Laminated starter shingle for a roof covering

1. A method of covering a roof deck, the method comprising:

laying a course of starter shingles in a side-by-side relationship at an eave edge of a roof deck, wherein a starter shingle of the course of starter shingles is a laminated starter shingle comprising an underlay sheet laminated below an overlay sheet; and

laying a plurality of successive generally horizontal courses of covering shingles above the course of starter shingles, the covering shingles in each of the courses of covering shingles being laid in a side-by-side relationship and horizontally offset from the covering shingles in adjacent courses, wherein each covering shingle of the courses of covering shingles includes a headlap portion and a butt portion, the butt portion including a plurality of tabs separated by cutouts, and wherein the starter shingles include an exposed portion extending between the tabs of the covering shingles, wherein a height of the overlay sheet is greater than a height of the underlay sheet.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the overlay sheet has a headlap portion and a butt portion, and wherein the underlay sheet is laminated beneath the butt portion of the overlay sheet.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the butt portion includes a butt edge and the underlay sheet includes a lower edge, and wherein the butt edge and the lower edge are vertically aligned to define a lower edge of the starter shingle.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein a lower edge of the covering shingles in a first course of the covering shingles is vertically aligned with the lower edge of the starter shingles.

5. A laminated starter shingle comprising an underlay sheet laminated below an overlay sheet, the starter shingle used as part of a roof covering on a roof, the roof covering including a plurality of successive generally horizontal courses of covering shingles laid above a plurality of the starter shingles, the covering shingles in each of the courses of covering shingles being laid in a side-by-side relationship and vertically offset from the covering shingles in adjacent courses

wherein the starter shingles include an exposed portion visible between the tabs of the covering shingles,

wherein each covering shingle is a laminated covering shingle comprising an overlay member having a headlap portion and a butt portion and an underlay member fixedly attached to a rear surface of the butt portion of the overlay member, and

wherein a difference between a height of the underlay sheet of each starter shingle and a height of the underlay member of each covering shingle is greater than about one inch.

6. The laminated starter shingle according to claim 5 , wherein the underlay sheet is laminated beneath the butt portion of the overlay sheet, and wherein the butt portion includes a butt edge and the underlay sheet includes a lower edge, and wherein the butt edge and the lower edge are vertically aligned to define a lower edge of the starter shingle, and wherein a lower edge of the covering shingles in a first course of the covering shingles is vertically aligned with the lower edge of the starter shingles.

7. The laminated starter shingle according to claim 6 , wherein the butt portions of the starter shingles have an overall color appearance that is substantially similar to an overall color appearance of the covering shingles.

8. A laminated starter shingle comprising an underlay sheet laminated below an overlay sheet, the starter shingle used as part of a roof covering on a roof , the roof covering including a plurality of successive generally horizontal courses of covering shingles laid above a plurality of the starter shingles, the covering shingles in each of the courses of covering shingles being laid in a side-by-side relationship and vertically offset from the covering shingles in adjacent courses, wherein each covering shingle of the courses of covering shingles includes a headlap portion and a butt portion, the butt portion including a plurality of tabs separated by cutouts,

wherein the starter shingles include an exposed portion visible between the tabs of the covering shingles, and

wherein a height of the overlay sheet is greater than a height of the underlay sheet.

9. The laminated starter shingle according to claim 8 , wherein the underlay sheet is laminated beneath the butt portion of the overlay sheet, and wherein the butt portion includes a butt edge and the underlay sheet includes a lower edge, and wherein the butt edge and the lower edge are vertically aligned to define a lower edge of the starter shingle, and wherein a lower edge of the covering shingles in a first course of the covering shingles is vertically aligned with the lower edge of the starter shingles.

10. The laminated starter shingle according to claim 9 , wherein the butt portions of the starter shingles have an overall color appearance that is substantially similar to an overall color appearance of the covering shingles.

11. A roof covering comprising:

a course of starter shingles laid in a side-by-side relationship at an eave edge of a roof deck, wherein a starter shingle of the course of starter shingles is a laminated starter shingle comprising an underlay sheet laminated below an overlay sheet; and

a plurality of successive generally horizontal courses of covering shingles laid above the course of starter shingles, the covering shingles in each of the courses of covering shingles being laid in a side-by-side relationship and vertically offset from the covering shingles in adjacent courses,

wherein each covering shingle of the courses of covering shingles includes a headlap portion and a butt portion, the butt portion including a plurality of tabs separated by cutouts,

wherein the starter shingles include an exposed portion visible between the tabs of the covering shingles,

wherein each covering shingle is a laminated covering shingle comprising:

an overlay member having a headlap portion and a butt portion; and

an underlay member fixedly attached to a rear surface of the butt portion of the overlay member, and

wherein a difference between a height of the underlay sheet of each starter shingle and a height of the underlay member of each covering shingle is greater than about one inch.

12. The roof covering according to claim 11 , wherein the height of the overlay sheet is greater than the height of the underlay sheet.

13. The roof covering according to claim 11 , wherein the underlay sheet is laminated beneath the butt portion of the overlay sheet.

14. The roof covering according to claim 13 , wherein the butt portion includes a butt edge and the underlay sheet includes a lower edge, and wherein the butt edge and the lower edge are vertically aligned to defuse a lower edge of the starter shingle.

15. The roof covering according to claim 14 , wherein a lower edge of the covering shingles in a first course of the covering shingles is vertically aligned with the lower edge of the starter shingles.

16. The roof covering according to claim 13 , wherein the butt portions of the starter shingles have an overall color appearance that is substantially similar to an overall color appearance of the covering shingles.