Shingle Roofing Tips and Guidelines

The thing about shingle roofing that makes them so nice and comfortable is the fact that they are easy to fix when problems occur. You could look for curdled, damaged and missing shingles with much greater ease than you would otherwise. You should pay special attention to every place on the roof where surfaces meet. Pay attention to vents and chimneys as well or any damage in the caulking or flashing.

If you still have leaks but you can’t see any direct damage in the area, then you may need to call a roofer. The reason for those might be a deterioration of the shingles themselves. If you do find damaged parts of the shingles you can usually repair them with a bit of work. Curled-back ones will need to be re-glued to the roof by using asphalt cement meant for roofing. You could also use a caulking gun with the suitable compound. Warm weather means you’ll deal with the problem with ease. However, cold weather means you’ll have to deal with shingles becoming more brittle and tougher to flatten.

If your shingle roofing is rotten, torn or even missing, then you will have to replace the shingles. Replace them with new ones as soon as possible. If you can lift a shingle from the roof with as little effort as possible, then this means it must be removed and replaced. If you have a large area of damaged shingle roofing, then you might be in need for a complete overhaul of your roofing area. This may require the help of someone more experienced than you are.

How to Replace Shingle Roofing

If you want to replace your shingle roofing already there, then you must do the following:

Removing Damaged Shingles

If you need to remove a damaged shingle, you should first start by lifting the edges of the shingles surrounding that one. Remove any nails with a pry bar, then follow that up by sliding the old shingle out. If you have any old and brittle roof cement underneath it, then you will need to scrape it off if you want to attach the new one. If any of your shingles were blown off during a storm, then you will need to remove the nails left sticking out.

Adding New Shingles

Putting a new shingle in place means you will have to work on it a bit. Round out the back corners of it with a utility knife.

Slide a shingle into the gap and have its front edge aligned together. It will align with the shingles on each of its sides and the rows above.

Lift up the corners of the shingles overlapping this one and fasten up the new one with some roofing nails on each of its corners. Cover the nail heads with some roof cement, then use that to smooth down the edges of the overlapping shingles.

If you have to replace entire rows of shingle roofing, round out all the back corners of the row where it meets the one above. When working with ridge shingles, the ones situated on top of the roof, you’ll replace them in much the same way. Overlap them on both sides and avoid using flat shingles for the roof peak.

Bio: This article has been created by Ella Andrews. She is keen on house remodeling and home improvement related themes. Currently she writes mostly on London Removal Services and home renovation tips.