I’m new to the inspection world as I just recieved my LASHI little over week ago. I’m doing practice inspections in family and friends till I get my first. I came across an issue with a roof already that having hard time figuring out what is the issue. This is a picture of shingles that are 4 years old. When I first saw this I though there was a ventilation issue or defect in shingle. Well as I inspected more of roof I realized this issue was just on the North and South sides. The East and West sides were fine and that’s the sides that get more sun exposure in Southwest Louisiana. I hope someone can help we figure this out.
A contributor could be the underlayment was wet and/or not adhered properly
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On something like this, it is best to just recommend having a qualified contractor make corrections and move on. I know that’s not what you want to hear.
I too would be interested in knowing what caused it, just for my own knowledge. So, I would check back in with someone involved to see what they figured out.
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Those appear to be old composition shingles nearing life expectancy.
Besides the wrinkling, that can be caused by excess ultra-violet exposure known for trapping moisture in shingles to break down prematurely, the chimney flashing and shingle clearance give more of an overall image as to the roofing contractors installation practices, or lack there of.
As well, the slope transition was not flashed.
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Really? I have NEVER seen a shingle with a FOUR YEAR life expectancy!
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My wag would be manufacturer defect or wet underlayment/sheathing.
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Yeah, that pattern is suspicious, and manufacturer’s defect certainly rises on the list of possible causes. The pattern of wrinkled tabs is strange and even stranger when found only on the north and south facing surfaces.
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Yeah that is the thing that gets me. At first glance it looked like manufacturing defect or lack of attic ventilation but because of the issue is just in north and south areas and most sun here is from East to West. It seems like a freak issue. Glad I’m not only one scratching my head on this.
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I see you can read.
Take your meds!!
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My WAG is that thay may have been installed in colder wetter weather, and since the sun isn’t hitting those shigles directly, that they simply haven’t “relaxed and adhered” properly as the shinges on the sunside have.
But then again being in the south with higher temps one would think that shouldn’t be an issue. 
I write stuff like that up as a, “defective product and/or installation defect.”
Covers both bases and keeps your phone from ringing with the installer blaming the manufacturer and the manufacturer blaming the installer.
In this case I’d lean defective product since it looks like the minerals are just lifting off the shingle base. I can’t imagine a ventilation or underlayment issue that would cause that in such a short amount of time.
Hope your friend/family isn’t, “shooting the messenger.” 
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I would guess moisture and/or manufacturers defect.
But here are the possibilities from Roofers AI when asked the question;
Several factors could cause a laminated roof shingle to wrinkle where it is only one ply thick:
- Improper Installation: If the shingle wasn’t installed correctly, such as being improperly aligned or not adequately adhered to the underlying surface, it could lead to wrinkling.
- Moisture: Moisture infiltration, either from leaks in the roof or excessive humidity, can cause the shingle material to swell and warp, resulting in wrinkles.
- Heat Exposure: Prolonged exposure to high temperatures, especially if the shingle is black or dark-colored, can cause the material to soften and lose its shape, leading to wrinkling.
- Manufacturing Defects: Rarely, a manufacturing defect in the shingle itself could cause it to wrinkle prematurely.
- Age and Wear: Over time, the shingle may naturally deteriorate due to weathering, UV exposure, and general wear and tear, leading to wrinkling.
- Inadequate Ventilation: Poor attic ventilation can lead to excessive heat buildup in the attic, which can in turn affect the roof shingles and cause them to warp and wrinkle.
- Improper Storage: If the shingles were improperly stored before installation, such as being
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I would start here on my path to eliminate everything on Marcel’s list…
My SWAG would be that, prior to installation, the shingles were irregularly stacked for a long time and the bottom layers (i.e. thinner areas) deformed to the top layers (thicker areas) below them, causing the wrinkles. The installer probably thought the wrinkles would relax or soften over time and, for some reason, they did not or have not so far.
Plus +1 for and/or!
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What is Roofers AI? I’m not familiar with that.
10 Ways Roofing Companies Can Use ChatGPT | Roofr
Just ask the Robot. LOL
That can help many here.
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I’m familiar with Chat GPT and use it somewhat often, especially for helping with content on blogs for my website or asking questions that Google search doesn’t provide enough input for. I just thought you might have a specific roofing robot that I wasn’t aware of, LOL 
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Yeah, it’s funny… I put that in a lot of my narratives and really like how widespread and accepted it is as a general part of speech/writing and LOVE how all-encompassing it is on the backend (legally) if ever needed.
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