How to Install Felt Paper
Installing felt paper is an important part of installing new shingles on a roof, as it helps to protect the roof from moisture and may be required by state and local law as well. Felt paper should be applied directly to the roof itself, meaning that it is intended for installation on new roofs or on roofs where all shingles have been stripped off before new asphalt shingles are installed. It isn't difficult to install felt paper, especially if you have someone to help you with it. After the felt paper has been installed, your shingles can be installed directly over the paper. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Ladder
- Hammer and nails or nail gun
- Knife, box cutter, or heavy-duty scissors
Instructions
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Remove any shingles, screws, and nails that may be present on the roof. Place your ladder against the roof near either the left or right side of the house.
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2
Place your roll of felt paper on the roof, unrolling it slightly and lining up one of the corners with the bottom corner of the roof near your ladder. Hammer a single nail into the felt paper halfway up and near the edge of the roof in order to hold it in place.
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3
Unroll the felt paper several feet along your roof, then move the ladder approximately five feet in the same direction. Unroll the paper a bit more until eight to ten feet of felt paper has been unrolled. Pull the paper tight, hammering another single nail into it halfway up so as to hold it in place.
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4
Continue unrolling the felt paper across the roof, securing it with a nail approximately every ten feet. Adjust the paper slightly before each nail, keeping the bottom edge of the paper even with the bottom of the roof.
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Fold the felt paper over the edge of the roof when you reach the end, rubbing it along the edge slightly so as to create a slight crease. Cut the felt paper off of the roll, then place another nail into it in order to secure it.
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Move the paper roll up and start unrolling it in the other direction. Butt the new line of felt paper tight against the top of the previous line, securing it in the same manner as on your first line. If you would prefer to let the paper overlap, try not to overlap the paper by more than one or two inches.
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Continue working your way back and forth across the roof, starting new rolls of felt paper when needed. Climb onto the roof to make installing the felt paper easier after the first line or two of paper have been installed.
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Work your way up one side of the roof, then place a line along the top of the other side. Let the line of felt paper that covers the peak of the roof overlap both of the lines that fall beneath it.
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Use your ladder to install the final line or two of felt paper when you find yourself near the bottom of the roof again. Take care to line up the bottom edge of your final line with the edge of the roof.
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Begin installing your shingles after you have installed felt paper over your entire roof. Don't forget that the bottom row of shingles should hang over the bottom edge of the roof to account for the knockouts in the shingle tabs.
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Tips & Warnings
If you have someone helping you, you will be able to stretch the felt paper for longer distances as you apply it because he will be able to hold the paper in place for you.
Use caution when working on ladders or on the roof to prevent falls or other potentially severe accidents.
