How to Measure for a New Shingle Roof
Estimating the materials needed, as well as the overall cost, for a new shingle roof begins with determining the roof area to be covered. Whether you're installing wood, asphalt or composition shingles, professional roofers define the quantity needed as the number of "squares," or 100 square feet of roof, to be covered. The manufacturer's label includes the area each package amount will cover, and calculating the total roof area is a simple procedure. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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1
Choose one side or plane of the roof to calculate. Each sloped side will be measured individually to accumulate a total roof area.
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2
Measure the dimension from the lower edge to the approximate center of the ridge line. Note this dimension as the "height" of the roof section.
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3
Measure the length of the lower roof edge, from corner to corner, and note this dimension as the "base" of the section.
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4
Determine the surface area of the roof section by multiplying the height measurement times the base measurement. The result will be the area in square feet for that section of the roof.
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5
Continue calculating each roof side by repeating Steps 1 through 4. Then add together the totals calculated to determine the total area of the roof.
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Tips & Warnings
To make calculations of the roof area easier, the measurements taken can be rounded upward to the next foot, which will keep all of the calculations to whole numbers.
