Re-Roofing With Shingles

On the last post I pretty much covered rolled roofing, so naturally that brings me to a shingle roof. The best place to start with any roofing job is to take a walk...on the roof. What to look for are how many layers of roofing are already there and did you step on any "soft spots". I will almost always do a tear off and just get it over with. However if, and only if, the roof is sound (no soft spots) and has only one layer of the cheap, three tabbed shingles you can simply go right over it. If you do go over it, do it in the dead of night so your neighbors won't know you're a slacker.

If you step on a spot and hear plywood cracking while the image of landing in the kids' bedroom flash through your mind, congratulations. You found water damage. Tear off all the roofing and replace any rotten roof sheeting, or have slacker tattooed on your forehead.

Now that you finally have a sound roof you can work on, we can get to roofing. Grab up the 30 lb roofing felt and staple hammer. Again, starting on the downhill and working uphill, get the felt down with a pile of staples (the felt only needs to be kept in place until the shingles are nailed down) making sure you keep everything nice and straight. Have you noticed those nice lines on the felt? Those are handy little guides for cutting and keeping your rows of shingles straight. If you get your felt straight, it's easy to get the shingles straight. The best way to stay on target is to constantly measure from the edge of the felt/shingles to the ridge line. If you goof it up, please send pictures of that row of shingles that gets thinner as it disappears under the next row. :) After the felt is all done, get the new drip edge put up all around the edge of the place, also working downhill to uphill.

One more thing before you start grabbing those bundles of 30 year shingles. By the way, you did get the good shingles, right? If you got the cheap ones, take them back now unless you like spending time on the roof. Under the first row of shingles and on top of the drip edge, you will need a "starter strip". One can be purchases to match your shingles, you can use some matching rolled roofing cut into 10" strips or you can cut off the top of some shingles. This is to have some roofing under the side edges of the first row of shingles.

At this point you can start dropping those shingles down. A few things to keep in mind are, first row start with full shingle, second row start with half shingle. Use four nails per shingle, nailed through the thickest part of the shingle. Keep checking your distance to the ridgeline. You will thank me if you follow this one tip: On warm days, try not to walk on the shingles, you will damage them!

To cut shingles easily, lay them out in the sun and use a hook blade in a utility knife. Don't use a normal blade with the shingle on the roof unless you want to cut up your new felt. Hold the shingle in the air and pull the hook blade down through it. They cut like butter. At the end of a row, just run the shingle a little long off the edge, then after it's nailed reach under using the hook blade and trim it off 1/4" past the drip edge. Oh yeah, that first row should extend over the drip edge 1/4" also.

When you have reached the ridgeline on both sides you can cap it using pre-made ridge cap shingles, or just cut up a bunch of shingles to cap it with. Seal up around any vents and such, then watch your step on the way down.

You now have a new roof!