Asphalt Shingling and Roof Repair

Asphalt Shingle Roof

The roof is the most important part of the structure, it must be kept in good shape to protect the interior. The roof sheds the rain, snow and weather. Gravity causes the water to run off, damaged shingles allow water to enter the interior, causing mold, fungus, and rot.

Dip in the roof
water damaged roof repair

Repairing a Damaged Roof

The top photo shows a roof with something very wrong beneath the shingles. When you step
on the shingles, in this area, it feels like your foot might go through the roof.
With such a dip in the shingles, water will pool in this area and work its way through, to the
inside of the house. A heavy snow load could cause part of the roof to collapse in this area.
Now is the time to repair the problem. The persons who did this shingling job, did not shingle
properley, where the dormer joined the roof, water seeped in below the shingles at this point,
pooled and caused rot.

Rot beneath the shingles
shingles removed from roof

Remove all the shingles in the damaged area. Start on the very bottom of the damaged area,
use a wonder bar or flat pry-bar, lift the shingles one at a time, high enough to remove the nails,
or staples. Clear out the entire area, of shingles, where you will be replacing the damaged plywood.
Cut out the rotten plywood, and remove. Cut along the inside of the roof rafters as high and low
between the rafters as is necessary, and cut the old plywood across the top and bottom in the space,
between the rafters.
Nail a short 2x4 stud along side each of the rafters, to support the patch. Place a 2x4,across the top
and bottom of the hole, between the rafters. Screw, or toe nail the stud into place.
If there is any surface rot on the rafter, scrape of the loose stuff, and paint the stud to keep moisture
out, and prevent further rot. If the stud is badly rotted, replace if you can, otherwise nail a piece of 2x4
on each side of the damaged rafter to add strength.
On the top support, drill 2 inch holes along the length of each support to allow air to vent into the attic.
Put the supports in place and secure to the rafter/trusses, with screws on each end.

Top support in place between rafters
support for joining roof plywood sheets

New plywood in place
finished shingling, job complete

Put the new plwood sheet into place and nail down.
Lay tar paper over the entire plywood and beneath the surrounding,
existing shingles, and staple into place. In some areas, to make a water tight seal,
apply roof-patch tar.

Re-shingle, with new shingles, starting at the bottom and work towards the top.

How to Asphalt Shingle a Roof

To repair or shingle an asphalt roof, a person needs to be physically fit and able to safely work at roof top heights,
climb, and work off a ladder, have good balance, and strong enough to carry heavy shingles, rolls of felt paper,
and tools up a ladder. Safe work practices are the biggest part of the job. Anyone who does not feel comfortable
working at heights, or working with ladders, should not attempt shingling. If the roof is greatly sloped, ropes are
required, it may better to hire a professional. Use extreme caution around power, TV, and telephone wires, they can
cause you to trip.

When shingling a roof, remove all the old shingles, this allows you to inspect for any damage below the shingles. The wood on the roof lower edges is the first place to start to rot. Popped nails can be driven in, and nails can be added where needed. Just adding new shingles over old ones adds twice the weight to the roof. New shingles do not lay over old ones as well, and they will not bond well to the old shingles below. Strong wind has a better chance to lift them, and bloiw them away.
When working on a roof, make up a piece of plywood that will lay flat, one end built up to level, to hold tools.

Asphalt Shingling Tips

When a ladder is placed up against the roof, and there is a rain gutter in place, there is the possibility of crushing the rain gutter, as workers carry shingles up the ladder. A piece of board about the width of the ladder and width of the gutter can be inserted into the gutter to prevent it from collapsing. To place the board into the gutter, place the ladder at a steeper angle than normal so less weight is applied against the trough. Once the board is in place, decrease the steepness of the ladder to a safe working position. If the ladder is aluminum, it is a good idea to tie the ladder to the support board in the gutter, so the wind cannot blow down the ladder.

The time of the year is a consideration, if the roof is too hot, walking on very hot shingles causes the edges of the shingles to crumble away. Bundles placed up on the roof in direct sun can cause the shingles to stick together. Cover the shingle bundles on the roof, with a tarp.

If the shingles do get stuck together, you can un-stick them by first cooling them in the shade. After cooling, pick the bundle of shingles to waist height and drop them horizontally onto a hard surface and they will un-stick. Also check the weather report and pick a few days where you are free of rain.

Wear running shoes with soft rubber soles to help prevent shingle damage. Use ropes to secure yourself as you move around the roof. Do not tie off the end of the ropes to moveable objects, like the bumper of parked vehicles; use substantial trees, iron work, and secure fence posts as anchors, or stays securely fixed to the roof.

Start by stripping off the old shingles on one side of the roof. Use a pitch fork or flat shovel to pry the shingles loose; starting at the end of the roof, work your way across the roof, doing a row at a time, place shingles as you go, in piles of about five shingles. Be careful, you do not back off the roof edge. Each pile is carried to the edge of the roof and thrown into a trailer, bin, or dropped directly onto the ground. If you are throwing them onto the ground, place a large tarp on the ground. Any nails and small pieces will be easier to cleanup. When you throw the shingles off the roof, make sure the shingles are clear of your body as you swing them away from the roof, lest a nail in the old shingle catch your clothing and try to take you along with the shingles. Throw the old shingles off the roof in an organized fashion, this reduces the size of the pile. After every three or four rows, clean off the roof with a push broom. The grit that comes loose from the old shingles is like a thousand tiny ball bearings that can cause you to slip and fall off the roof. Pull up all the shingle nails that are left in the boards; they also can cause you to trip.

When the roof is cleared off, inspect the boards for missing and loose nails, hammer in any loose roof nails, and add nails that are missing. Drive in all the nails that have popped up due to the shrinkage of the boards over time. Sweep the roof clean again!

On the bottom row, roll out the heavy roofing (90 weight felt) paper and nail/staple into place. Some people only place the felt paper a row or two high and others like to do the entire roof. Most roofers use a heavier paper on the first row and then a lightweight paper on the rest of the roof. Measure and cut the felt paper to length on the ground, roll it up and carry onto the roof. Some roofing papers have lines printed on them, and if you paper the whole roof, you have guide lines to help keep shingle in straight lines. If you do not use this type of roofing paper, take a measurement and snap caulk lines as needed.

Place a plastic or metal drip edge over the felt paper, along the entire length of the roof edges, overhanging the rain gutter about ¾ of an inch; nail into place. The shingle hangs over another 3/4 inch for a total of 1 1/2 inch of over hang, above the gutter. Use a chalk line to get the drip edge perfectly straight.

Working off the ladder, start your first row of standard shingles, by placing the shingle with the grit side up and spun around so the solid edge lines up with the drip edge. Extend the shingle 3/4 of an inch past the edge of the drip edge for a total overlap of 1 1/2 inch. Outer roof peak edges are also extended 1 1/2 inch. Use a chalk line to get your first row perfectly straight as all the other rows will follow. To cut the shingle, turn it over and score about halfway through from the underside with a carpenter knife, bend the shingle and snap apart, use a 2 ft. framing square to run the knife along. Do not cut the shingle directly over prelaid shingles, you could cut through both shingles. Do your cutting on a piece of plywood or on the roof, or where there are no shingles. Secure each shingle into place with four well placed shingle nails (large round head). Four nails should be placed in each shingle, about an inch above the shingle slots and one near each end of the shingle. The next row of shingles will cover the head of the nails. The nails will also double nail the shingle below causing the shingles to be double nailed, making it more wind proof.

Start the second row with half a length of shingle, place directly on top of the first row with the shingles spaced so that the grooves of this row are off set to the shingle below. The first row will finish two shingles thick. Nail in place with four nails to a shingle. Start the next row with a full shingle. Alternate the start of each row with a full shingle and then a half shingle. The half shingles can either be used to start a new row or to finish a row. Some roofing paper have lines printed onto them; these lines, act as guides to keep the shingle lines straight as you lay them.

With the first row complete, start the second row by off setting the grooves once again. The bottom edge of the top shingle should line up with the top edge of the grooves of the lower shingle. Note there is a small tab (short cut) on the bottom of some shingle that will help you get the proper height of each shingle. Always place the nails so they are covered with the next row.

Complete the first side of the roof. When you need to cut around irregular objects; use tin snips. When removing the old shingle around objects, pay attention to the way the shingles were laid down in the first place, as this will help when it comes time to place the new ones.

Complete both sides of the roof and finish by capping the ridge. To make shingles to cap the ridge, cut each full shingle into three equal pieces, divide above the grooves of the shingles. When you cap the ridge, take note of the direction of the wind and start placing the capping from the opposite end of the roof that the wind comes from, and work across the roof to the other side; this will shed the rain better. Basically you just fold the single shingle sections of the cut shingle over the ridge. Place two nails, one on each side of the shingle near the bottom and that is all that is needed to hold them in place. Overlap by half shingle, each of the following cut shingles. Place the nails near the bottom, so the next shingle will cover the nail of the previous roof cap. Finish up the last shingle with two exposed nails. Cover the head of these two nails with silicone to prevent water from getting under the nail head, freezing and prying the nails out. When using fiber-glass laminate shingles, most roofers use regular unlamented asphalt shingles to cap a roof, as they are more flexible and easy to work with.

Standard Asphalt Shingle

A standard asphalt shingle is made from different varieties of papers bathed in asphalt, which is then, while hot, imbedded with small ceramic granules pressed firmly into its surface. The ceramic granules help reflect the sun’s ray, helping to cool the shingles, which adds years to the shingle’s lifespan. A cooler roof keeps the inside of the home cooler. The brighter the color of the shingle, the greater the reflection of heat away from the shingle.
Shingles come in different colors and weights. Some shingles will last twenty years, while heavier weights can last twenty-five and thirty years. The heavier the weight of the shingle, , the greater the expense. Standard asphalt shingles have 40% more asphalt than fiberglass shingles.

The standard asphalt shingle comes in a three foot section, consisting of three tabs, each a foot long. On the backside a strip of black bonding agent is placed just above the two slots of the shingle. When the shingle is overlapped over another shingle, over time, the top shingle will bond with the shingle below it, making a water tight bond between the two. The bond stops water from wicking upward and also prevents wind from lifting the shingles.

Fiberglass Shingle

Fiberglass shingles are made with a fiberglass material instead of the paper material. Less asphalt is used to make the fiberglass type of shingles. Fiberglass shingles are lighter and resist tearing better than the standard asphalt type. There is less expansion with the fiberglass shingle, the shingle requires no slots.

For the more windy areas there is a type of shingle which goes through a lamination process to make two layers on each shingle. They are heavier than the average shingle and can stand winds up to ninety miles per hour. Fiberglass shingles lay out better, because there is less joints, and no slots to consider when laying them, each shingle is one complete unit.

Square Footage

To get the sq. footage of a roof, measure the height and length of one side of the roof. Multiple the height times the length and multiple by this figure by two. On complex roofs, measure the roof in sections, and add the figures together.
The average shingle bundle will cover 32 sq. ft. To figure the amount of bundles you will need to shingle a roof, figure the square footage of the roof and then divide by 32 and add 5-10 percent for waste and ridge coverage.

Not only do you have the extra bundles cover for errors and capping, It is good to have some shingles left over for replacement in case of wind damage. When it comes time to replace some damaged shingles, it may not be possible to find the same type of shingle, and color at a later date.

Additional Shingling Information

Asphalt Shingle Calculator, Calculate shingles Required and Cost

Three bundles make up a square, which covers 100 sq. ft.
Shingles last longer in cool climates
Great changes in temperature over a short period of time (thermal shock),
causes cracks and split to the shingles.
Proper attic ventilation extends the life of the shingles.

Approximately 2-1/2 lbs of roofing nails are used for each bundle of shingles
1 inch to 1/1/4 inch in length is standard. If you are nailing manually the longer nail
is best, with the shorter shingle nail, there is not enough space between the nail head and roof.
for your finger, your nail will rub against the shingle below each time you drive in a nail, and wear away
your finger nail over time. This can beome painful.

Costs to Asphalt Shingle a Roof

Professionally, the average 1500 sq. ft. roof will cost approximately. $5000-$6000 dollars for fiberglass, 35 year asphalt shingles. If ridgeventing is used, the cost is about $100 more over regular venting. This total cost covers workmen wages, usually two, installation, material, and the removal of old shingles.

Slope Calculator.html

Tip

Place tarps on the ground, below where you are working to catch nails and pieces of shingles,
for easy clean up.

Roof Pitch

Roof pitch is the length of roof that raises in Ft. vertically, over 12 Ft. of horizontal distance.

To determine roof pitch use a 2 ft. level, mark it with a felt marker pen at 1 ft.
Place the level on the high side of the roof and raise the level until the level bubble
is centered in the glass envelope. Measure down vertically at the 1 ft. mark to the roof.
If the measurement is 4 inches, the pitch ratio is 4:12.

Various Roof Pitches

Flat Roof ----- 2:12
Low Slope ---- 2.5:12 --- 4:12
Standard ----- 4.5:12 --- 9.5:12
Steep --------- Over 9.5:12

Shingle Information

20 year shingles ---- 69 lbs. per bundle.
25 tear shingles ---- 77 lbs. per bundle
30 year shingles --- 82 lbs. per bundle

Nail Information

1-1/4 inch nails, approx. 250 per lb.
1-1/2 inch nails, approx. 200 per lb.
1-1/4 inch coil roofing nails, approx. 7,200 per box.

Felt Paper

RM 447 30# weight, 58 ft. long, 44 inches wide

Ridge Capping

One shingle cut into three sections, and over-lapped, will cover approx. 18 inches.

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Asphalt Shingling, Shingle Information, and Roof Repair Instructions.