Roofing product

A method for covering and protecting a pitched roof deck having an eave, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a course of starter blocks, each starter block comprising a top surface, a bottom surface, first and second side surfaces, a front surface and a back surface, the front surface having a height that is greater than the height of the back surface to form the first and second side surfaces with a taper;
• providing a first course of semi-rigid shingles, each shingle having a top surface and a bottom surface with a generally in-plane portion;
• coupling the course of starter blocks to the roof deck at the eave such that the bottom surfaces of the starter blocks lie against the roof deck and each starter block is laterally adjacent another starter block;
• and
• coupling the first course of semi-rigid shingles to the roof deck such that the bottom surfaces of the shingles lie upon and extend off of the top surfaces of the course of starter blocks at the back surfaces thereof to allow each shingle to contact the roof deck at a location more proximal to the back surface of the respective starter block than if the back surface had the same height as the corresponding front surface of the respective starter block.

A method for stacking bundles of shingles on a pallet, each bundle having a group of shingles stacked atop and in alignment with one another and coupled together in the bundle, and each shingle having a forward edge, a back edge, an exposed portion and a headlap portion, the exposed portion extending from the forward edge to the headlap portion, and the headlap portion extending from the exposed portion to the back edge with a longitudinal taper in thickness for at least a substantial part of the headlap portion, the method comprising the steps of:

• assembling each bundle of shingles by placing a plurality of shingles atop one another so that the exposed portions and the headlap portions of each shingle are in alignment with the other shingles of the respective bundle, and then coupling the shingles of the bundle together;
• stacking a first layer of shingle bundles on the pallet laterally adjacent one another, the first layer including at least a first row and a second row of shingle bundles, each of the first and second rows having the shingle bundles within the respective row in alignment with one another so that the headlap portions of the plurality of shingles of each bundle are facing the same direction and towards the headlap portions of the plurality of shingles of each bundle of the other one of the first and second rows;
• stacking a second layer of shingle bundles on the pallet laterally adjacent one another and on top of the first layer of shingle bundles, the second layer including at least one row of shingle bundles positioned above the headlap portions of the shingle bundles of the first layer and aligned perpendicularly therewith;
• wherein the at least one row of shingle bundles of the second layer compresses the headlap portions of the shingle bundles of the first layer to form the first layer shingle bundles with an arcuate bow extending in the longitudinal direction.