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Shingle sealant cellophane strip (C) Daniel Friedman Asphalt Shingle Cellophane Strip Guide: leave or remove?

Wind resistance rating of asphalt shingles depends on the combination of manufacturer's glue strips, cellophane separator, & possible additional onsite sealing.

  • POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about the cellophane strip protecting the glue strip on asphalt roof shingles: should it be removed or not?

Cellophane strip found on / between asphalt roof shingles:

This article describes the cellophane strips found between individual asphalt roof shingles - atop the glue strip. We explain the purpose of this cellophane strip.

We answer the question: " Should we remove the cellophane strip over the shingle adhesive when nailing shingles or should it be left in place?" We cite authoritative research from industry experts as well as from shingle manufacturers themselves to give a definitive answer to the asphalt shingle release strip removal question: leave it in place.

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

- Daniel Friedman, Publisher/Editor/Author - See WHO ARE WE?

Should the Cellophane Strip on the Back of Asphalt Shingles be Pulled Off?

Cellophane strip on a shingle back (C) Daniel FriedmanOur photo (left) shows the cellophane strip found on the back or "down"
side of a typical asphalt roof shingle. This one is a GAF™ product.

[Click to enlarge any image]

Bottom line:

Do you need to remove the cellophane strip? No.

Should you remove the cellophane strip? generally No.

Watch out: for some asphalt shingle roofing products and conditions, trying to pull off the cellophane strip can actually damage the shingle and reduce the future life of the roof.

Article Series Contents

What is the Purpose of the Glue Strip on Asphalt Roof Shingles?

Adhesive spots on an asphalt roof shingle (C) Daniel FriedmanOur photo (left) shows a typical 3-tab asphalt roof shingle (this one is made by GAF™). The shiny black strips form the "glue line" on the shingle.

Prevent shingle damage from wind uplift

The cellophane strip (or in some products a plastic or wax-coated paper strip), found between individual asphalt roof shingles and located just over the glue strip that bonds shingles together is factory-installed to prevent shingles from sticking together while they are still in the bundle - in storage.

This asphalt shingle adhesive glue-strip is intended to bond to the three tabs of the next shingles nailed atop of this one when the roof is later warmed by sunlight. The success with which asphalt shingles bond together as the glue strip is heated by sun exposure is a factor in protecting roof shingles from wind-damage and blow-off.

In most climates exposure to even a few weeks of normal sunlight will cause the glue tabs on the under-side of asphalt roof shingles to soften and adhere to the surface below.

We discuss the function of asphalt shingle adhesive strips, handling the protective cellophane strip, and shingle uplift wind damage prevention in more detail

at CELLOPHANE STRIP ADHESIVE ADEQUACY in HIGH WIND AREAS

and
at WIND DAMAGE to ROOFS.

Certainly if you wait to remove the protective cellophane strip until the moment that the shingle is about to be nailed, taking it off might do no harm, but because it is nowhere near the actual glue tabs or strip of the shingle course below, removing the release strip will not speed the adhesion between shingles that is intended to resist wind blow-off of roof shingles.

We suspect that few professional roofers will add to their roofing time and cost by taking a step that is not recommended by the product manufacturer.

Watch out: as we warn in this article series, in some cases pulling off the release strip can damage the underside of the upper shingle course being nailed.

Should we Remove the Cellophane Strip when Installing Shingles? Bottom line: NO!

Asphalt shingle cellophane / plastic strip location vs sealant glue strips (C) Daniel FriedmanThe debate about whether or not a protective cellophane strip found atop this glue strip on new asphalt shingles has gone on for years and comes up again as new roofers enter the field. Do we remove the cellophane from the shingles as we place them on the roof for nailing or or do we leave it in place? Does it matter one way or the other?

No, leave the strip alone: In answer to a common reader question, not normally: according to roofing manufacturers, it is not required to remove the cellophane strip on the back of roof shingles before they are nailed.

As you can see in our photo at above-left, when the shingles are separated from the bundle and installed in successive roof shingle courses, the plastic or cellophane strip remains on the back of the shingle in a position where it is nowhere near the adhesive strips now exposed on the shingle course below.

In this article at CELLOPHANE STRIP INSTRUCTIONS we include a "leave the cellophane strip alone" quote from a major roofing manufacturer's asphalt shingle installation instructions.

In short, the people who make shingles tell us to leave the plastic or cellophane sealant protection strip in place, explaining that when the shingles are nailed in place the strip on the successive shingle course will no longer be in contact with the adhesive sealant strip on the upper surface of the lower or previous shingle course. There may be other asphalt shingle products in which the strip dissolves, but the strip offset explanation is unambiguous - Ed.

Yes remove stray cellophane strips in one special case: 

Separately at CELLOPHANE STRIP ENGINEERS' VIEW in a discussion with two forensic engineers we point out an occasional problem when the cellophane strip doesn't behave it self and does not remain where it should when the shingles are removed from the shingle bundle.

In that article Mr. Kester, a forensic engineer who includes roofing inspections among his expertise, illustrates this a special cellophane strip removal case:

when the roofer separated shingles from the bundle the cellophane remained stuck in the wrong place. It came off of the upper back surface of the shingle (where it's supposed to remain) and instead remained stuck-to and covering the adhesive tabs on the shingle below. In that case the individual naughty cellophane strip, occurring only occasionally during the roofing job, should have been pulled off of its stray position.

Roofing Manufacturer's Advice about the Cellophane Strip on Shingles: leave in place

Shingle_Wind_Resistance_Rating (C) Daniel Friedman at ASPHALT SHINGLE INSTALLATION we include this quote from the GAF Materials Corporation, Grand Timberline™ Premium Architectural Shingle Application Instructions say about the glue strips and cellophane.

You'll note that according to the manufacturer we are to leave the cellophane strip in place, but if site conditions (high wind) require immediate shingle sealing, an extra step, using additional shingle tab adhesive, is permitted. [Italics ours.]

Our photo at left illustrates the "Miami-Dade County Approved" imprint found on the underside of an asphalt shingle that meets Florida's wind-resistance requirements.

WIND RESISTANCE / HAND SEALING: These shingles have a special thermal sealant that firmly bonds the shingles together after application when exposed to sun and warm temperatures.

Shingles installed in Fall or Winter may not seal until the following Spring.

If shingles are damaged by winds before sealing or are not exposed to adequate surface temperatures, or if the self sealant gets dirty, the shingles may never seal. Failure to seal under these circumstances results from the nature of self-sealing shingles and is not a manufacturing defect.

To insure immediate sealing, apply 4 quarter-sized dabs of shingle tab adhesive on the back of the shingle 1" (25mm) and 13" (330mm) in from each side and 1" (25mm) up from bottom of the shingle. Press shingle firmly into the adhesive.

For maximum wind resistance along rakes, cement shingles to underlayment and each other in a 4" (102mm) width of asphalt plastic roof cement.

[More details about this are at WIND DAMAGE to ROOFS]

Watch out: Excess tab adhesive can cause blistering of the shingle.

Watch out: tearing off the cellophane strip on some shingle products might remove shingle material, thus damaging the product.

In the warning just above the company is referring to the use of additional roof shingle adhesive, not the factory-applied glue strip.

Also see BLISTERS on ASPHALT SHINGLES.

The film strips on the back of each shingle are to prevent sticking together of the shingles while in the bundle and to keep dirt and debris out of the adhesive material so that after installation the adhesive will work. Their removal is NOT required during application.

More on the "no" answer to removing roof shingle cellophane strips

Shingle sealant cellophane strip (C) Daniel FriedmanAsphalt roof shingle manufacturers recommend that installers leave that piece of cellophane in place. It does not need to be removed before, during, or after roof shingle installation.

Our photograph of the cellophane strip in place on the underside of an asphalt roof shingle (left) clearly shows that the shingle manufacturer says "Do Not Remove This Tape".

The cellophane tape on the back side of asphalt roof shingles is intended to prevent the glue strips from becoming activated prematurely, in storage or shipping, and equally important, to keep the glue-area clean during the roof installation process: jobsite debris (sawdust, dirt) can prevent the sealant from adhering.

What more can we say: the under-side of the asphalt shingle shown at left plainly says "DO NOT REMOVE THIS TAPE"

[Click to enlarge any image]

Once the roof is installed the heat from sunlight will activate the sealing mastic through the cellophane. It does not need to be removed as part of the roofing process.

Actually, trying to remove the strip after installation might also risk damaging the shingle since you'd have to run along the roof slope lifting nailed-down shingle tabs to try to (unnecessarily) pull off the cellophane

- risking tearing shingles and causing also extra foot traffic wear. Indeed a few times we have seen actual pits and holes in the backs of shingles when a roofer ripped off the cellophane that was very bonded to the shingle surface.

Shingle Manufacturer Advice on the Plastic Release Film or "Cellophane" Strip on Asphalt Shingles

Asphalt Shingle Factory Adhesive Strip in High Wind Areas

Moved to CELLOPHANE STRIP ADHESIVE ADEQUACY in HIGH WIND AREAS

Forensic Engineers Views on the Cellophane Strips

Moved to CELLOPHANE STRIP ENGINEERS' VIEW - separate article

Leave the Cellophane Strip In Place Unless It's in the Wrong Position

Moved to CONCLUSION: LEAVE the STRIP UNLESS

What Happens to The Cellophane Strip on Asphalt Shingle Backs?

Moved to CONFUSION about CELLOPANE STRIP POSITION - separate article

...


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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2024-01-14 by InspectApedia Publisher - follow cold weather roofing procedures to avoid problems later

@Jacob,

I'm certainly sorry that you had a bad roofing job and has some shingles blow off.

In fact there are cold weather roofing procedures to avoid that problem and it's possible they were not followed. That doesn't normally involve using a torch on asphalt roof shingles.

It could involve additional sealant. But we also don't know without a careful roof inspection whether that was the main or only problem. We don't know for example whether the shingles were nailed correctly.

We also don't know if they were damaged at installation, which can happen when roofing in cold weather.

However your mistaken about the cellophane strip. We explain in the article above the purpose of that strip and we emphasize that it is and should be left in place on all roofing jobs and the tearing it off can actually damage for shingle.

Please read that detail and let me know if any of that's unclear and we will be glad to discuss it further.

On 2024-01-14 by Jacob

We just had a new asphalt roof put on and besides being (overcharged we found out) at $18,650 for a roof others would do or $8k - $10k, to our shock we had 9 total shingles fly right off in moderate winds.

We found out the installers crew was not doing the winterizing procedure of torching down the tiles either prior to mailing or torching the roof after. This is why many pro roofers who do things right won't install roofs during winter. some do and cut corners all over hoping nothing will happen.

Well turns out this LLC not only installs shingles wrong and doesn't seal them, they claim the cellophane strip isn't anything and is not used for anything. we found out from 4 total roofers locally this strip is the seal that grabs onto the 3 slits of the shingle it lays halfway on as it's nailed.

in summer they leave cellophane on. No need to remove it. it shrinks and you'll get a seal. In winter the strip MUST be removed in order to seal at the top AT ALL in winter months. In addition, most crews who don't cut corners will have a snow melt or asphalt heating torch and one operates the torch heating every shingle and passing them to each worker OR they just install them and one guy walks the roof heating up the asphalt to 70+ degrees which activates the tar seal.

If your roof is ripped up and installed in one day, chances are higher you had a crew cutting corners like crazy VS a pro who is installing by the book. I Texas most LLCs are unlicensed and most are engaged in horrible insurance fraud attempts that normally never see court action. most victims are elderly.

Another horrible thing is if you had a roof installed and you had say brown asphalt shingles that well say had hail damage but they were thick strong shingles, the installers will look for semi brown thin layer shingles half the cost, cut corners installing, and they don't seal.

Or they'll rely on this mil thickness mid seal on the shingle that's even worse of a reliance on sealing than the cellophane covered strip.

These are all bad practices that end in shingles flying off In wind, which NEVER happens unless it's a tornado. Not even 100mph winds can rip sealed shingles off.

If you want to know the law and legal processes in roof work, ask a licensed installer, NOT AN LLC, which sadly makes up 90% of roofers in Texas.

On 2023-08-22 by David

@inspectapedia.com.moderator,
My recent purchase of malarkey shingles I'm currently installing had the strip with the Cellophane in the middle on 40 bundles but the other 50 bundles had the strip on every other one then no strip at all with the cellophane,

so I stopped the job and went back to the manufacturer in Milwaukee says they're just fine like that which I do not believe, they just want me to put on their material my question is it should indeed have the glue strip on the back of the shingle in the middle with the cellophane on it to increase the life of the shingle isn't that correct,

I do have some picture or video I'd like to email you but it might not matter if I just simply describe on the back of every shingle every other shingle had the strip every other shingle was missing the strip then after 2 or 3 bundles there was no glue strip at all in the middle and the manufacturer saying that's not a defect just put them on.

I think they just want me to use their flawed junk.

shingles without cellophane strips (C) Inspectapedia.com David

On 2023-07-15 by InspectApedia Publisher

@Dave H again,

Let's stop beating this to death - cellophane strips and why they're used on shingles and why they're needed, left alone, and harmless, has been thoroughly explained, by the industry as well as in the article above on this page.

Just figure: no product manufacturer is going to go to the trouble and expense of adding features, materials, parts, doo-dads that are

- not needed
- an extra expense
- a source of trouble

If any of the text in the article above is unclear or if any of the expert source citations found to be in error, do let us know.

The manufacturer puts the glue strip on shingles at the location that their engineers have found works best for that particular shingle design, pattern, and exposure.

If you can't see the harm in removing the cellophane strips, which is contrary to the manufacturer's instructions, then perhaps you'll enjoy reading the reasons not to do so found above in this article and in others in this series. Or if that doesn't concern you, you might consider the cost of voiding the shingle warranty.

On 2023-07-14 by InspectApedia Publisher - tearing off the cellophane from the underside of a shingle can damage the shingle coating

@Dave H,

Of course Dave, as I understand that lots of people don't have the patience to read what the cellophane strips are for, where they are used, why you should leave them alone, etc.

Bottom line:

while the shingles are in a bundle the cellophane prevents the shingles from sticking together at the "tar" spots - an adhesive used to help prevent wind uplift and blow-off once the shingles are installed.

when the shingles are installed they are staggered up the roof, not stacked right on top of one another.

Staggered up the roof the cellophane remains on the underside of a shingle where it is absolutely not in the way of anything, while the "tar spots" of adhesive of the shingles on the course below will, softened by heat and sunlight, help the tabs of the shingles in the next course up stick down to the upper section of the shingle course blow.

I think from your second note that you are mistaken about this topic.

The "harm" you cannot see is that tearing off the cellophane from the underside of a shingle often removes part of the shingle granule coating, damaging the shingle and shortening the roof life.

On 2023-07-14 by Dave H again

Some cellophane strips are in the middle of the shingle, some are at the top.

If the cellophane strips are in the middle of the shingle it make perfect sense as to why it is there, merely to keep the tar strip from the upper surface the shingle below it from sticking while it is still in the bundle....

that upper surface tar and the lower surface cellophane does line up in the bundle, so the cellophane strip is necessary for that purpose. A small amount of tar is applied to hold the cellophane in place while shipping.

However, when the cellophane strip is at the top of the underside of the shingle, it does NOT align with the tar tabs/line of the lower shingle WHILE IN THE BUNDLE. So what is its purpose?

the answer is not one ever provided here thus far.... the answer is to study carefully HOW the bundle is stacked up before shipping. For HD shingles, they are stacked in pairs, underside to underside, with tar strips on the bottom, not in the middle.

Thus the cellophane is added firstly to prevent sticking while in the bundle in transit. A glue is added to hold the cellophane in place for this purpose FIRSTLY. Secondarily, I cannot see any harm in removing the cellophane strip for added adhesion to the deck below the shingles for extra security

On 2023-07-14 by Dave H

So can at least one single responder explain to me in plain statements WHY all manufacturers would include an asphalt strip at the top of the shingle just to cover it up?

Clearly the cellophane strip is there to prevent sticking while still in the bundle... obvious.

So why add an extra step to manufacturing this shingle with the asphalt strip, as explained by the "EXPERTS" in this article, say that it adds no value when the strip is removed and should be kept in place.

IMHO, the additional adhesion to the layer below, be that the tar paper or first membrane, is important to wind resilience.
OR .... is it integral to stability when adding a second shingle layer (atop a first older shingle layer) part of the discussion?

On 2022-05-22 by InspectApedia-911 (mod)

@Jeff Guarino,

I agree it's possible that there could have been defective shingle product on the house that you described and that the shingles may not have sealed properly.

However the defect would be in the sealant not in the cellophane strips.

It's unfortunate that many people have trouble picturing the actual fact that the cellophane strip is absolutely nowhere in the way when the shingles are removed from the bundle and installed, staggered up the roof.

The cellophane strip prevents shingles from sticking together while they are stacked exactly on top of one another in the bundle.

When you remove the shingles from the bundle and apply them to the roof, the glue strips on the upper surface of the lower shingle course and the remaining cellophane on the underside of the shingle on the upper shingle course are five or more inches apart in each shingle course.

Can you post some photos for us to take a look.

On 2022-05-22 by Jeff Guarino

My ex wife's house had shingles just blow off yesterday and you can see half of the BP shingles on the roof did not seal and you can see the cellophane strip showing the seal did not happen. There is something very funny going on with the professional advice and the actual in the field evidence.

I myself bought BP shingles in 2005 and paid extra for the more expensive ones and 12 years later they were falling apart. Then I found out there was a class action suit against BP for Organic shingles and I had to take pictures and had a guy out for estimate $8500.

He said he used to be an inspector and I had these shingles in the suit. He said he it was hard to collect. Also they don't notify anyone about the lawsuit. I found out by accident when I went to a metal roofing place and chatting with the salesman.

Just disgusting what you have to go through. It is a racket. The guy who gave me the estimate also is trying to rip me off because he measured my roof to be bigger than I know what it is , I measured it myself first and did not tell him. He was 1 to 2 feet over.

Then he told me not to buy BP shingles because they are crap and don't seal. I also have the original receipts for my existing roof , so I know how many bundles of shingles it needed. He quoted me more and a bunch of unnecessary stuff added on like new stack for my sewer vent etc.

I think metal roofing is the way to go and not the pieces but the continuous roofing , You can see roofs in other places lasting over 100 years. In Florida my roof was put on in 2004 and it looks like the day it was put on.

Composite cement shingles. I don't know what is in them but they are not that heavy and they don't fade, Have the same color. Asphalt shingles are awful all around and bad for the landfill also.

On 2022-04-17 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@Anonymous,

Point is, when the shingles are taken out of the stacked bundle and placed in staggered courses up the roof, the cellophane is nowhere in the way so it does not interfere with the shingle tar strips sealing the shingles down to one another.

Details are above on this page.

On 2022-04-16 by Anonymous

As I read these comments it struck me that the issue is a simple one yet, has for years gone unaddressed. Why is no one asking the question if the plastic strip was designed to stop adhesion, until removed it will not allow adhesion.

One response indicated it could take some time before it degrades and allows adhesion.

But if it prevents adhesion between adhesives, yet does not towards clay for example, then why doesn’t the manufacturer put it in print? Isn’t it clear that the sooner the shingles fail, the sooner more shingles will be purchased?

On 2022-03-17 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@jdr,

The cellophane prevents the shingles from sticking together when they are in the bundle, stacked neatly atop one another.

When the shingles are installed on the roof, the shingles are staggered up the roof so that the tar strips no longer are immediately over the tar strips of the shingle below. That lets the heat from sunlight help bond the shingles together properly.

So we need the cellophane strips while the shingles are in storage and transit but once the shingles are on the roof the cellophane is simply left in place where it's harmless. Don't try pulling it off.

On 2022-03-17 by jdr

so why is there a cellophane strip in the first place and if it's so they won't stick together, why does an asphalt shingles have that smooth strip on it?

On 2022-01-04 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator - Do not remove the cellophane. Leave it in place.

@Anonymous,

Do not remove the cellophane. Leave it in place.

That's what the manufacturer instructs, as you will read above, and you can also read why.

Removing the cellophane may damage the shingle. It will not be in the way when you put the shingles in their proper location on the roof.

On 2022-01-04 by Anonymous

How do I peel off cellophane

On 2021-10-03 by inspectapedia.com.moderator - the best roofers include those who will follow the manufacturer's roof shingle installation instructions

@Samuel,

Regrettably your practice of removing the cellophane strips

  1. may violate your shingle warranty by failing to follow the manufacturer's shingle installation instructions
  2. often will damage some shingles by pulling off a bit of the shingles' body or substrate, leaving a hole that fails early
  3. does not assist in preventing shingle blow-off, according to the manufacturers and does not interfere with proper seal-down of the sealant strip when the roof shingles have been installed (though time and adequate heat or sunlight are needed too)
  4. for some roofers, may show a misunderstanding of where the sealant strip lines-up when the shingles are installed: it's nowhere near the sealant that is to soften and bond the shingles to prevent wind up-lift
  5. might mistake the special instructions for shingles installed in high-wind zones that include either using additional sealant or using a wind-resistant asphalt shingle product.
  6. with respect, your last remark about who should be in the roofing business is simply mistaken and
also, with all due respect, the best roofers include those who will read and respect the manufacturer's roof shingle installation instructions.

This poor topic has been beaten to death, and for at well over a quarter of a century, the answers have been found in the asphalt shingle manufacturers' explanation and instructions cited in the article above. Please do take a look.

On 2021-10-03 by Samuel

I remove every strip BEFORE nailing down every shingle. One house I worked on had extensive blow-offs and all had the strip still in tact.

My suggestion is to take the strip off. This adds a second strip of asphalt to assist in holding down the shingle. Manufacturers have added the second strip of asphalt just to cover it up?

Use it. If you are unable to remove a strip of cellophane from a shingle BEFORE nailing it down without damaging the shingle, then you should not be in the roofing business.

On 2020-10-17 by Teresa

Is is possible to tell the age of a shingle by the printing on it where the cellophane is? DHA 1193

On 2020-08-22 by RioDurango

I agree with Dan, EXPERIENCE, I have done roofing for many many years. The notion to leave the cellophane in place during install is to sell more shingles 5yrs, or less, down the road after the nailed points weaken and thus cause a blow/fall off of said "cellophaned" shingle. AND too Dan's point WHY THE HECK WOULD YOU HAVE A TAR/GLUE STRIP IF IT WAS NOT FOR BONDING SAID SHINGLE. I did my roof 15 yrs ago and peeled the cellophane off just before being nailed and all are still there today !!!! My neighbor across the street had to do patchy repairs due to blow/fall offs due to, you guessed it!!!, hid shingles all were installed with cellophane ""SEALED"" shingles thus no bonding occurred. use critical thinking and discernment folks and you can go a long way.

On 2020-06-21 by Anonymous

To me if they made it for you to remove they would of made a spot for you to pull.

On 2019-12-09 by Anonymous

Sorry, but no, Jacob, the cellophane strips on shingles do not cause wind damage or blow-offs.

The asphalt shingle manufacturers have an enormous amount at stake in the successful installation and durability of their product. They understand the product manufacture, components, storage, and installation.

In my OPINION we would be foolish to ignore their instructions and advice for proper asphalt shingle installation.

EVERY manufacturer warns that you should leave the cellophane in place and leave it alone.

The cellophane does not interfere with proper bonding of the adhesive intended to resist wind damage, because once the shingles are removed from their position directly and exactly on top of one another in the shingle bundle (from the manufacturer) they are installed on the roof in spaced, staggered courses - such that the cellophane of the over-shingle is never touching the glue strips or tabs on the under-shingle.

Furthermore pulling off the cellophane can damage shingles, causing early roof failure.

The ONLY job of those cellophane strips is to keep the shingle glue strips from sticking the shingles to one another while they are still in the bundle.

Of course the strips are still in place later. They were never in the way of anything.

If your roof shingles blew off then they were not properly installed for their wind zone.

On 2019-12-09 by Jacob - thinks the cellophane strips cause shingle blow-offs

@Dan,
Your right. I removed some 15 year old shingles off my carport all the plastic still on the strips. No wonder I got blow offs.

On 2019-04-02 - by (mod) -

Thanks for the field report Thomas.

Let's clarify a few details:

Removing the plastic or cellophane strip will NOT put more adhesive in contact with the roof deck or housewrap - the cellophane is there to keep shingles from sticking together when in the bundle;

Worse, and probably one reason all of the shingle manufacturers say leave the strip in place, is that pulling it off often pulls off or apart part of the shingle, damaging it and shortening the roof life.

Finally, it'd really help to see some photos of exactly what you're citing and to understand exactly why you lost some shingles in some areas and not others.

Be sure to include nailing details as well as the particular city/state so we can dig out the relevant wind-resistant roofing specifications.

Generally the cellophane strip is above the nail line and the glue strips below the nail line on shingles. On starter shingles it's not present.

Let's add these details as it's important in protecting roofs in high wind zones.

On 2019-04-01 by Thomas

The recommendation to leave plastic strip will help the shingle blow off easier I have sections of my roof where the strip was removed and sections where it was left after 15 years where it was removed I haven’t lost a single shingle on the sections where it wasn’t removed I’ve lost and had to replace dozens of shingles.

On 2019-03-30 - by (mod) -

RE-posting from private email

Anonymous wrote:

Starter strips bottom side have a cellophane protective strip that touches the metal drip edge. Nails are 3 inches from the edge of the starter strip. Is it ok using Liquid Nails Fuze it at this 3 inch area will where the glue is on the metal drip but the glue is also touching the cellophane-protective strip on the underside of the starter strip.

Under hurricane conditions on leading edge of roof, will this cellophane-protective strip peel away from the underside of the starter strip leaving the glue only sticking to the metal drip edge and not the underside of the starter strip itself? (The glue was touching the cellophane protective strip and not the underside of the starter strip itself!) Sees so and no one comments on this?


Moderator reply:

Please see this discussion now found at

https://inspectapedia.com/roof/Shingle-Starter-Strips.php

On 2019-01-26 - by (mod) -

Thank you for your comment, Dan.

Watch out: Our advice is based on what the experts tell us, the people who have the most at stake in successful asphalt shingle manufacturers: the asphalt shingle manufacturers themselves.

Their instructions are printed right on the shingle bundle as well as in their installation instructions.

The plastic (actually its cellophane) strip is to be left in place.

Pulling the strip off

1. removing the cellophane strip is not necessary - the strip is not in the way because as shingle courses are staggered up the roof the cellophane strip will be above the glue strips on the course below, totally out of the way

2. pulling off the strip can damage shingles: Pulling off the cellophane strip sometimes pulls off part of the shingle body, damaging it and reducing roof life.

The fundamental misunderstanding that most people share is thinking that the cellophane will be in the way of the glue strips of the course below.

It's not. It's separated by 5-6" as each shingle course steps up the roof.

On 2019-01-26 by Dan

I disagree with this article and its recommendation to leave the plastic in place on the bottom of shingles. I'm not a professional installer but I've been replacing damaged 3-tab roof shingles on my home for the past few years. I never even knew the plastic was on the shingles; I just nailed them in place and then applied some roofer's cement where shingles didn't adhere to the shingles beneath them. I just replaced a few recently and all the shingles I'd replaced in the previous years still had the plastic on them and weren't adhering properly. I agree that its not essential to remove the plastic, since the upper tabs seal to the layer of tar on the middle top of the shingle beneath them, creating the wind-proofing. But removing the plastic will allow the middle of the upper shingles to bind better with the shingle underneath them. Why else would the tar strip be there? The suggestion that the plastic will dissolve after a year is nonsense. I live in central Texas and we have 100+ degree summers and the plastic is still intact to the point that I can remove it pretty easily even years later. With the plastic in place, none of the shingles were binding with the shingle layers beneath them.

Question: translate the numbers printed under the release tape on roof shingles

CertainTeed roof shingle relerase tape numbers and instructions (C) InspectApedia.com Shuda2020/10/23 Mike Shuda said:

What does the series of numbers mean on the cellophane strip on the back of shingles ?

[Click to enlarge any image]

Moderator reply:

Thank you for the photo and question, Mike.

Enlarging the photo I see

U 1 2 3 4

V 1 2 3 4

W 1 2 3 4

RPSM

and CertainTeed's "The Roofing Collection" trademark as well as the instruction: DO NOT REMOVE THIS TAPE followed by

1894.

I think that some of those numbers on your CertainTeed shingles under the release tape give the shingle lot number or a collection of codes that can be translated to tell you the

Though the "1 2 3 4" look pretty generic. I'm researching the question further.

For other readers, I've annotated Mike's photo to point to the notice by CertainTeed stating "DO NOT REMOVE THIS TAPE"

Shingle lot number location and format vary by manufacturer and typically appear on the shingle bundle wrapper and possibly as an imprint under the shingle release tape.

Reader Question: Is it possible to determine shingle age from presence of paper-type shingle release strips?

8/19/2014 Matt S said:

I was inspecting a roof the other day, and I found that the strip was made with a paper product (not plastic or cellophane). The roof appeared to be old; however I am unable to verify due to lack of knowledge of the homeowner and the lack of building permits.

Would the paper strip help to speak to the age of the shingle? In other words, was there a time when they transitioned from paper to cellophane? Thanks.

Reply:

Matt that's a very interesting observation. I've installed a few roofs, dating back more than 20 years, without encountering a paper release strip for the adhesive tabs - so the variation may be as much by brand as by age.

These patent disclosures refer to paper release strips on asphalt shingle adhesive spots. The description typically is a silicone-treated paper rather than cellophane.

You'll see the years span quite a range, at least from 1988 through 2004.

I suspect that the reason we see more cellophane than silicone-treated paper release strips is that should a segment of cellophane escape and show on the finished roof it will break down more quickly, is thinner, perhaps less costly, and if a piece of cellophane left (as it should be) on the shingle but sitting askew peeks out from beneath a roof shingle it will be be less visible than its paper cousin.

 


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Continue reading at CONFUSION about CELLOPANE STRIP POSITION or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

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Asphalt Shingle Sealing Cellophane Strip Articles

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ASPHALT SHINGLE CELLOPHANE STRIP REMOVAL at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.


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