How to Install Starter Strip Shingles at the Eave and Rake
The row nobody sees, and the one that seals the first course against wind and wind-driven rain.
- Advanced
- 1 to 3 hours
- Updated
The short answer
Starter strip goes along the eaves first, with its adhesive strip at the eave edge, overhanging the drip edge by about 1/4 to 3/4 inch. It is nailed 2 to 3 inches up from the edge, with nails clear of the first course's sealant line. Rake starter follows up the gable ends. Confirm overhang and nail spacing on the manufacturer's instructions.
Starter strip is the first row of shingles, and it does two jobs. At the eave, it fills the gaps between the tabs or joints of the first full course, so water that gets through cannot run straight to the deck edge. At the rake, it gives the shingle ends a solid surface to seal to, which is where the wind tries to lift a roof first. A roof without a proper starter course will leak at the joints and is more likely to lose its first course in a storm.
It is also where an installer's mistakes hide. Starter set with its adhesive strip facing the wrong way, nailed too high or too far up, or hung too far past the drip edge is covered by the first course and never seen again, until a windstorm takes the course with it.
This guide covers manufactured starter strip on the eaves and rakes, plus how to make starter from 3-tab shingles when needed. The next steps are snapping chalk lines and laying courses. The drip edge that the starter overhangs is covered in how to install drip edge.
Tools
- Roofing hammer or coil nailer
- Hook blade utility knife
- Tape measure
- Chalk line
- Straightedge
- Fall arrest harness and anchor
Materials
- Manufactured starter strip shingles
- Roofing nails, 1-1/4 inch galvanized
- Drip edge already installed on the eaves and rakes
- Underlayment already installed
- Asphalt roof cement for hand sealing in cold weather
Safety first
- The eave is where most roof falls start. Stay tied off whenever you work within a few feet of the edge.
- Keep the hook blade knife pointed away from your leg and your lanyard. Cut starter on a flat surface, not on your knee.
- Do not stack bundles of starter at the eave. A bundle that slides goes straight to the ground.
Step by Step
Step 1: Check the drip edge and underlayment
At the eaves, the drip edge goes on the bare deck, with the underlayment lapped over it. At the rakes, the drip edge goes over the underlayment. That order sends water off the roof over the metal at both edges. See how to install drip edge.
Check the eave is straight, and that the underlayment is flat and tight. A wavy eave shows in the first course and in every course after it.
Step 2: Set the eave overhang
The overhang lets water drip clear of the fascia and into the gutter instead of running back under the drip edge. Too little and water finds the fascia. Too much and the unsupported shingle edge sags or breaks off in wind. The common range is 1/4 to 3/4 inch, with exact numbers on the product instructions.
Measure it and snap a line if the eave is not straight, so the starter follows a line, not the eave. A gutter apron or fascia cover changes where the overhang ends up: see how to install a gutter apron.
Step 3: Orient the sealant strip at the eave edge
Manufactured starter has a factory sealant strip. The position varies between products, but on most it is on the face, along the lower edge. Laid that way, the strip seals the bottom edge of the first full shingle course and keeps the wind from lifting it.
Read the instructions on the wrapper. Installed upside down or rotated, the sealant ends up under the wrong part of the first course, and the eave edge is unsealed.
Step 4: Nail the starter in the right place
Nail above the sealant line, in the zone that the first course will cover, not through the sealant or along the exposed edge. The usual pattern is a nail every 12 inches or as the wrapper shows, about 2 to 3 inches up from the eave edge, and about an inch in from each end.
Use 1-1/4 inch galvanized roofing nails, and set the nail gun so heads sit flush. An overdriven nail cuts the strip and a proud nail pushes up the first course. See shingle nailing: placement, count and depth.
Watch out: Nails driven along the eave edge leave a hole at the most exposed spot on the roof. Keep them up in the covered zone.
Step 5: Stagger the joints and cut the ends clean
Butt pieces end to end with no overlap and no gap. A gap lets water reach the deck. A lap creates a bump under the first course.
Stagger the starter joints from the first course joints so no joint in the starter lines up with a joint above it. A cut with a hook blade from the back gives a clean edge. See how to cut asphalt shingles cleanly.
Step 6: Run the rake starter
Rake starter is the same strip, run up the slope along the gable end. Start at the eave, overlap the eave starter, and work up to the ridge. The sealant strip at the rake edge bonds the shingle ends on the gable end, where wind gets under.
Some manufacturers allow the eave starter to be turned and used on the rake. Others require a separate product. Check the wrapper. The rest of the edge work is in how to finish shingles at the rake edge.
Step 7: If you must, make starter from 3-tab shingles
Cut about 5 inches off the bottom of a 3-tab shingle, removing the tabs, so what remains is a strip of about 7 inches with the sealant line near the cut edge. Lay it with the cut edge at the overhang. The sealant sits at the eave, where the first course will bond to it.
Use a full length strip for a start, and trim the first piece so its joints are offset from the first course. Do this only when manufactured starter is not available or the roof is 3-tab and the manufacturer allows it. Laminated shingles are not a good substitute, because they are thick and will not lie flat.
Step 8: Hand seal in cold weather
Factory sealant needs sun and warmth to bond. On a cold or overcast day, it may not. Put quarter-sized dabs of roof cement under the starter or first course at the spacing the manufacturer gives, and do not use more than that.
The eave and rake are the most wind-exposed parts of the roof, so these are the places to hand seal first. See how to shingle in cold weather.
Overhang Guide
These are common values. The installation instructions for the specific shingle are what count.
- Eave overhang: about 1/4 to 3/4 inch past the drip edge.
- Rake overhang: about 1/4 to 3/4 inch past the rake drip edge.
- Nail position: about 2 to 3 inches up from the eave edge, above the sealant line.
- Nail spacing: about every 12 inches, with a nail near each end.
Why Starter Matters in the Fraser Valley
Fall and winter rain in the valley is often wind-driven, and outflow winds from the Fraser Canyon can be strong enough to lift an unsealed edge. The eave and rake are where wind gets under shingles first. A starter course that is sealed and nailed properly is one of the cheapest ways to keep a roof on in a windstorm.
Common Mistakes
- Skipping starter and turning a full shingle upside down at the eave. The sealant is wrong, the joints line up and the eave has no real seal.
- Too much or too little overhang. Too little lets water under the drip edge. Too much lets the shingle droop and break.
- Nailing through the sealant or along the eave edge. Nails along the edge leave holes where water gets in.
- Lining up starter joints with first course joints. A straight line of joints is a straight line for water.
- Using laminated shingles as starter. The thickness makes the first course lift and does not give the right sealant position.
- Not hand sealing in the cold. The edge of the roof ends up unbonded and can lift in the first windstorm.
When to Call a Professional
Starter is simple to install but it is the base for everything above it. If the eave is crooked, the fascia is rotten, or the roof is high enough that working at the edge is a fall risk, hire a roofer.
If the existing roof has lost its first course in wind, have a roofer check the starter and the edge detail. The cause is often a missing or badly placed starter.
Fraser Roofing does free roof inspections across the Fraser Valley, from Hope to Abbotsford. See our Roof Replacement service or the towns we cover.
How to Install Starter Strip Shingles: Questions
What is starter strip on a roof?
Starter strip is a narrow row of shingles with a factory adhesive strip, installed first along the eaves and rakes. It fills the gaps under the first full course and seals its bottom edge, which stops water reaching the deck and helps the edge resist wind. It is covered by the first course and never seen.
How far should starter strip overhang the drip edge?
The common range is about 1/4 to 3/4 inch past the drip edge at the eave and the rake. That lets water drip clear of the fascia without leaving the shingle so far out that it breaks. The exact figure is on the manufacturer's instructions for the shingle.
Which way does starter strip go?
Place the starter so its factory adhesive strip sits along the eave edge, where the first full course will stick to it. Some products have the sealant on a different part of the face, so check the wrapper. If the sealant is in the wrong place, the first course is unsealed.
Can you use regular shingles as starter?
You can cut tabs off 3-tab shingles and use the strip with the sealant line at the eave, if the manufacturer allows it. Laminated shingles are too thick and have the wrong sealant position. A manufactured starter strip is cheap and is the better choice on any roof.
Do you need starter strip on the rake?
Most manufacturers require it, because the rake edge is where wind lifts a roof first and the starter gives the shingle ends something to seal to. Some accept eave starter run up the rake, others require a dedicated rake product. Read the installation instructions for the shingle you are using.
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This guide is general education. Always follow the product manufacturer's installation instructions, the BC Building Code and WorkSafeBC requirements, which take priority over anything written here.
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