sounds interesting.