How to Remove & Replace Asphalt Roof Shingles
As time goes on, homeowners must make repairs and upgrades to maintain their homes and improve their value. One repair, which can be costly, is replacing a roof. Due to constant exposure to the elements, roof shingles can be damaged, which can allow water to leak into your house. While most people employ professionals to repair or replace a roof, you can do it yourself if you have the tools and don't mind heights. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Pitchfork
- Nail gun
- Plywood (for sheathing)
- 30-pound roof felt
- Hammer stapler
- Flashing
- Utility knife
- Asphalt shingles
- Roofing nails
- Tape measure
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Instructions
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Remove the old shingles by sliding a pitchfork underneath them and prying them up.
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Inspect the sheathing for damage, and replace any boards that are damaged. If you loosened any of the sheathing while removing the shingles, nail it to the rafters with a nail gun.
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Cover the sheathing with 30-pound roof felt--making sure that the roof felt is flat--and staple it to the sheathing every six to eight inches.
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Nail the flashing into place on the bottom edge of the roof.
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Count how many shingles you'll need to run the bottom edge of the roof, then cut the tabs off the shingles.
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Use the cut shingles for a starter course by nailing them on top of the flashing, making sure the shingles overhang the edge of the flashing by one-fourth of an inch. For the starter course, use three nails in each shingle, one in the middle of the shingle, and one about four inches in from each end (standard roofing nails are fine).
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Nail the first row of shingles into place so they overhang the starter course by driving four nails spaced evenly out about three-fourths to one inch above the tabs.
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Begin the next row by lining up the bottom of the second row with the middle of the first row (where the tabs are), and by staggering the shingles so they don't line up exactly.
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Continue this process until you reach the top of the roof.
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To cover the edges of the roof where it's at an angle, cut the tabs off of a shingle, lay it over the edge so it's centered, and nail it into place with a nail on each side. Repeat this process until all the edging is covered.
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References
- Photo Credit Construction Worker on the Roof image by steverts from Fotolia.com
