How To Repair Roof Shingles

Dan is a licensed electrician and has been a homeowner for twoscore years. He has virtually ever washed his own repair and improvement tasks.

So you had a windstorm final night and found a few shingles in your yard. Looking up, y'all meet that you need to supervene upon some of your old cobblestone roof shingles (asphalt is the normal shingle blazon used on almost homes).

Not to worry—replacing shingles on your roof, repairing a little wind or tree-limb harm is not a huge deal and is well within the domicile handyman's capabilities. It requires but a few tools, found in most homeowners' tool kits, and a little time.

Don't put this pocket-size task off too long though; missing or damaged shingles can turn a perfectly skillful roof into a major leak repair, including repairs to damaged floors or ceilings below. It isn't worth it.

• A fairly wide, flat pry bar will be extremely useful. Something around 12–18 inches long and possibly 2 inches wide.
• A razor pocketknife (boxcutter) or some other sharp knife may be necessary if the damaged shingle is on the border of the roof.
• A hammer volition be necessary to drive new nails, forth with a handful of roofing nails. These are not normal nails; they have an extra-large head.
• Depending on the weather, some form of heat may be helpful also. Existing shingles must be advisedly aptitude out of the manner, and common cold shingles can and volition snap under the pressure. A common Bernzomatic torch would exercise the job if used carefully; in the photos used for this roof repair, a large propane weed burner was planned for heating cold shingles. It turned out to be unnecessary. Temperatures were in the mid-thirties (F) and the shingles bent nicely. Information technology was used as a final step, however, to help immediately seal new shingles down to old ones.
• A ladder or other access will, of grade, exist necessary to get onto the roof.

Tools taken to the job. The small prybar was useful for removing staples; the middle one was not used at all.

Dan Harmon

How to Remove the Onetime, Damaged Shingles

When shingles are diddled off, it's only the lesser half of a shingle that is typically damaged. What you see on a roof is only half of each shingle; the other half is tucked up and under the next higher shingle. In order to supervene upon a shingle, then, the upper one-half must be removed first.

1. To exercise this, carefully insert the pry bar between the existing upper shingle still in skilful repair and the damaged one, working them apart. Take care here; information technology is quite piece of cake to tear the shingle even so in expert condition, which would mean that it, too, must be replaced.
2. With the upper layer free, work the pry bar under the damaged shingle, prying upwardly until it is costless of whatever nails or staples. Over again, have considerable care not to damage good shingles during the process. Slide whatsoever is left of the damaged shingle out.
3. Drive protruding nails or staples into the roof until they are flush; you don't want them holding the new shingle higher than it should be. These nails or staples could be removed rather than driving them flat; some of the shingles replaced on this task were up under the ridge cap and difficult to attain with a hammer and they were simply removed.

The gray areas are really the peak half of a proficient shingle. The bottom half of the shingle above it on the roof has been broken off and needs replacing.

How to Supercede Damaged Shingles

1. With the area prepared (see in a higher place), slide the new shingle into place. Line up the bottom of the shingle with adjacent shingles to each side. The new shingle will non quite fill the gap between the shingles on either side; equalize the gaps between shingles side to side. Yous may find that the shingle needs to be lifted slightly to slide over staples, nails, or the adjacent shingle; slide a hand upwards under it and carefully lift slightly.
2. Very carefully gyre upwardly the shingle just higher up the replacement until the tar line is well exposed as this is where the nails should be driven in.
3. Drive two nails on each tab, or 6 nails per shingle. The nails, if driven through that tar line, will hold both the new shingle and the one beneath it.
4. Allow the upper, rolled-up shingle to relax back into identify, helping with a little hand pressure. Every bit shown in the photograph, information technology is a good idea if possible to apply a little rut to help melt the tar and seal the new shingle to the older existing one underneath it.
5. The job pictured needed replacement of four shingles, plus one that was damaged in the process of "unsticking" information technology from the broken one, for a total of five. Information technology took nearly an 60 minutes to do the task; a small-scale amount of effort to protect the investment of your dwelling.

The upper shingle (lesser of photo) is curled up, revealing the nailing area. The nail is placed on the tar line and driven through both the new shingle and the older shingle underneath it.

This commodity is authentic and true to the best of the author's knowledge. Content is for advisory or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional communication in business, fiscal, legal, or technical matters.

© 2022 Dan Harmon

Angela Jones on December xviii, 2022:

Carefully scroll upward the shingle is required to a higher place the replacement. For roof damages an easy solution is EPDM Coatings It is applied easily, and work for a long time of xx years.

Dan Harmon (author) from Boise, Idaho on December 14, 2022:

Scroll to Go along

Read More From Dengarden

A good signal - estimates are often free of charge and don't require i to actually hire the work done. That would often be a reasonable affair to look into.

Your before comment on supply houses - The ones effectually me (at least that I frequent and I know the pros do too) are more than than willing to assist out a homeowner and will sell to them also. Abode Depot and Lowes doesn't carry much selection, and to top quality materials, so it is to the supply houses that I look for covering materials. Plus, they will deliver to the rooftop - a major plus if you're re-doing the entire roof!

JON EWALL from usa on December 13, 2022:

wilderness

Please, not that getting prices and professional comments don't require ane to rent a professional. Legitimate professionals ( locally known )are a adept outset.

your hub is excellent advice in many cases.

Take a skillful day!

Dan Harmon (author) from Boise, Idaho on December xiii, 2022:

Some good comments here about using professionals. Nonetheless:

A professional roofer, with their high bills, is not necessary to replace a common asphalt shingle on a normal habitation. Severe updrafts (mini tornadoes) are common in my surface area and a missing or broken shingle is non uncommon. MediaWizard mentioned hail damage. Falling limbs tin can damage a few shingles. There are a variety of reasons for damaged shingles that do non indicate severe roof harm.

Yep, a "spongy" roof needs further investigation. No, a homeowner probably should not climb a 12/12 pitch roof without being tied off. Yes, a patch of a dozen missing shingles is probably indicative of other harm. And yes, there comes a fourth dimension in every roof'south life that it merely needs totally replaced.

That doesn't mean, though, that nosotros need to pay through the nose to do a job that we can do ourselves for $10. The roof in the photos is only a couple of years one-time on a mobile dwelling house and appeared (afterward working on information technology) to take been done properly. Inexpensive shingles were used and a high current of air bankrupt 4 of them in half - this does non need a roofing company to repair.

greggreene from Newburyport MA on December 13, 2022:

The comments hither about using a professional person roofer are authentic as very few bug tin exist seen from a cursory look at the roof. You should treat the shingles that come off equally a carmine flag to potentially other, bigger problems and act quickly earlier your home suffers more costly impairment.

JON EWALL from united states on Dec 12, 2022:

wilderness

MY Feel would be to contact a licensed roofer for an inspection and a repair price. In that location may be more damages that a novice may not see that would impact the integrity of preventing additional water amercement.

Check your insurance policy to encounter if the repairs are covered in the policy.

Matching the shingles may be difficult at times. The local roofers and supply houses tin can help to identify the product.

tinagleisner from NH Seacoast on December 12, 2022:

I similar your outline but I find it misleading for several reasons. First you oasis't provided whatsoever condom warnings about admission or working on a roof including how much of a pitch (measures how steep a roof is) a homeowner should tackle versus calling a home pro. From my perspective, I offset want to understand why the shingles came off - were they not installed properly? are they at the cease of useful life and then you're doing more damage walking on the roof when you actually need to supercede? is there hidden water damage and the rotted wood let nails come out? Dealing with roof bug is serious and I'yard afraid I don't think many homeowners have the experience to deal with annihilation but a minor 1-ii lost missing shingles where they can repair them while standing on a ladder.

Paul Cronin from Winnipeg on December 12, 2022:

Really good info on repairing shingled roofs, I'm certain many of the states will find this to come in handy. Cheers for the info and voted uP!

Source: https://dengarden.com/home-improvement/repairing-a-shingle-roof-how-to-replace-asphalt-roof-shingles

Share this post