IMPACTSHIELD Class 4 Roof Replacement in Indian Springs, San Antonio, TX 78261

The situation

The roof was losing granules fast enough to expose the fiberglass mat, and shingles had started to blister. It is a 2-story home with a steep 12/12 pitch, so the roof edges and ridge take the full force of wind. The homeowner collected several quotes. He told us the decision was easy once he compared the details of each proposal and the pricing side by side, and that he found our price fair.

Three problems we found

1. No starter shingles and no drip edge. The first course of shingles at the eaves and rakes had nothing under it: no starter strip to seal the edge and no drip edge to carry water off the fascia. On a steep 2-story roof, the edges are where wind gets under shingles first. We installed GAF Pro-Start starter shingles and new 2"x2" drip edge around the roof.
2. 3-tab shingles used as ridge caps. Cutting 3-tab shingles into ridge caps is a common shortcut. They are thinner than the field shingles and crack when bent over the ridge. We installed GAF TimberTex, a ridge cap made for the ridge, which also completes the GAF system the warranty requires.
3. Ventilation that wasn't doing its job. Heavy granule loss and blistering are what heat stuck in an attic does to a shingle from underneath (see attic ventilation science). We added two GAF Master Flow Green Machine solar-powered roof vents to move that heat out. Standard ventilation, balanced intake and exhaust sized to code, is included in the replacement price. Enhanced ventilation, such as solar or powered attic fans or added intake beyond the standard design, is quoted separately.

Tear-off also turned up 3 sheets of rotted or soft decking, which we replaced before the new underlayment went down. Every pipe penetration got a GAF Pivot boot, color-matched in Weathered Wood, in place of the original boots.

What went wrong, and how we handled it

Our material order was held up 2 days. This roof has 12 pipe penetrations, and our supplier needed extra time to source that many GAF Pivot boots. We could have installed a cheaper boot to hold the date. We waited instead, told the homeowner why, and once everything was on site the crew completed the full replacement in a single day. Every job has surprises. What matters is how they are handled.

Engineer's Notes

Missing starter and missing drip edge are easy to overlook from the ground, and they matter most on steep 2-story roofs like this one. Wind lifts shingles from the edges, and without a sealed starter course there is nothing holding that first row down. 3-tab ridge caps are the same kind of shortcut: the part of the roof that sees the most wind gets the weakest material. Correcting the edges and the ridge, plus a complete set of qualifying GAF components, is also what makes this roof eligible for GAF's WindProven wind coverage. I calculate attic ventilation before choosing materials, because ventilation decides how long the shingles last.

- Jose Puente, civil engineer and owner

The Power Package this homeowner received

This homeowner received five documents: the GAF Silver Pledge warranty registration, certificate of completion, supplier material invoices, paid-in-full invoice, and the Class 4 impact-resistance certification.

Documents vary by roofing system. Every replacement includes a certificate of completion and a paid invoice. Shingle replacements also include the supplier's material invoice. Impact-resistant certification is included only when the installed system is impact-rated. A registered manufacturer system warranty is included only where the system and certification tier qualify.

See what's in the Power Package, and read our roof warranty guide for how manufacturer and workmanship warranties differ.