How to Replace Ridge Cap Shingles
Always repair damaged ridge cap shingles immediately. Water penetrating the ridge cap has a clear path to your home's interior since nearly all ridge caps have some sort of opening under the ridge. While it can look intimidating from the ground, replacing ridge cap shingles is easy and can be mastered by most people.
Ridge cap shingles can be made on site from standard three-tab shingles. The tabs are the visible part of the shingles and are separated by slots known as weeps. These slots start at the bottom of the shingle and run about halfway up the shingle.
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Instructions
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Remove the damaged ridge cap shingles. If the damage is in several areas, consider replacing the whole ridge cap (see the resources section for an explanation on how to do this). Remove the damaged shingle by first lifting up the corners of the shingle overlapping it, thus exposing the nail heads holding the damaged shingle in place. There should be one nail on each side of the shingle. Use a nail puller and a hammer to remove the nails and slide the damaged shingle out.
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Cut a new ridge cap shingle to take the place of the damaged one. Using a regular shingle, start at the top of the weep and cut back to the top of the shingle at a slight angle toward the next weep. Cut the other side of the cap shingle by starting at the top of the next weep and angle back slightly to the first weep.
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Insert the new cap shingle in place of the damaged one. Lift the corners of the overlapping shingle and nail the new one into place. If you cannot lift the corners enough to nail into the new shingle, nail through the overlapping shingle and into the new shingle. Cover the nail heads thoroughly with roofing tar to prevent water infiltration.
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Tips & Warnings
If you have leftover shingles from your original roof installation, use one for your ridge shingle repair. If not, purchase a bundle of shingles closely matching the color of your existing shingles. Use specially designed hook blades for roofing to cut the new ridge cap rather than traditional utility knife blades.
