Your Roof’s 25th Birthday Is Approaching
“An asphalt shingle roof should last between 20 and 30 years,” says Claude McGavic, executive director of The National Association of Home Inspectors. “If you have a 40-year-old roof,there could be a problem even if it looks good from the ground.”
How much time you’ve got left: Five to 10 years, depending on your roof’s condition. If you live in a development and your neighbors are all starting to replace their roofing, that could be a sign that you should do the same.
Your Contractor Starts Installing Your Roofing Materials
After the tear-off and making sure your gutters are cleaned out, your contractor is ready to install your new asphalt shingle roof. Theyll systematically work their way around the house following the sections that are torn off.
Once a section is torn off, theyll lay the underlayment and install the drip edge. Depending on the weather, theyll then start installing your starter shingles and shingles using the installation method of your choosing.
When theyre done with the shingles, theyll put on all the ridge capping. One of the very last things your contractor will install is all the vents that are needed for your roofs ventilation system.
Be aware, the life of your roof not only depends on the installers workmanship but the quality of the roofing materials as well. You should always invest in quality roofing materials to get the most out of your roof replacement.
How To Install Wood Shakes And Shingles
Before you can install wood shingles on your roof, you need to create the vent structure or sheathing. This keeps them from warping in the dampness and heat.
Once the structure is in place, plan the layout of the shingles and nail them into the sheathing. Take care to measure the shingles placement throughout the job to make sure youre on the right track.
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S For Replacing Roof Shingles
Before beginning your roof repair, check with your local city building department to find out if a permit is needed. For minor roof repairs, youll usually find that you dont have to pull a permit.
If you are repairing your roof as part of an insurance claim, talk with your agent to find out how to get reimbursed for repairs you complete yourself. Then you can begin the work of repairing your roof:
this infographic.
How To Repair Shingles On A Roof
Salvatore Pirozzi
CEO and Founder of Mars Restoration
Ensuring their roofs are safe and stable is one of the most vital responsibilities homeowners must remember throughout the year. Roof shingles can quickly become damaged when exposed to harsh weather or even just with age, so its crucial to keep up with maintenance and keep an eye out for any issues with your shingles.
While you can always call your local roofing restoration company, some prefer to take a different route. Learning how to repair shingles on a roof yourself is a smart way to save money and maintain your roof. Learn more about repairing damaged roof shingles in this in-depth and easy-to-follow guide below before taking on your own DIY job.
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How To Replace Asphalt Shingles
- Total Time: 1 – 2 hrs
- Skill Level: Intermediate
Many homes in the United States have asphalt shingle roofs. Asphalt shingles are an attractive option when considering a roof system for your home for many reasons. Among these are appearance, expected life span, and cost. Another reason that makes asphalt shingles attractive to most homeowners is the ease of repair if minor damages occur. Before getting started, verify whether or not you have an existing warranty on your shingle roof system which may cover the materials, labor, or both.
Repairs to an asphalt shingle roof system require proper preparation for safety and completion of the repair. When working on shingles, you are working at elevated heights on roof slopes that may impact your ability to walk safely. If you are in doubt about your ability to safely complete the repair, please contact a roofing professional to complete the repair for you. If you are comfortable with labor-intensive home repairs, not afraid of heights or tall ladders, and you can safely use hand tools while balancing on a sloped surface, then you should feel confident to take on this project.
- Utility knife with a hook blade
- Extension ladder
- Shingles in quantity and style to match existing roof
- Underlayment
- Asphalt mastic in a caulk tube
- Bungee cords or wire
How To Remove The Old Damaged Shingles
When shingles are blown off, it’s only the bottom half of a shingle that is typically damaged. What you see on a roof is only half of each shingle the other half is tucked up and under the next higher shingle. In order to replace a shingle, then, the upper half must be removed first.
The gray areas are actually the top half of a good shingle. The bottom half of the shingle above it on the roof has been broken off and needs replacing.
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How Often Should You Replace Your Roof Shingles
Any damage or signs of wear call for immediate action to keep water from seeping under the shingles and rotting the wood sheathing beneath. Ignoring a problemeven what appears to be a small onewill accelerate the need to reroof and can add hundreds of dollars to the cost of a new roof.
Pro2Pro Tip: Always make roof repairs on a warm, dry afternoon the shingles will be more supple and less likely to crack. And never climb onto a roof thats wet, icy or covered with morning dew.
If your roof is more than 20 years old and most of the shingles are damaged or badly worn, its time to replace it. But if your roof is basically sound and is at a relatively shallow pitch that youre comfortable working on, you can probably handle most repairs yourself.
Here, well take you through the three most-common ones: replacing asphalt shingles gluing down a badly curled shingle and repairing shingles that have cracked.
Learn How To Replace Missing Shingles
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Ready To Hire A Roofing Contractor
Now that you know the process to replace your roof, youre probably wondering how long itll take. That answer varies from roof to roof. Factors like the weather and roof accessibility go into how long itll take to replace your roof. But remember you cant put speed over quality.
To ensure you get a high-quality roof replacement, you need to hire a great roofing contractor. Because we want to help you find a great one in your area, we’re going to give you our checklist of questions to ask a roofing contractor.
Your free checklist gives you the questions every homeowner needs to ask and the right answers to get back when meeting with potential roofing contractors. Don’t get taken advantage of, get your checklist now.
The team at Bill Ragan Roofing has been offering high-quality roofing services to the residents of Nashville since 1990. We know what it takes to give you a roof replacement thatll make your home the best-looking one on the street. We even provide you with a lifetime warranty to back up our workmanship.
If you’re local to Nashville, don’t hesitate to contact us to start the journey of replacing your roof today.
Whether your local or not, don’t forget your free checklist of Questions to As a Roofing Contractor to ensure you’re asking the right questions and getting the right answers back.
Do I Need To Replace My Whole Roof Or Just The Shingles
Theres nothing worse than learning that you have to replace your entire roof. However, if this is the case, its important to do so your roof is the first line of defense against the elements, and a roof thats in bad shape not only offers poor protection, it can end up becoming a danger to your home and to your family.
However, in some cases you can just replace the shingles on your roof and not the entire roof itself. This is, of course, a much more preferable action as it will take less time and cost much less to replace shingles than it will cost to replace the whole roof. So how exactly can you tell whether you can get by with just replacing your shingles or whether you need to replace the entire roof?
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When You Can Just Replace The Shingles
The following are a few examples of when simply replacing damaged shingles is enough to ensure that your roof does its job and remains in good condition:
- The shingles are cracked or torn Shingles that are cracked can be replaced individually. However, if the crack or tear is minor, you may not even have to do that you could simply have the shingle repaired with the use of roofing sealant.
- The shingles are missing pieces If a piece of a shingle is missing, then the entire shingle will need to be replaced. This can happen if a piece of debris has been blown into your roof, thereby causing a piece of shingle to break off.
- There are missing shingles Missing shingles will need to be replaced right away. If a shingle is missing, your roof becomes vulnerable to the elements especially wind and rain. Wind will be able to get under surrounding shingles and cause further damage, while rain may be able to leak into the area where the shingle is missing.
The Pros Of Completely Replacing The Roof
- Completely replacing the roof lasts longer than re-roofing.
- It can be done no matter how many layers of shingles are on the roof.
- Unlike, re-roofing that may cover up any issues with the deck, such as rot, which can eventually cause the roof to give out, a fully revamped roof addresses all issues for a safe and sturdier roof.
- Saves more money over the long haul because it enables you to identify early signs of rot and sagging caused by water damage to the deck, which can eventually permit water to leak and drip down inside the walls where it can damage the drywall and flooring and lead to costly repairs.
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One Break The Seal On The Target Shingle
The images below depict Sedona Dynasty with ArmourZone shingles.
- In the photo below, the target shingle is located.
- The first step obviously requires the removal of the nails holding that shingle to the roof deck. To access the nails, the shingle will need to be lifted, but it is likely bonded to the shingle below by the shingles asphalt sealant spots. Although this sealant bond is quite strong , it can be broken by sliding a flat pry bar carefully under the target shingles edge.
- This sealant separation is best done in cool weather, as the sealant bond will be more easily sheared by the pry bar when cool in hotter weather, the sealant will be more gooey and tenacious, and harder to separate cleanly.
A word of caution: In cooler weather, the shingles will be stiffer than in warmer weather. Exercise care to avoid distorting the shingles more than necessary.
Install Step And Dormer Flashing
It’s possible to reuse existing step flashing and dormer flashing, but the best way to get a watertight seal is to tear off the siding in those areas and install new flashing. Start by running self-stick underlayment at least 6 in. up onto the walls. This provides an additional barrier if water does get past the flashing. Cover the front wall first and then work your way up the side wall. Overlap the sidewall underlayment around the corner onto the front wall about 1 in. or so.
Install the shingles right up to the front wall. Cut a couple of inches off the vertical portion of the dormer flashing, and run the horizontal portion past the side wall that same distance. Nail the dormer flashing to both the wall and the shingles.
Make a 1- to 2-in. cut with a tin snips at the bend in the first step flashing. Run a bead of sealant on the corner edge of the dormer flashing, and then run that step flashing past the dormer flashing the same distance you made your cut. Bend the step flashing around the corner onto the dormer flashing with your hammer.
Install your next row of shingles over that first step flashing, then cover that row with a step flashing, and so on. Nail the step flashing to the wall toward the top of the flashing at the end that’s closer to the peak, so the next step flashing in line will cover the nail. Don’t nail them down through the shingles. For information about flashing around chimneys, see Installing Chimney Flashing.
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How To Replace Damaged Shingles
The upper shingle is curled up, revealing the nailing area. The nail is placed on the tar line and driven through both the new shingle and the older shingle underneath it.
Your Asphalt Roof Was Damaged From A Storm
The weather where you live and the kind of storms your roof faces factor into how much wear and tear it goes through. But that isnt the only thing you have to worry about when it comes to weather.
This may seem obvious, but heavy storm damage will also lead to a roof replacement. If high winds come through and rip up your shingles or a tree falls on your roof then clearly youre going to need a new one.
If you have a metal roof system, then hail damage to your metal panels will lead to a replacement if the integrity of the metal is compromised. But for an asphalt shingle roof to be replaced from hail it has to cause damage to the soft metals that are on your roof.
Whatever kind of storm damage your roof has, its important to know if your roof is covered. Read this article on replacing your roof through homeowners insurance.
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