How To Install Roof Tile
This article was co-authored by David Bitan. David Bitan is a roofing professional, licensed contractor, and the owner and founder of Bumble Roofing based in Southern California. With over 12 years of construction industry experience, David specializes in restoring, repairing, and maintaining residential, commercial, and industrial roofs. With over 60 years of combined experience, Bumble Roofing provides easy, friendly services to structures including residential, commercial, industrial, multi-family, and government buildings along with hospitals, hotels, and churches.There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 206,700 times.
Installing a tile roof can be a difficult and laborious process. A project of this size will take a great deal of planning and preparation, well before the actual tile installation is underway. Whether you are laying brand new roofing tile or replacing damaged ones, it is also important to have the right technique. This article will tell you how to install roof tile.
Build The Open Metal Valleys
- 4.1 – Install metal valley trim on the membrane, starting at the bottom of the roof.
- 4.2 – Center the trim on the valley and secure the edge with roofing nails. The nail head must maintain the flashing in place. Do not perforate the metal.
- 4.3 – Continue along the valley and lap sections of trim by at least 6″. Coat each overlay with plastic cement.
- 4.4 – Establish two lines on either side of the valley where the shingles will end.
- 4.5 – Place a line at the top, 3″ from the centre on both sides of the valley.
- 4.6 – Deviate 1/8″ per foot as you bring the line down to the drip edge, where the maximum deviation should be 8″.
- 4.7 – Snap the chalk line on both sides of the valley
Planning For The Project
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When And Why To Put A New Roof Over An Existing Roof
When your roof starts to fail, but it is in an overallgood condition, a reroofing might be the best choice for you. What does it meanto have a roof that is failing but is still in a relatively good state? Itmeans that your roof may be at the end of its life, but its underlyingstructures and sheathing are in a generally good condition. Your shingles maybe losing granules and are worn out due to age or weather, but they are notcausing leaks, they are not curling or missing. These are all goodpredispositions for installing a new layer of shingles over the existing one.
Reroofing can also be done when you simply want orneed a change on your roof you may want a different design or color, or youmay be completely renovating your home so you want the roof to match your newstyle. But even if your main goal isnt redesigning your roof, it willnonetheless gain a new aesthetic appeal. Installing a new shingle layer willgive your roof depth and even a three-dimensional appearance, as it is slightlyraised due to the existing layer of shingles beneath it.
Install The Flashing On Your Roof
The second step in your how to install asphalt roof shingles guide is to get any roof flashing in place that is not already there. Every one of the valleys in your roof, or the sections where one part of your roof runs into another part at a different angle, needs to have flashing added in. Roll out flashing in each of these sections and lock it down using roofing nails at the outside edges while leaving the center free of any nails. Nailing too close to the center of this flashing will result in leaks through your roof. As you are installing the shingles around valley flashing you have to remember to apply roofing cement underneath each row of shingles up close to the valley.
Also add flashing where the roof buts up against a wall of the house in the case of dormers or a multi-tiered roof and add flashing around any chimneys or skylight windows to protect them against the elements.
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Can You Roof A House Yourself
Make no bones about itroofing is hard work. Theres no hiding from the elements. You cant be afraid of heights and you need to be pretty fit. Before committing to this how to roof a house project, try this: Get out a ladder and climb up onto your roof. If you cant walk around on it comfortably, hire a pro. If you passed this first test, go to the lumberyard or home center and throw a bundle of shingles onto your shoulder. Imagine yourself carrying that load up a laddermany, many times.
If youre still feeling positive about this how to roof a house at this point, why not give it a shot? You can skip a lot of heavy lifting by having your roofing supplier hoist the shingles onto the roof. Be sure you spread the load evenly across the length of the roofs peak. However, dont have the shingles delivered to the roof if you still have two layers of old shingles to tear offit could be too much weight for your trusses.
After youve obtained a permit and safely stripped the roof clean, nail drip edge flashing flush along the eave.
Cover the rest of the roof with No. 15 asphalt-saturated felt underlayment . Each layer overlaps the lower one by at least 2 in. Follow this step by nailing drip edge along rakes , on top of the underlayment. As you did with the flashing, always lap upper pieces over lower pieces. The felt keeps the roof deck dry before shingles go on, protects against wind-driven rain as shingles fail and increases fire resistance.
Remove Old Roofing And Repair Any Damage
While it is possible to install a metal roof over old asphalt shingles, a full tear-off of the old roof is highly recommended. Removing the old roof will allow you to inspect the sheathing and flashing and replace any problem areas before moving forward. That way, the sheathing and flashing can be inspected before the new roof goes down, reducing the chance of a leak.
- Start from the top of the roof and remove the old shingles along with the flashing, underlayment and vents.
- Hammer down or pull any large nails that are exposed by the removal.
- Inspect the underlying roof sheathing for damage and make any needed repairs with sealants and roofing adhesive.
- Install a layer of roofing underlayment, including a layer of felt paper or rosin slipsheet, as recommended by the roofing manufacturer. Metal panels expand and contract at different rates than the sheathing, so its important to follow manufacturers guidelines regarding underlayment.
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Fold Flashing Over The Peak
Cut the flashing back to the peak along each crease. Then fold the flashing over the peak and cover the cut ends with self-stick underlayment. Roof valleys channel a lot of water, so they need extra protection. Start by installing self-stick underlayment on the decking. This process is much easier with two people. Cut the underlayment to size , and peel off the entire plastic backer. With a person on each end, fold the underlayment in on itself, sticky side out. Then lay it into the valley and unfold it. Try to push it down into the crease of the valley as tightly as possible. If this self-stick ice-and- water underlayment bridges both sides of the decking, leaving a gap underneath, it could tear once you install the metal valley flashing. Run the underlayment past the drip edge at the eaves, and trim off the extra with a utility knife. Once it’s smooth, nail it down on the outside edges.
Finish installing felt paper on the rest of the roof, overlapping the self-stick underlayment. Be careful when you trim back the felt paper so you don’t slice into the underlayment. Photo 7 shows the underlayment covering the felt on one edge a couple of inches. This will keep water farther away from the inside corner of the fascia. You can extend the center out even more but not so far that water overshoots your gutters if you have them.
How To Install Roofing Shingles
Learning how to install roofing shingles can help you save money on your roofing project. Shingle roofing is one of the simpler types of roofing to install on a home and it is the kind that most homeowners can work up the courage to actually attempt. This professional guide will teach you exactly how to install roof shingles yourself. If you are considering installing new asphalt shingles on your roof, learn the steps involved with a quality roof installation and then decide whether or not you really want to tackle the project yourself or if you would like to get quotes from local roofing installation contractors. In this guide you will learn things like:
- How Many Shingles Do I Need
- How to Install Roof Flashing
- How to Install Roof Underlayment
- How to Install the Asphalt Shingles
It is always smart to get roofing price quotes from at least four pre screened and licensed asphalt roof installation professionals before starting your project in order to get an idea of the costs for a new roof installation.
Let Modernize help you do that in a few easy steps by finding local trusted roof contractors in your area.
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This One Trick At Installation Can Help Your New Roof Last Longer
I have no clue how many new roofs are installed in the United States each year, but its got to be in the hundreds of thousands. Perhaps a new roof is in your future or in the next few years. If so, youd be wise to read up on the topic at AsktheBuilder.com before its time for you to meet with a roofer.
Most roofs installed in the United States are asphalt shingles. The reasons are many, but for the most part asphalt is easy to install and affordable. The issue is the asphalt shingles of today are nothing like the ones that were manufactured even 40 years ago. I exposed the shortcomings about five years ago in my book Roofing Ripoff. You might want to read this short book. It will absolutely put your head on a swivel as to all things asphalt shingle. I discovered while writing the book how to make asphalt shingles last 40 or more years. Its all in the book.
If youre like most homeowners, you wring your hands worrying about leaks. Its a valid concern. Understand the vast majority of roof leaks on the average home almost always are at a flashing. Rarely does a leak form in the giant open field of shingles.
A flashing is a transitional material that connects your roof to something thats not a roof. Heres a short list of where youd find flashings:
Plumbing vent pipes
Skylights
Any other vent that is popping up through the roof to expel air from your home
Remove The Old Roofing
The old roofing will probably have to be removed before the new roofing material is put in place. Many people will install multiple layers of roofing over top one another to save time but adding too many layers can lead to premature failure in the roof. The old roof should be stopped down to the sheathing, and rebuilt.
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How To Build A Roof: A Step
ByLindsey Davis, Sarah Handleypublished 8 September 20
This step-by-step guide shows how to build a roof including installing underlay and battens and finishing the roof with tiles, verge units and ridge system
Want to learn how to build a roof in order to keep costs under control on your self build project? While it’s not a job for a DIY novice, it could be done by a more seasoned DIYer.
This step-by-step guide demonstrates how to build a gable to gable metric roofing system. Either read the steps below or watch the how-to video featuring Mat Woodyatt, Training Manager at Redland Roofing.
Choosing The Right Roofing Company Is Important
The first thing youre going to need to do when you decide to go through with a new roof installation is to choose a roofing company to handle the job.
The good news is you shouldnt have any trouble finding one. There are more than 100,000 roofing companies scattered throughout the country.
But the bad news is there are a whole bunch of unreliable roofers out there. So you want to be sure to steer clear of them and to find the right roofing company for the job.
A reputable roofing company should have:
- Plenty of experience in the roofing industry
- A specific set of roofing services that they can provide, including new roof installation
- A large selection of roofs
- Fair and affordable prices
- Free consultations for those who want to learn more about them
Before you agree to work with a roofing company, you should interview them and find out whatever you can about the company. You should also read through online reviews from other homeowners who have worked with them in the past.
This will let you know if a roofing company is right for you or not.
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How To Install Roof Flashing In 2021
Roofers use roof flashing to ensure no water leaks into areas of roofing features like vents, chimneys, dormers, skylights, etc. Its critical during roof installation to avoid any damage in the future and helps uphold the integrity of a new roof.
However, flashing may need to be replaced throughout the lifespan of a roof, so we will walk through the steps of installing or replacing roof flashing. Pay close attention to keep your roof safe from leaks and water damage.
How To Hire A Roofing Installer
The roof over your head might be one of the most important aspects of your home if not the most important aspect.
Therefore, finding the best possible roofing installer or roofing contractor might be one of the most vital decisions you will make as a property owner.
Generally, if it is time to replace your roof, that means you are likely prepared to make a major upgrade to your home, or you are just recovering from a major weather event or disaster or both.
And either or both of these options require placing a lot of trust in your roofing contractor since they are most likely upgrading one of your most valuable assets.
And while your first inclination might be to go with the top results on some of the popular review sites, Angies list roof installers might not always be the best choice.
In fact, your best bet is to ask your neighbors for referrals and to actually call up the roofers at the top of the search results and ask them some questions.
And of course, there are some key questions that you should ask your roofing contractor before you sign on the dotted line, and some of them might be almost as crucial as finalizing or agreeing on the cost of your roof replacement.
For instance, you should ask:
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Bend Trim Ends Closed
- Before you install the trim, cut and bend the leading end to wrap it around the corner. Make a series of one-inch cuts with aviation snips at each bend to create tabs. Fold the tabs in with a hand seamer to meet a wall or a corner, or to close a gap created by the trim. Each trim is a different shape, requiring unique cuts and bends.
Placing Shingles On Top Of Your Existing Roof Might Be An Option
Did you know that you dont necessarily have to rip off your existing roof and replace it with a new one?
While youre not allowed to continuously stack roofing materials on top of one another over and over again, you are allowed to place shingles over the top of an existing layer of roofing one time in most places. By doing it, you can potentially save yourself a lot of money while giving yourself a new roof.
One thing you do want to keep in mind when you live in a place like Denver, though, is that taking this approach wont allow your roofing company to put down an ice and water shield under your roofing. This shield can protect your roof and prevent leaks from popping up over the years.
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