SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 20 May 2022
STP163320200047

Shingle Evaluation Using Leaf Blowers Does Not Damage Existing Sealed Shingles

Source

Asphalt shingle roofs are the most common roof covering in the United States. Major reasons for asphalt shingle popularity are cost, selection, convenience, and availability. Shingle roofs are routinely assessed to determine whether they exhibit damage. The need exists in the U.S. roofing industry for a quick, reliable, and nondestructive test method to identify asphalt shingle seal failures while conducting roof evaluations. Some roofing inspectors use leaf blowers to determine whether asphalt shingles lift when blown, thus identifying them as being unsealed. This is important because unsealed shingles with mat transfer or the presence of debris in the sealant strip adhesive, or both, is a common mode of functional damage to shingle roof coverings observed after a high-wind event. The method's appeal lies in its ease of use and ability to rapidly survey large roof areas. To be rigorous in validating this test method for utilization in roof inspections, it is important to determine whether the leaf blowers cause any damage to roof coverings inadvertently when used as a roof-assessment tool. Interviews of three practitioners of the leaf-blower method were conducted. This information was used to establish an experimental protocol for testing the exposure of model roof assemblies to leaf blowers. Asphalt shingle sealant uplift tests were performed in conformance with ASTM D6381, Standard Test Method for Measurement of Asphalt Shingle Mechanical Uplift Resistance. Results of uplift tests on both “unblown” and leaf-blower “blown” shingles are provided. The test method differs from ASTM D6381 in that the standard tests only a portion of a shingle, whereas our modified method tests the entire shingle sealant strip. Test results with descriptive statistics and analysis of variance for each test roof, shingle type, and a compilation of shingles tested are presented.

Author Information

Phelps, Matt, B.
APEC Engineering and Laboratory, LLC, Shallowater, TX, US Dept. of Civil Engineering, Whitacre College of Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, US
Spradling, Don
APEC Engineering and Laboratory, LLC, Shallowater, TX, US
Fedler, Cliff
Dept. of Civil Engineering, Whitacre College of Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, US
Van De Wiele, C., Justin
APEC Engineering and Laboratory, LLC, Shallowater, TX, US
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Details
Pages: 212–230
DOI: 10.1520/STP163320200047
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-7713-0
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-7712-3