Get Your Moneys Worth With A Good Contractor
Whether replacing a broken front step or building a family room addition, most homeownersrealize that any improvement requires spending money. However, savvy consumers alsowant value for every dollar. To ensure that your money is well spent and that yourproject is a complete success, heed the following advice:
Fun Fact: When remodeling 78 percent of homeowners hire a pro 18 percentdo the work themselves. A small percentage, 4 percent hire a contractor but thenbuy their own materials, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Two: Split Tricky Shapes Into Squares And Rectangles
Once you have these figures, return to the safety of your home. Notice in the image above that the hip roof is made of two triangles and two trapezoids. Trapezoids are tricky to get the area measurement of, so were going to split each of them into two triangles and a rectangle:
We know enough about the overall measurements of the roof to fill in the missing values. Lets fill the figures in now:
Finding The Size Of The Roof In Squares
Roofing contractors estimate projects and materials by the square, so it is crucial to find this measurement to estimate the amount of material needed accurately. A square simply refers to a 10 x 10 square of roofing. This is simply 100 square feet of roof.
To find the squares, divide the overall roof area by 100 and then round up. For instance, if the roof is 1550 square feet, then it is 16 squares.
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Determine Your Shingle Type
If you have hip and ridge caps, you will need to add the length and width of each ridge cap and the length and width of the hip then add them together for a total number. If your roof has only hips and no ridges, use the hip measurement instead of adding the hip and ridge cap measurements.
If installing architectural shingles, count every four rows as one square foot. Because of overlapping shingles along rooflines, chimneys, or other roof protrusions, you may have slightly more shingles than your square footage calls for. Therefore, your choice of material should also be a factor in determining how many shingles you need to buy. If you are replacing your old roof with slate or composite shingles, then you may only have to buy around 100 squares of shingles. Asphalt roofing shingles, on the other hand, need more. You need around 120 squares of asphalt shingles if the new roof is 8 times 10 feet and under 180 squares for 8 times 12 feet roof, and 240 squares for 8 times 16 feet roof. Remember to estimate for multiple layers of shingles! Apart from that, when you look at the Technonicol site, you will realize that there are other kinds of roofing shingles that you can consider and they vary in size.
How Many Rolls Of Felt Will You Need
Roofing felt is sold by the roll. The average roll of 15-pound roofing felt covers about 400 ft2, or 4 squares, while the average roll of 30-pound roofing felt covers about 200 ft2, or 2 squares.
Rolls of felt are 36 wide x 144 long for 15# and 72 long for 30#. Consider other underlayment options as needed, such as rubber or tar products.
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How Many Extra Shingles Should You Buy
If you order shingles based solely on the area of the roof, you wont have enough. Youll need shingles for starter courses along the eaves and sometimes at rakes, and youll need shingles to cap hips and ridges. Cutting shingles also generates waste. In some places, including at the rakes, against walls and chimneys, and at valleys, youll need to cut shingles. Some of the cutoffs will be big enough to use as starter shingles or in other areas where cut shingles are needed, but smaller cutoffs will be waste.
What Is A Bundle Of Shingles
A package of roofing shingles is called a bundle.
How many bundles of shingles per square?
Laminate or architectural shingles, one of the most common types of roofing shingles, are generally packaged in three bundles per square:
3 bundles = 1 roofing square
So in the 2400 square foot gable roof example, you would need 72 bundles of shingles .
Here are a couple more examples:
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Should You Consider Diy Roof Installation
As we discussed before, professional labor to install a new asphalt shingles roof constitutes at least 70% of the total cost. This means that you can potentially save thousands of dollars if you can do the tear off and installation yourself.
The million dollar questions is, should you?
When it comes to asphalt shingles, one of their biggest benefits is that they are extremely DIY friendly. Indeed, asphalt shingles is one of the very few roofing materials that a handy homeowner can put up on their own.
Shingle installation does not require any special tools or technical training. This is the reason why so many roofers install them its the easiest entry point in this field.
You can purchase all the necessary materials and supplies at your local big box home improvement store, and avoid the hassle of hiring a roofing company. In fact, basic 3-tab roofing shingles is one of the cheapest roofing options out there, and you can have a brand new roof for under $3,000.
Moreover, there are many step-by-step guides and YouTube videos on how do this correctly.
Keep in mind that when you buy shingles, you need to carefully measure your roof and also buy extra shingles to account for the waste factor. Typically, gable roofs require about 5% waste, while hip roofs are about 7.5%
Still, if you do everything carefully and educate yourself about the nuances of proper installation, you can do a very successful shingle install and keep thousands of dollars in your pocket.
Measure The Base Area Of Your Property
Now, use that tape measure again and take the distance from the edge of one of the eaves to the other edge along the same wall. Record that figure in feet. That will be the roof base width.
Then, measure the distance of the other side of the structure from the edge of the eave to the other. That will be the roof base length.
Multiply those figures together to get an estimate of the base area for the roof structure. For example, if your roof base width is 35 feet and your roof base length is 60 feet, the total base area would be 2,100 square feet.
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The Shingles Are Curling
Shingles can curl in two ways: Theres cupping, which happens when the edges of the shingles turn upward and theres clawing, which is when the edges stay flat and the middle starts to come up. Both are signs of weathering and indicate that problems potentially leaks are relatively close to fruition, says Mark Graham, vice president of the National Roofing Contractors Association.
How much time youve got left:Depending on the extent of the curling, it could be anywhere from a year to five years before you need a new roof, says Graham.
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How To Measure Your Total Roof Area
Length x width = square footage
In order to determine the amount of shingles you need for your roof, youll need to know the square footage of your roofs surface. Measurements for the area of the roof will depend on what roof type you may have, whether its a gable roof with fewer planes or a hip roof with more.
To find the square footage of your roof, measure the roof length and roof width of each plane, including overhangs, and multiply them together. Then, add up the square footage of each plane. This will give you the total square footage.
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Determining Roof Area For Shingles
You may occasionally need to purchase roof shingles for a repair project or to re-roof your home. Roof shingles come in various styles and shapes, but the basic calculations to determine roof area are the same.
Shingles and Roofing Materials
Shingles come in bundles of 3 which equal a square. Each square represents 100 square feet of roof area. When making calculations to determine how many shingles to purchase, keep in mind that you will not only need enough for the correct square footage, but you will also need 10 to 15 percent more shingles to accommodate dips and valleys in your roof or for extra coverage.
Additionally, you will need to purchase:
- Roof ridge shingles
Asphalt paper and flashing are sold in rolls. You will need enough asphalt paper to place under all of the shingles for your entire roof area. Flashing usually comes in 16-inch wide rolls or 6×6 or 8×8 square inch steps. Step flashing is used around chimneys, doorways and at the points where side walls come together.
Hip and ridge vent requirements vary according to local building codes. Be sure to purchase all of your roofing materials in advance of starting the project. Also, keep in mind that roofing materials are run in batches that have variations in quality and color. If roof shingle bundles are purchased in differing lots, it may result in inconsistencies that lead to leaks and other defects in the roof.
Roof Measurements
Hip and Ridge Vent
Estimating The Size Of Your Roof Surface
Every roof is unique, of course, and the size and shape of yours will factor into the final weight of the materials you toss in the dumpster. Roofers typically measure surfaces in squaresone square is equal to 100 square feet. Have a 2000 square foot roof? Youve got 20 squares, and so forth.
While the type of roof and the underlayment can affect the final weight, as a general rule, for asphalt shingles, you can estimate around 250 pounds per square for standard three-tab shingles, and about 400 pounds per square for architectural shingles. Remember, again, if you have multiple layers of shingles, you need to multiply the total amount of squares by the number of layers before you find the weight. For instance, a 2000-square-foot roof with two layers of shingles should be treated as 40 squares, not 20, because the weight will be doubled.
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Is A Ridge Cap Necessary
Since asphalt shingles are more prone to wear and tear compared to metal roofing, its even more critical to have ridge cap shingles in place to stop rain and moisture from penetrating. For unique roof designs and sizes, its possible to cut regular shingles to create special ridge caps.
Factors That Affect Individual Shingle Bundle Weight
Not all shingles are created equal
The type of shingle you order can influence how much debris will be created.
Which is shingle type is heaviest: asphalt vs. slate vs. cedar shake shingle
Earlier we covered the weight of architectural asphalt shingles and three tab asphalt shingles. But what if youre removing a roof that isnt made of asphalt? In this case, you may want to know the weight of slate shingles or wood shingles, commonly referred to as cedar shakes.
Slate shingle weight
Slate shingles are essentially rocks, so its no wonder that theyre the heaviest shingle out there. Much like cedar shingles, slate is a natural material that greatly varies in weight depending on the slate sheets used to create the materials.
In many cases, the slate shingles that will be removed from your roof are over 100 years old! Theyre extremely heavy, often weighing upwards of 1,000 pounds per square. Because all slate roofs are different, you can use this as a best guess for your weight calculations.
If youre stuck between two sizes when ordering a dumpster for slate roof removal, we always recommend going with the larger dumpster. Make sure the contractor removing the slate is experienced and insured, too. If you need help, dont hesitate to contact Roof Hub.
Wood shingle weight
Shingle quality and weight
Its no secret why most roofing contractors recommend architectural shingles. Theyre stronger, more durable, and have better curb appeal than their three tab counterparts
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S To Calculate Your Roofs Square Footage
You just learned what a roofing square is. The number of roof squares has a huge impact on the cost factors, such as the amount of materials used, labor, and time.
Before investing in a new roof, wouldnt it be great to know how much itll cost per square?
If you answered yes, we have a great way to roughly calculate your roofs square footage to give you an idea of the cost of your new roof. Be aware, the only way to get a 100 percent accurate measurement is to have a local roofing contractor come out to professionally measure your roof.
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Installing Roof Shingles In 11 Steps:
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How Do People Get Shingles
People get shingles when the virus that causes chicken pox, varicella zoster, is reactivated in their body. The varicella zoster virus doesnt leave the body, even after a person has recovered from chicken pox. It can flare up again, causing shingles, often many years after a person has had chicken pox. The virus tends to reactivate when a persons immune system is weakened because of another health problem.
How Many Bundles Of Shingles Do I Need Calculator
The most accurate way to calculate how many bundles of shingles youll need is to get up on the roof and measure each roof plane. If all the roof planes are rectangles, you simply need to multiply the length times the width of each plane to get the square footage then you will add up the square footage of each plane.
Beside this, How many square feet will 3 bundles of shingles cover?
33.3 sq
Likewise, How many bundles of shingles make up a square?
3 bundles
Also, How many bundles of shingles do I need for 100 square feet?
three bundles
How many shingles do I need for 100 square feet?
Roof surfaces are measured in squares. A roofing square is equal to 100 square feet of the roof. To determine the number of squares on the gable roof example in this post, divide its total of 2400 square feet by 100 . This means you would need 24 squares of shingles to cover that roof.
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How Many Bundles Of Shingles Per Square
A package of roofing shingles is called a bundle. Laminate or architectural shingles, one of the most common types of roofing shingles, are generally packaged in three bundles per square.
So in the 2400 square foot gable roof example, you would need 72 bundles of shingles .
Here are a couple more examples:
How Do You Calculate Shingles For A Ridge Cap
measureridgesridge shingles
Confirm that the ridge cap shingles will cover the nails of the overlapping shingles. Create at least one ridge cap shingle by cutting a 3tab shingle at the slot. Use a utility knife and a straight edge to make the cut.
Furthermore, can you use architectural shingles for ridge cap? Some roofers will cut shingles into pieces and use these pieces for the hip and ridge cap, regardless of which shingle is being used on the roof. The thicker Cambridge shingles are not designed for ridge caps. They do not lay flat and some may crack or break when you bent them over the ridges.
Also asked, how do you figure out how many shingles I need for my roof?
Divide the total footage by 100 to determine the number of squares in the roof. Determine the bundles of shingles needed to cover the roof. It takes three bundles to cover a square if you use 3-tab shingles, the most common type.
How much is a ridge cap?
They sell in 4-foot sections for $8 to $12 per section. The average home with a peaked roof will require 40 to 50 feet of material for a total cost of $80 to $150.Ridge Vent Cost Per Foot.
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Quick Calculation For Shingle Bundle Weight
If you dont have a few minutes to read and just want the quick answer, here it is:
Most bundles of modern architectural shingles weigh between 60 pounds and 80 pounds. You can use these figures to calculate a weight range if you want to know how much your new shingles will weigh because most homeowners replace their roofs with architectural shingles these days.
Three tab shingles often weigh less than architectural shingles, coming in between 45 pounds and 60 pounds per bundle. How much a bundle of 3tab shingles weighs will likely be more helpful for you if youre trying to calculate removal debris because many shingles being removed are of the 3-tab variety.
The number ranges above are just enough to get you started, so dont let them be the end all-be all answer to how much the roofing material youre tearing off your house will weigh. Itll be hard to guesstimate the final number because you first need to know your roof size, and then need to consider a variety of other factors that will determine the total removal weight.
