Installing CertainTeed's RoofRunner: Weather-Resistant Synthetic Felt Underlayment

What is RoofRunner? RoofRunner by CertainTeed is a strong and flexible underlayment (a protective layer) that's placed beneath your roof's shingles to protect your home from water and wind damage. It also features a non-slip surface, enhancing safety for installers.

How to Install CertainTeed RoofRunner:

1. Start by ensuring the roof deck (the base surface of your roof) is clean, clear of any debris, and completely smooth. This preparation is crucial for a successful application.
2. Unroll the RoofRunner material across the roof deck, making sure the side with printing is facing up. This helps in aligning the material correctly and ensures the printed instructions and guidelines are visible.
3. Attach the RoofRunner to the roof deck using roofing cap nails, which are designed for this purpose. Place the nails correctly to ensure the underlayment is securely attached and won’t come loose.
4. When applying the next piece of RoofRunner, overlap it with the previous piece as per CertainTeed’s recommended overlap specifications. This overlapping (usually a few inches) ensures a continuous, watertight barrier against moisture.
5. The RoofRunner’s slip-resistant surface is a safety feature designed to reduce the risk of slipping while working on the roof. This makes the installation process safer for homeowners or professionals.

Install CertainTeed SwiftStart shingles

What is SwiftStart?
SwiftStart is a special kind of roof shingle made by CertainTeed, designed for the edges of your roof—specifically the eave (the part of the roof that meets or overhangs your home's walls) and rake edges (the sloping edges of your roof). It's crucial for protecting your home against rain and wind by ensuring water runs off your roof properly, which helps keep your roof in top condition.

How to Install SwiftStart:

1. Place the first shingle at the edge of your roof, making sure it sticks out a bit (between 1/4 inch and 3/4 inch) for proper water runoff. This slight overhang is important to guide water away from your roof and walls.
2. Nail the shingle down to the roof deck (the flat supporting surface beneath your shingles), focusing on areas above the cutouts (spaces between the tabs of shingles) and below the sealant strip (a sticky layer that helps shingles adhere and seal). This method secures the shingle firmly, ensuring it can resist water and wind effectively.
3. Overlap each subsequent starter shingle with the previous one by the manufacturer-specified distance. This creates a continuous protective barrier along the edge of your roof, enhancing defense against water ingress and wind uplift.
4. Add the main (field) shingles starting from this foundation, making sure the bottom of these shingles attaches well to the sealant strip of the starter shingles. This connection is crucial for preventing shingle blow-offs in high winds and ensuring a watertight seal.

Install CertainTeed Shingles

Getting to Know Your CertainTeed Landmark Shingles
CertainTeed Landmark shingles give your roof the beautiful look of wood shakes (the rustic, hand-split look of traditional wooden shingles) with the lasting durability and performance of asphalt shingles (a type of roofing material made from asphalt for waterproofing). These shingles are built with two layers (dual-layered construction) for extra strength and come in many colors. They also have a lifetime limited warranty, use special technology to stick together firmly (QuadraBond), fight off algae stains (StreakFighter), stick down securely in wind (CertaSeal adhesive), and make installation easier (NailTrak). They're safe against fire (meet UL Class A fire resistance standards) and come in styles for different looks and protection levels.

How to Put on Your CertainTeed Landmark Shingles

1. Start with a Solid Base (Preparation): Check the base of your roof for any damage and fix it. Make sure it's clean, smooth, and ready. Depending on how steep your roof is, you might need extra layers underneath for water protection—like a waterproof layer (WinterGuard) for very wet or snowy areas, and a water-resistant layer (Roofers' Select or DiamondDeck) for added safety.
2. Laying Out Your Shingles (Shingle Layout): Begin at the bottom of your roof and work your way up, placing the shingles according to the guide you choose. Make sure the edges of the shingles slightly overlap (stagger the shingle joints) for water to run off properly, and keep the overhang and alignment consistent for a neat look.
3. Securing Your Shingles (Fastening): Use special roofing nails to attach the shingles firmly to the roof, placing them where the shingles are meant to be nailed down (NailTrak areas). This step is key to keeping your shingles in place, especially in windy weather, and making your roof last longer.

Installing a CertainTeed Ridge Vent for Better Roof Ventilation

What's a CertainTeed Ridge Vent?
A CertainTeed Ridge Vent is like a breath of fresh air for your attic. It's installed along the top edge of your roof (the ridge line) to let out hot and damp air. This helps keep your attic cool and dry, which can save you money on energy bills and help your roof last longer. CertainTeed offers various styles of these vents, including options with filters (to block out debris and pests) and without, so you can choose the best match for your home's look and ventilation needs.

Why It's Good:

• Keeps Air Moving: Designed to ensure a steady flow of air across the top of your house (continuous airflow), this vent system plays a crucial role in maintaining an optimal attic climate by balancing the air exchange.
• Looks Good: These vents are low-profile and designed to blend in with your roof, providing an attractive finish without compromising functionality.
• Weather and Pest Resistant: With features like external baffles (to deflect weather elements) and internal weather filters (to block out rain, snow, and pests while allowing air to escape), these vents ensure your attic stays protected and ventilated.

How to Install:
For effective ventilation, it's important to pair your ridge vent with an intake system near the bottom of your roof (like CertainTeed Intake Vent), creating a balanced air flow (intake and exhaust ventilation). The ridge vents come equipped with everything needed for a smooth installation process, including end caps and alignment tabs, ensuring they fit perfectly and function efficiently.

Install CertainTeed Ridge Cap Shingles

What are CertainTeed Ridge Cap Shingles?

CertainTeed Ridge Cap Shingles offer a high-quality finishing touch to a new roof, blending durability with aesthetic appeal. These specialized shingles are designed to complement CertainTeed’s main roofing shingles, providing additional protection at the hip and ridge lines (the highest points where two roof planes meet). Crafted to withstand harsh weather conditions, they enhance the roofline for a polished, professionally finished look. Available in a variety of colors, CertainTeed Ridge Cap Shingles are an excellent choice for homeowners looking to elevate both the curb appeal and performance of their roofing system.

Installing CertainTeed Ridge Cap Shingles

Preparation: Before starting, ensure the roof is ready for the ridge cap shingles. This means applying all necessary underlayment (a water-resistant layer between the roof deck and the shingles), flashing (thin materials, usually metal, used to prevent water from penetrating the junction of a roof with another surface), and prior courses of shingles (layers) according to CertainTeed’s specifications and local building codes.

Alignment: Place the first ridge cap shingle on the edge of the ridge, ensuring it’s centered so that the same amount of the shingle extends on both sides of the ridge. This step is crucial for both a uniform appearance and effective sealing.

Nailing: Secure the shingles with nails as indicated by CertainTeed. Nails should be placed where the shingle shows markers and covered by the next shingle to prevent water from getting through.

Sealing: As you lay each shingle, its sealant strip (a factory-applied adhesive) helps bond it to the one beneath. For enhanced sealing, especially under the final shingle, apply additional roofing cement (a strong, waterproof adhesive).

Overlap and Continue: Align and overlap each subsequent shingle as specified by the manufacturer, leaving the instructed amount of the previous shingle exposed. This method ensures the desired pattern and adequate coverage at the ridge.

Finishing Entry and Exit Points: For the last shingle at each end of the ridge, you may need to trim it for a perfect fit and use roofing cement to secure it, ensuring no water can enter at the ends of the ridge line.