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How To Figure Shingles For A Gable Roof

What Is A Bundle Of Shingles

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A bundle of shingles is one package of shingles. Shingle manufacturers will package their bundles so that several usually 3 or 4 will add up to 100 square feet. A bundle of shingles will contain anywhere from 15 to 29 shingles, depending on the type and size.

It is important to note that there is not a uniform number of shingles per bundle. The number of shingles in a bundle will vary tremendously depending on if you have typical 3-tab versus laminated or other specialty shingles.

A bundle can only be so big. They are designed so that the average person can pick them up and move them, so you will never have one bundle drastically larger or heavier than a bundle for a different type of roof shingle.

Initially, a bundle of shingles was supposed to cover one piece of roof sheathing 32 square feet. And three bundles would add up to 100 square feet. The advent of laminated shingles, which are much thicker than standard 3-tab, have created bundles with a total area that is less than the original 32 square feet.

How To Measure A Roof

Getting accurate roof measurements can be difficult but with this roofing calculator, youll be well prepared to take measurements of any roof. Whether youre a contractor looking to train a new employee or a homeowner looking to do some renovations, youll find this guide helpful for any roofing project. Use the step-by-step guide below to accurately measure your roof and estimate roofing costs.

Step 1: How to Calculate Your Roof Square Footage

First, measure the length and width of each surface on the roof, then multiply these values to get the square footage of that surface. Make sure to document the number of chimneys, skylights or other obstructions and include dormers in your measurements. Youll also be recording the length of your house throughout this first step in order to calculate your total area.

Add up the square footage for each surface to get the total square footage of your roof. For example:

Step 2: How to Determine Your Roof Pitch

The next step is to measure the pitch of the roof deck. Youll need to figure out the vertical distance over a 12 horizontal segment . Record these values as roof rise over run, with the vertical measurement listed first and the horizontal second.

Its important to keep in mind that the roof pitch will be dramatically different for homes with a flat roof than homes with a steep roof.

Step 3: Calculating Roof Squares

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How To Measure A Roof From The Ground

If you’re planning work on a roof and don’t have the building plans, taking preliminary measurements from the ground allows you to approximate the roof area and estimate some costs. Measuring hip roofs, dormer roofs or roofs on hillside homes from the ground requires experience and special equipment. But, you can measure a gable or flat roof from the ground with the help of an assistant.

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How Many Bundles Of Shingles Do I Need For A 10×12 Shed

To calculate the amount of shingle bundles needed for a 10×12 shed, you first have to calculate the square footage of the roof.

Lets say this shed has a gable roof running parallel to the long end of the shed. The shed also has a roof overhang of 1 all around. Therefore the length of one side of the roof is 14.

The pitch of this roof is 4:12. A rough estimate of the width of one side of the roof is just a bit over 5 say 53, which is 5.25 feet. Add a foot of overhang and you get 6.25. Multiply this by 14

Multiply the two and you get 87.5 square feet. Multiply that number times two and you get 175 square feet your total roof area.

Now you need to find out how many bundles of shingles is required for 175 square feet of roofing. Divide 175 by 100 to find out how many squares of roofing you have. This equals 1.75. We know that each square of roofing requires 3 bundles of shingles, so 3 bundles of shingles times 1.75 roofing squares equals 5.25 bundles of shingles.

You still have .25 of roof leftover. It would be prudent to purchase one extra bundle of shingles to ensure you cover your entire area and to replace any damaged shingles in the future.

Thus, it takes 6 bundles of shingles to properly cover the roof of a 10×12 shed with a gabled roof and a 1 overhang around all sides.

One: Get Up On Your Roof Safely And Take Initial Measurements

Roof Pitch Calculator

Sketch out the shape of your roof on graph paper. In this example, youd only need to measure overall width and length, the central ridge, and one of the hips . If you have a more complex roof shape with dormers, take all the measurements you can and prepare to use your eraser to refine the image of your overall roof structure. Make sure you have solid footing and if possible, use fall protection to keep yourself safe. Be mindful of hazards like ridge vents. Note the lengths in feet:

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How To Measure A Roof For Shingles

There are several different methods to calculate the square footage of your roof. If you remember back to grade school, youll recall that youll multiply the length times the width to find the area of a rectangle.

If you are lucky enough to have a simple roof, say a gabled roof with two identical sides or even a single sloping roof, then calculating your roof area will be a breeze. On the other hand, if you have a roof with hips and multiple gables, then youll need to spend a bit more time calculating your roof square footage.

Here are several ways to measure roof area for shingles.

How Many Nails Will You Need

Nails will also be required for any roofing project. The average 3-tab shingle needs four nails per shingle. High wind areas and other types of shingles may need more. 320 nails will be needed to install a square of standard 3-tab shingles, assuming four nails per shingle and 80 shingles per square.

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How Big Is A Square In Roofing

The calculations above will give you the total number of square feet of the roof area.

As you have noticed in the roofing industry however, the surface of the roof is being measured in squares. This refers to the roof area that measures approximately 100 square feet.

Therefore: 1 Square in Roofing = 100 square feet

Now, in order to determine how many squares are there on the gable roof for example, all you need to do is divide the total square footage by 100.

  • Total square footage from Example 2 above: 28,000 sq. ft.
  • Number of squares for 2 planes: 28,000 sq. ft. ÷ 100 = 280 squares

This means that both planes of the roof will require 280 squares of shingles. A three-tab shingle, which is most commonly used, is packed in 3 bundles per square.

How Many Shingles Do I Need For A 2424 Garage

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For this example, well use the same type of roof a simple gabled roof. For our purposes, well say that the roof extends 1.5 around each side.

Well first calculate one face of the roof. The length of the roof is 24+1.5+1.5, which equals 27. The roof pitch is 4:12, which means the width of the roof is about 12.5. Add 1.5 of overhang to this number and you get 14 of roof width on one roof face.

Multiply 27 by 14 and you get 378 square feet for one roof face. The total roof area is 756 square feet. Divide this number by 100 to determine the amount of roof squares youll need, which equals 7.56 roofing squares.

Multiply 7.56 roofing squares by 3 bundles per square. Thus, 23 bundles of shingles are required to cover a 24×24 garage with 1.5 overhangs on all sides.

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Laying Out Successive Courses

Starting from the top of the first course, make a series of marks equal to the exposure of the shingle, or 5 inches for standard Heritage shingles, from the eave to the ridge on both sides, accounting for any variances found previously. Snap a line across the roof at each pair of marks and use the resulting lines as a guide for installing the shingles.

Eht Explores Some Basic Roof Framing Techniques From Layout To Installation

Roof framing is one of those carpenter skills that appears quite complicated, and indeed, some roof designs are difficult. Roofs are basically five types: shed, gable, hip, gambrel and mansard. Another common design in the Northeast is the saltbox, which is a gable roof with one longer side. These days cut-ups, or roofs with a lot of valleys, dormers and other features, are increasingly popular. In many cases with purchased house plans, the details of the roof construction, including rafter design, are included. Pre-constructed trusses have also become increasingly popular. They are constructed at a factory to match your building and delivered on site. They do, however, require extra manpower and lifting equipment to install in place. You can also build your own trusses if you have the equipment, or can rent the equipment to install them. Piece-by-piece rafter/roof construction, however, is still the more common construction method for many buildings. Simple roofs, such as a shed or the common gable, are fairly easy to construct, even without plans, if you understand the basics and a little geometry.

Roofs are framed in five basic designs: shed, gable, hip, gambrel and mansard. The gable is the most common, and it can be complicated with multiple roof lines, including valleys and dormers.

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How To Determine Roof Pitch

You will also need to know the desired pitch of the roof. Pitch is the slope or angle from the wall plate to the roof ridge line. Pitch can vary a great deal, from a shallow slope up to a very steep pitch. Pitch for a gable roof, the most common, is generally 1/4 or 1/3 which is equal to 1/4 or 1/3 the total span of the building, not counting any overhang. Pitch also has its own denotation, determined by the rise in inches in 12 inches. For instance a 4/12 pitch denotes a roof rising 4 inches for each 12 inches. Having the correct pitch is important. In many instances, a certain pitch may be necessary or even required by local codes. Pitch is determined by snow loads, other weather factors and the covering to be applied to the roof. For those in the northern parts of the country, an 8 in 12 pitch, or more, is commonly used to keep excessive snow loads off the roof. Those in the southern climates may utilize lower pitches. The minimum pitch, however, that can be used with many roofing materials such as asphalt shingles or corrugated metal is 3 in 12 . For lower pitches, a built-up or continuous roll roofing must be applied to keep the roof waterproof.

Pitch is the amount of angle or slope the roof has. This is denoted two ways, a 1/3 or 1/4 pitch in fractions, and a 6/12 pitch in inches, which means the roof rises 6 inches for each 12 inches of run. A framing square is traditionally used for laying out the roof and determining pitch.

How To Shingle A Gambrel Roof

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  • Written by Michelle Keefe on Nov 13, 2010To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience.Reviewed by

It is possible to shingle over a gambrel roof to add security from the elements or additional décor and aesthetic features to your structure. A gambrel roof is often thought of as a bard-style roof where the roof of a structure has multiple slope changes on either side of the roof. The application of shingles over a gambrel roof has very little variation from the application of shingles to a traditional roof. You should utilize three-tab asphalt shingles for this project.

Step 1 Lay First Shingle

You will need to begin laying your shingles at an outer most corner of the lowest slope of the roof. Align the first shingle squarely with the roof and lay it into place. To secure the shingle, and all remaining shingles, you need to use the nail gun to insert three evenly spaced nails through the uppermost portion of the shingle. This will hold the shingle securely into place.

Step 2 Complete First Row

Step 3 Shingle Slope

Step 4 Slopes

When you reach a slope change, you will continue to shingle as you have been. The shingle may stand or sit up. This is okay, as over time the shingle will naturally fall into place and lay down.

Step 5 Ridges

Tips

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How To Calculate A Roofing Square

Before beginning, make sure you can safely access your roofif you can’t, contact a roofing professional for help.

Grab your measuring tape, level, pen and paper, roof safety equipment, and your ladder. With these in hand, you can measure your roof in five simple steps.

  • Determine the number of planes. Your roof is made up of planes. If you have a flat roof, it has one plane. If you have a simple gable roof, it has two planes. The more architectural details your roof has, the more planes you will have to measure.
  • Measure each plane. Find the length and width of each plane. Then, multiply those two numbers together to find the square footage of that plane. For example, a 35 ft. X 36 ft. plane = 1260 sq. ft.
  • Find the total of all the planes. Add the square footage for each roof plane into one total. 1,260 sq. ft. + 1,260 sq. ft. = 2,520 sq. ft.
  • Divide to find the squares. To find how many squares are on your roof, divide the total square footage of all your planes by 100. In our example, the total was 25.2 squares 2,520 sq. ft. divided by 100.
  • Remember the roof slope. Roof slope indicates how steep your roof is and may increase the number of squares of materials you need. Roof slope is calculated by determining how many inches a roof rises vertically for every 12 inches it extends horizontally. For example, if that vertical rise is 4 inches, the slope is 4:12.
  • 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 Shingles In A Square

    For regular 3-tab, non-laminated shingles, youll have around 78 shingles per square. Some older styles of 3-tab shingles will have up to 87 shingles per square. Architectural shingles will have anywhere from 57 to 66 shingles per square.

    The number of shingles in an architectural or laminated shingle bundle vary since there are many, many different varieties of these types of shingles available for purchase. Sizes are different and therefore the number of shingles in a square differs from square to square for that type of shingle.

    How To Choose Roofing Shingles For Your Type Of Roof Style

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    Weve given you a breakdown of common roof shapes, which also have a variety of sub-types that can be joined together in combination styles. Making the right shingle selection is up to you.

    • Drive through neighborhoods, browse houses online, and look through magazines to find a roof style and color that reflects your dream house.
    • Consider your neighborhood. Youll have the choice to blend into your surroundings or stand out it depends on your personality and exterior design goals.
    • Additionally, there may be building codes or HOA restrictions that limit your options, so be sure to do your research before starting any project.

    Owens Corning® roofing shingles can be used on all roof types, with limited exceptions to certain roof slopes. Use roof color and design tools from Owens Corning to see what your roof could look like in a variety of shingle styles and colors and help you coordinate the roof with your homes exterior.

    Once youve found the look you want, talk to an experienced independent roofing contractor in the Owens Corning Contractor Network near you. They can help you with choosing the appropriate shingles for your roof design and provide you with an estimate along with roof financing opportunities.

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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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