How to Repair a Buckled Roof
If you're a homeowner, at some point you may have to replace your roof. Over time, roofs suffer damage due to constant exposure to the elements. There are several signs that you need a new roof, including leaks, discolored shingles, and a roof that's buckling, or sagging. Replacing a roof can be a costly repair, but one that you might be able to do yourself, depending on the level of damage. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Pitchfork
- Hammer
- Plywood sheathing
- Nail gun
- Nails
- 30-pound roofing felt
- Hammer stapler
- Flashing
- Utility knife
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Instructions
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Remove the old shingles by prying them up with a pitchfork and taking them off the roof.
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Inspect the sheathing (the plywood boards underneath the shingles) for damage. If your roof is buckling, chances are it's due to some of the sheathing sagging. Remove any damaged sheathing by pulling out the nails and removing the boards.
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Replace any damaged sheathing with new boards, lining them up in place over the rafters and nailing them to the rafters with a nail gun. If you loosened any other sheathing while removing the shingles or damaged sheathing, nail it to the rafters as well, to secure it.
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Cover the sheathing with 30-pound roofing felt. Smooth out the roofing felt against the sheathing, and staple it to the sheathing every 6 to 8 inches.
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Place the flashing on the bottom edge of the roof and nail it into place.
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Count how many shingles you'll need for the bottom row of the roof, and cut the tabs off them.
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Lay down a starter course of shingles by nailing the cut shingles on top of the flashing so that the shingles overhang the flashing by 1/4 inch. Use three nails in each shingle, one 4 inches from each end, and one in the middle.
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Nail the first row of shingles in place so the tabs overhang the starter course. Nail them in place by evenly spacing out four nails about an inch above the tabs.
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Start the next row by lining up the bottom of the first shingle in the second row with the middle of the shingle in the first row (where the tabs begin). Stagger the shingle so that it doesn't line up exactly straight with the shingle beneath it.
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Drive two nails into the shingle about an inch above the tabs and 4 inches from each side. Repeat this process until you reach the top of the roof.
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Install the ridge caps across the top of the roof by cutting the tabs off the shingles, then centering the shingles over the ridge, and nailing them in place with one nail on each side. (The ridge is the peak of the roof.)
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References
- Photo Credit roof image by Christopher Meder from Fotolia.com
