How to Shingle a Building
Shingles are placed on a building roof to prevent water intrusion. Common roofing shingles are generally 3-feet long, 12-inches wide and 1/4-inch thick and made from bitumen tar. You must follow a prescribed plan when installing shingles to ensure they provide a tight seal for your roof. The average do-it-yourselfer can shingle a home in one to two days, depending on the size and scope of the project. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Felt paper
- Hammer stapler
- Tape measure
- Razor knife
- Chalk line
- Hammer
- Shingles
- 1-inch roofing nails
Instructions
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1
Install felt paper on the roof deck prior to shingle installation. Begin at the bottom and roll out the felt paper along the length of the roof. Align the felt paper with the bottom edge of the overhang. Attach the felt paper along the edges with a hammer stapler, spacing the staples 6 inches apart. Trim off the excess paper with a razor knife. Install the subsequent felt paper by overlapping each piece by 6 inches. Cover the roof ridges with felt by wrapping one piece along the ridge, centering it on the roof ridge.
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2
Measure up from the bottom of the roof 12 inches and place marks at both ends of the roof. Snap a chalk line to connect these marks. This line represents the top edge of the first row of shingles. Turn the shingle upside down so the tabs are facing toward the roof ridge. Beginning at one end of the roof, lay the first whole shingle with the tabs facing up and attach with roofing nails. Place the nails in the center of the shingle 7 inches up from the bottom, spacing them 6 inches apart. Trim off the last shingle at the opposite end of the roof if it overhangs.
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3
Measure up from the bottom of the roof in 6-inch increments, and place marks at both ends of the roof. Your first 6-inch marks will land in the center of the first starter row of shingles. Snap chalk lines to connect these marks, making sure you count the marks from the bottom up to ensure you are on the same marks at both ends.
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4
Place the first row of shingles directly over the first starter row, but with the tabs facing the bottom of the roof overhang. The starter strip will seal off the first row of tabs from beneath. Place the nails just above the shingle tab by 1/2-inch at each end and in the center. Allow the shingles to overhang at the bottom of the roof and at each end by 1 inch. Install the next row of shingles by aligning it with the second 6-inch mark. The shingles will overlap by 6 inches. Stagger the shingles in the second and subsequent rows by one tab or six inches so no tab lands directly over a previous tab.
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Install a ridge cap after you have completed the shingle installation on each section of the roof. The ridge cap can be purchased at any hardware store where shingles are sold. Center the ridge cap over the ridge and attach it with roofing nails equipped with rubber washers.
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References
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