Installing shingles yourself can save time and money, and you can follow the same steps as a professional builder. Reinstalling roof shingles can keep your home in good condition, keep your family safe and protected from the weather. Learn to prepare the roof for shingles, place them in an even line, and install roof ridges like the experts.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Preparing the Roof
Step 1. Determine the required amount of asphalt shingles
It usually takes three bundles of shingles to cover a 100-foot (9.29 square meter) roof. Asphalt shingles “bundles” are usually sealed in packages (the term bundle is actually used for wood shingles tied together with wire). Measure your roof and purchase the required amount of shingles.
Measure the length and width per section of the roof, multiplying the length and width to get the area per section. Add up the area of each roof section, then divide by 100 to get the correct number of squares. Multiply that number by 3 to get the number of bundles you have to buy
Step 2. Measure the length of one shingle by placing it on the roof
This will help you figure out how the shingles will be installed according to the width of the roof. Most asphalt shingles are 3 feet (91.4 centimeters) long. If the multiplication of the number of shingles is not even the width of the roof, you will need to install the cut sections at each end of the roof row.
The shingles in the bottom row should hang over the edge of the roof. For a wood shingle roof, you will need to cut the shingles over the edges to create a straight line for this to be done
Step 3. Remove the old shingles and upholstery
Start removing the shingles from the farthest part of the trash can or the corner where you collected the old shingles. Use a garden fork or shingle shovel to pry it out quickly. Pry with a hammer to peel off the old shingles and continue by hand for a thorough finish.
- Pry the nails and loosen the cam cap. Don't worry if you can't gouge out all the nails at first, as you can pick them up once you've removed all the old shingles.
- Remove zinc around chimneys, vents, and gaps between roof sections. The zinc on the roof shingles will be removed. Some builders will choose to keep the zinc in a jug if it's still good, but it's usually better to throw away the old zinc if there's a chance.
Step 4. Clean the roof
Sweep the roof as clean as possible. Remove the nails that have not been removed. Reattach the loose boards on the roof layer. Check if the roof cladding board is damaged or weathered, replace the damaged parts.
Step 5. Install the new undercoat and zinc
Lay asphalt roofing paper, felt paper, or a waterproof coating, on top of the roof. Some builders will use 6.8 kg of roofing paper, which is also an effective method. Use multiple staples to attach the lining to the roofing. Use tin caps under the staples, if there is a possibility that the roof layer is blown off before the tile is installed.
- Use ice and water shields with sticky backs as roof trusses where ice, leaves, and stems usually accumulate to form plugs, as well as in ledges and between roof and wall boundaries (a large piece of zinc can also be placed there).
- Install new zinc. Metal zinc nails called "gutters" run along the outer edge of the roof.
Step 6. Select the type of shingles that you will use at the beginning
You can use tabless shingles if you've already purchased them (the GAF Pro-Start brand is one of them), or you can trim tabs in the plain shingles you've purchased to fit the part of the project. Some people buy one type of shingle and cut it to fit, others choose to buy pre-cut, i.e. stemless shingle.
Step 7. Use the chalk lines to create a guide for yourself
Depending on the type of shingles purchased, you may need to mark a chalk line starting at 17.8 cm from the bottom edge of the roof. No matter what type of shingles you have, place a layer of glue on the shingles along the gutters, and along the trim.
Mark from left to right the edge of the roof so that the chalk line can be seen directly above each track as a guideline. Continue adding bows to the length of the shingles through at least four lanes (rows) across the roof
Part 2 of 3: Installing Three Tab Shingles
Step 1. Cut the shingles for your initial installation if necessary
If you're making your own starting shingles, cut the tabs from the shingles for the shingles "start path" (the bottom edge of the roof). To prepare the tabs and lay out the starting path, cut the shingles 15 cm long (or about half of one stem). Place a strip of glue along the top side of the gutter, and also along the top side of the trim. You'll be laying the shingles one more time in this first path, so the base path will have double thickness.
- Instead of cutting all three tabs on the shingles, you can also flip the shingles for this initial path. That way the first line shingles will cover the starting line shingles. Either way, placing solid edges in the gutters and cutting 15 cm from the initial shingles length prevents gaps between the tabs from being blocked by the first track above the starting track. This keeps the roofing bitumen paper from being exposed through the gaps in the bottom row.
- Nail shingles without shavings, such as Pro-start shingles that have been cut, and apply asphalt glue using a glue gun at multiple points along the entire length of the gutter, then press the tab-less shingles on each dotted line of asphalt plaster with sufficient space between the points. Continuous drops of asphalt glue can trap wind-blown steam or water under the roof up to a point.
Step 2. Cut the shingles into five different pieces to create a criss-crossing grid
To make sure you have the correct size to fit the proper path, cut the shingles into various pieces of the three-point type you purchased. Cut one half-length of the stem from the first tab to start the first path. Each cut is required to slide the gaps of the shingles over the shingles of the tab so as not to form a straight line between the bottom and top shingles. Save all leftover pieces, especially tab units to use as ridge cover shingles. Make the following pieces:
- Cut the tab in half from your first shingle path
- Cut a full tab for your second shingle path
- Cut one and a half tabs for your third shingle path
- Cut two tabs for your fourth shingle path
- For the fifth line, cut half of the last half of the tab
- Leave your sixth path tab intact
Step 3. Start placing the path
Nail the cut shingles in the marked places, about 15 cm from the bottom edge. Hammer one nail about 5 cm from each end of the shingles to the end of one shingle to the other end and another nail about 2.5 cm above each piece of shingles.
The next shingles on top should cover the nails about 2.5 cm vertically. Horizontally, the nail tip should be covered about 1/2 tab by the shingle on top. Make sure these nails can hold the top edge of the shingle path underneath
Step 4. Push the full shingles onto the cut shingles and secure with nails
Repeat this basic pattern, alternately placing full shingles and cut shingles, continuing from left to right, using chalk lines to keep the rows of shingle horizontally straight.
Use 4 nails per shingle and 6 nails on the windy side of the roof, as windbreaks. Some areas require you to nail six nails on all sides
Step 5. Cut the final shingles into the size you need when you are almost done with a row
You can let the shingles go over the roof a bit and trim them off after nailing, if you like. Repeat this process until the fifth row, then start the process again like the first row starting with full shingle, and chalk lines. Repeat until you reach the ridge.
If your roof is a pyramid roof, allow about one tab longer to hang onto the next section of the roof on the pyramid to help strengthen the joints between the roof sections
Part 3 of 3: Installing Ridge Shine
Step 1. Install the final path
Bend the shingles about 15 cm in the middle to place them on the ridge, and nail the side where the other shingles will be covered.
Bend the single tab shingles (or special ridge shingles) on the ridge, applying bitumen glue under the first ridge shingles to secure the tabs. Nail where the next shingles will be applied, about 2.5 cm from the vertical and horizontal sections of the shingles
Step 2. Install the ridge shingles
With the bitumen exposed, across to the other end, nail the shingles on both sides of the ridge as before. Cut the asphalt tack line from the ridge shingles when you get to the other end.
Step 3. Use lots of bitumen glue
Squirt bitumen glue down and around the edges of the last ridge shingle, where you've pulled the nail line. Nail the four end corners of the ridge.
Also apply asphalt glue over the visible nail heads on the last ridge shingle to prevent leaks
Tips
- Some experts will teach you to make a pyramid in the center of the roof and work from the center to both sides (which allows two workers to install the shingles on the same roof) to give a more balanced look. Both of these methods can be used.
- Before installing asphalt shingles, first spread the shingles bundles around the roof, so you can work continuously without having to go back and forth to pick up the shingles.
- There's a dotted line of glue that isn't always covered with plastic tape, to help glue the corners of the shingle, but the adhesive part is two or three times larger, so it's stronger and the plastic tape should always be peeled off!
- The “felt” roofing paper contains an asphalt material which is also useful for an additional waterproof layer.
- There is also “tabless” shingles (with laminated layers to resemble wood shingles) which, obviously, are not “3 tabs” but still need to be cut to 5 different lengths to form the gaps.
Warning
- Hot weather damage: Do not install asphalt shingles and walk, crawl, or stand on them in hot weather. This can damage the shingles. You can work half a day starting in the morning.
- On sloping roofs, the footrests must be nailed to the roof with metal anvils to hold the footrests and place your fittings in place. Also use ropes and harnesses.
