CertainTeed Landmark Pro Starter and Nailing Specification

Why this matters

CertainTeed Landmark Pro is a widely installed laminate shingle, and its enhanced wind warranty and SureStart coverage depend entirely on installing the starter course and field nailing exactly to the published specification. Get the starter wrong, run it backward, omit it at rakes, or set the field nails high above the common bond, and the shingles can blow off in the first strong wind even though the product was sound, and the manufacturer can deny the wind claim because the install did not meet spec. This procedure covers the starter and nailing details that most determine wind performance and warranty validity, written for the installer on the deck. Always confirm against the current CertainTeed Landmark series application instructions printed on the wrapper and at the manufacturer's site, because specs are revised.

Substrate and underlayment prerequisites

Install over a clean, dry, properly fastened solid deck of minimum nominal 3/8 inch with no gaps that would let nails miss wood. Apply CertainTeed underlayment per the wrapper, with an ASTM D1970 self-adhering ice-and-water membrane at eaves, valleys, and penetrations where code and climate require, extending from the eave edge to at least 24 inches inside the warm wall line in ice-dam climates. Install metal drip edge at eaves and rakes before underlayment at the eave and over underlayment at the rake, per IRC. The enhanced wind warranty for Landmark Pro requires specific accessory components, so verify the full system (starter, hip and ridge, and required underlayment) before counting on the upgraded coverage.

Starter course

The starter does two jobs: it provides the sealant strip that bonds the first course's tabs at the eave, and it backs the joints of the first course. Use CertainTeed Swiftstart or a comparable purpose-made starter strip, not field shingles flipped over, when the wind warranty depends on it.

• At the eave, run the starter with the factory adhesive strip positioned along the eave edge so it lands under the leading edge of the first course and seals those tabs down. Overhang the drip edge by the amount the instructions specify (commonly about 1/4 to 3/4 inch).
• Offset the starter so its joints do not align with the first-course joints.
• At the rakes, run starter up the rake edges as well, with the sealant toward the edge, so the field shingle edges are bonded against wind uplift. Omitting rake starter is a common cause of wind-lifted rake courses.
• Nail the starter per the instructions, keeping fasteners high enough that they are covered by the first course and clear of the sealant.

Field nailing

Landmark Pro is fastened in the manufacturer's designated nailing zone, the reinforced common-bond area. Correct placement here is the difference between a sealed, wind-rated roof and one that sheds shingles.

• Use corrosion-resistant roofing nails of minimum 11 or 12 gauge with heads of at least 3/8 inch, long enough to penetrate at least 3/4 inch into the deck or fully through thinner decking, per IRC R905.2.5.
• Place nails in the marked common-bond/nailing zone. Driving nails high, above the zone, leaves the sealant strip of the course above unsupported and is the leading install defect behind wind blow-off.
• Drive nails flush, flat, and snug. Overdriven nails that crush the mat and underdriven nails that stand proud both void wind performance; the head must seat without cutting the shingle.
• Standard application uses four nails per shingle. For the enhanced wind-warranty coverage and in high-wind regions, use six nails per shingle as the instructions and local code require.

High-wind and steep-slope details

For enhanced wind-speed warranty coverage and in high-wind jurisdictions, follow the six-nail pattern and any required hand-sealing. On steep slopes above the threshold in the instructions and on mansards, spot the shingles with manufacturer-approved asphalt roofing cement under each tab in addition to nailing, because the factory sealant may not reliably bond on very steep or cold installs. In cold weather, the thermal sealant strips may not activate until warm sunny conditions return; hand-seal as the instructions direct so the roof is wind-secure before it sees a storm. Confirm the deck fastening of the sheathing itself meets the high-wind requirement, since shingle wind resistance is meaningless if the deck lifts.

Verification

Walk the completed area and spot-check nail placement by lifting a tab here and there: nails must be in the common-bond zone, flush, and four or six per shingle as specified. Confirm starter is present and correctly oriented at every eave and rake with the sealant toward the edge. Verify the first course tabs are seated on the starter sealant. Confirm hip and ridge use the matched CertainTeed product if the enhanced warranty requires it. Document the nail pattern and starter with photos for the warranty file.

References

• CertainTeed Landmark Series Shingle Application Instructions (current wrapper and published version; starter, nailing zone, four vs six nail patterns, high-wind details)
• IRC R905.2.5 and R905.2.6 (asphalt shingle fasteners and wind-resistance fastening)
• IRC R905.1.2 / R905.2.7 (underlayment and ice barrier requirements)
• ASTM D7158 and D3161 (asphalt shingle wind-resistance classifications referenced by the warranty)