Learning how to shingle a roof is relatively straightforward but there are a few essential tips that will make everything easier. You always need to make sure that you are going into this with the mindset, that means be safe, but also make sure you know the steps. Let’s show you how to shingle a roof.
How Professionals Prep the Roof
A poorly prepared roof can lead to holes and cracks, this is why professionals go through a very strict process:
Secure the Roof Boards
Professionals make sure that the roof boards are secured and fastened down to prevent any damage to the lining or the shingles. You also need to make sure there’s nothing lying around because this can cause damage to the roof.
Install the Drip Edge
Professionals use galvanized nails so they do not rust in the rain, and when they add the drip edge to the top of the roof, it has to drape over the rest of the drip edge.
Adding an Ice and Water Shield
This is optional, but you might want to consider this depending on where you live. Some states demand you use this and have specific distances set down for safety reasons.
Add a Layer of Felt
Make sure you overlap for your felt by a few inches and cover one side of the roof.
The Process of Installing Shingles
To start installing roof shingles:
- Line the aluminum drip edge flash with the edge of the roof
- Make a pencil at the top on each end of the house.
- Using the pencil line, draw a line between the two marks to get a straight edge.
- Fill the drip edge down about half an inch from the line to create a gap between the drip edge and the fascia board.
- Nail the drip edge in place. Repeat these steps for any gabled ends.
- Layout the asphalt roofing felt paper and nail it in place.
- To lay out the design for the shingles begin at the bottom of the roof and make sure the shingles overhang the drip edge by half an inch from the edge of the roof.
- For the first course of shingles, they need to be every 12 inches. Following this, they need to be every 5 inches.
How to Keep Your Shingles Nice and Neat
It is important to keep your roofing lines straight. The best thing to do for shingles is to make sure that you stick to the chalk line. This will make it all look uniform and neat, but also if you are trying to work around anything else on your roof, like a chimney or solar panels a set of markings will make everything look neat that is also a template for shingling the roof.
Ask a Professional for Some Help
This is the basic process for shingling a roof but it’s important that you check and recheck everything. This can be a very intimidating process especially for the amateur DIY-er, but when in doubt, get in contact with a professional.