How To Repair A Leaking Shingle Roof From The Under Side

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Damaged shingles can seriously cut into the life of a roof. To go along your firm secure, information technology'south of import to regularly evaluate and replace damaged shingles to make sure your home is safe and dry.^[1] You can acquire to properly evaluate, remove, and supercede damaged shingles efficiently.

one
Use the proper safety precautions. Whatever time y'all're getting upwards on the roof you need to practise roof safety. Clothing protective eyewear, heavy-duty gloves, and gripping boots appropriate for walking on the roof. Preferably, you lot'll likewise install roof jacks to have something to stand on, and harnesses to protect yourself. Never practise roof piece of work lonely.^[2]
- How you access the roof will depend upon the roof itself and the location of the damage. Always use a secure, sturdy ladder when yous're climbing up on the roof, and have a helper to secure it at the base. When walking on the roof, always walk slowly and secure your footing before taking some other stride.
- If yous're just trying to appraise the impairment and replace a few damaged shingles, it might seem similar overkill to install roof jacks and harnesses, merely depending on the complexity and the elevation of your roof, it might be the safest option. Roof work isn't something to rush.^[3]
two
Assess the damage. Notice the damaged area of shingles and determine how many new shingles you lot'll demand and the extent of the damage underneath. Look at the corners on the shingles surrounding the harm. Are they curled and pulled up from the roof?
- Check the damaged area for damage to the moisture bulwark or flashing, and check the damaged expanse for signs of seepage. If the surrounding shingles aren't doing the work of keeping moisture out, you'll demand to supervene upon everything in the square effectually the damaged expanse.^[4]
- In some cases, information technology might be better to remove all the shingles from a roof in urgent need of repairs and re-roof the house instead. If the shingles in the surface area surrounding the damage are former, brittle, and dry, it'south probably not worth taking the care to re-secure them to the roof.
- Cracked or split shingles may be repaired without removing them, provided they're notwithstanding in expert status. You tin larn more about securing the shingles in the following section.
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3
Remove shingles in absurd weather. Cobblestone and asphalt sealant will heat upwards in hot weather, making it moldable and much more difficult to remove. It'south a lot easier to remove shingles that are cooled down and slightly more brittle than the moldable, so do the piece of work of removing them outset thing in the morning, before the sun has beaten down upon them considerably.
- Wet shingles to absurd them downwardly earlier removal, if you must work in the heat. Wetting them downward with a small-scale corporeality of water volition assistance them to tighten and firm upward, making them much easier to remove, if necessary.
4
Loosen the adhesive under the tabs two rows above the damage. Removing all the shingles on the roof is ordinarily done with a big hayfork , or rake-sized scraper used for removing shingles. Since you lot're but removing a portion of shingles, though, it's commonly meliorate to use a smaller tool. A pry bar, crow-bar, or the claw of a hammer works perfectly at getting under and advisedly prying upwards shingles, separating the adhesive and revealing the nails of the shingles underneath.
- A good rule of thumb is to remove at least 5 tabs in the 2nd row to a higher place the damaged "3-tab" shingle. Pull upwardly enough shingles to reveal the nails of all the damaged shingles that need removed beneath.
- The cease seams should be lined-up near a foot off to 1 side of the damaged one. In other words, you lot'll want to make sure that you pull off shingles in a radius around the damaged portion, to make sure you lot get everything.
five

Loosen the exposed nails. Slide your flat pry-bar under the shingles effectually the damaged portion. Piece of work effectually the nail, pulling it up. Advisedly lift each surrounding tab about 45 to 60 degrees. Go very slowly, but pry firmly, and try non to crack or break them. If the surrounding shingles are in good shape, you lot can reattach them when you're finished replacing the damaged shingles, saving you money and try.^[5]
six

Go on loosening the agglutinative and nails closer to the damaged shingles. Work your style progressively closer to the damage. Elevator the tabs in the first row in a higher place the damaged shingle and withdraw the loosened nails from that shingle with the pry-bar past using the same process.
7
Loosen and remove the damaged shingles. Loosen the adhesive underneath the tabs of the damaged shingle, then pull them free and discard. If the shingles are severely damaged, don't try to save them. Just remove them and replace them with new shingles of a like manner to the remainder of the shingles on the roof.
- Proceed removing the damaged shingles until y'all've cleared out the shingles that will demand replacing. Information technology'll be easier to remove everything before you get started replacing them.
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ane
Get the necessary replacement materials. To supervene upon shingles, you'll evidently need shingles to replace the ones yous remove and the materials necessary to secure. Most shingles that are in need of replacement are three-tab cobblestone shingles. If your roof involves some other diverseness of shingles, you'll need to match your new shingles to the old. To complete the job properly, y'all'll need:
- Replacement shingles. Buy more than than you'll need at the home repair store. You should be able to count up how many damaged shingles volition need replacement and purchase appropriately. It's good to accept replacements on manus.
- Shingle cement or adhesive. Some shingles come with adhesive strips pre-installed,^[6] making this unnecessary. If you purchase unbacked shingles, though, you might need to purchase additional adhesive to secure them to the roof before nailing them. It'due south a good idea to buy it to secure other loose shingles anyway.
- Roofing nails. Most 3-tab shingles will be pre-cut with guide holes that volition brand the installation process very simple. To secure them, you'll need covering nails, which are heavy-duty, and about ii or iii inches long.
ii

Install the new shingle. Identify a new shingle in the same position as the shingle you removed. If the shingles are backed with an adhesive strip, remove the covering and push them into place, then nail them to secure them. Well-nigh shingles have pre-cut holes for nails, usually three per shingle. Follow the directions of the shingles that you lot buy, or employ the other shingles on the roof as a guide.
iii
Reseal nether edges of all iii shingles. Lift each tab slightly on the shingles equally you install them, and use a 1" (ii.5 cm) diameter spot of shingle cement under each tab. Press tabs down into the cement firmly and secures the shingle into place. Continue installing shingles and securing them with adhesive accordingly, until y'all've installed all the damaged shingles along the row.
- After you've finished the damage portion, you can start working your way support the roof, retailing the loose shingles into place, equally long as they're in good shape, and using the adhesive to secure them dorsum onto the roof.
4
Secure other loose shingles while y'all're at information technology. While you're up at that place working, information technology's a good idea to keep an eye out for other areas that look like they may become problematic in the hereafter. Go along an eye out for curled or weathered-looking shingles that might allow h2o to seep in underneath. Using your adhesive, lift the tabs gently and re-secure them.
- Shingles become damaged when water gets in underneath and starts rotting from beneath. If y'all rescuer loose or weathered shingles on a regular basis, you'll get a considerable amount more life out of them. Regular touch-ups can extend the life of a roof immensely.
5
Fix cracked or split up shingles instead of replacing them. If shingles become croaky or otherwise dissever, considering of falling branches or other types of damage, consider using adhesive to repair them as best you can, instead of removing them completely. Line the crevice with a liberal corporeality of adhesive and stick information technology back together to repair information technology. Hold it in place for several seconds and let it seal.</ref>
- Shingles will e'er need to remove when they're breakable, curled, and difficult to pin back down. If the shingle is crumbling as y'all work on it, that's a sign that the shingle, most of the shingles in that area, and possibly the residue of the roof may need to be redone.^[seven]
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Add New Question

Question

How can I preclude shingles from becoming damaged?

David Bitan
Roofing Contractor & Maintenance Professional

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 manufacture experience, David specializes in restoring, repairing, and maintaining residential, commercial, and industrial roofs. With over lx years of combined experience, Bumble Roofing provides easy, friendly services to structures including residential, commercial, industrial, multi-family unit, and government buildings along with hospitals, hotels, and churches.

Roofing Contractor & Maintenance Professional

Expert Respond

Make sure your gutters are cleaned out every couple of months. Having gutters that are clogged causes water and debris to pool in certain areas of your roof, which can lead to damage.
Question

Can I reuse shingles that have been carefully removed?

Information technology is difficult to re-install old used shingles one time they are removed. They are usually damaged and the nails take pulled through them. If nothing else, you take to utilize NP1 or equivalent sealant to re-seal the tabs since the sealant will no longer exist whatsoever good on used shingles. Y'all take to re-seal the tabs and so the air current does non blow them up and cause further impairment.
Question

Tin can I re-shingle a roof without taking off the quondam ones? And if all shingles are to exist replaced, what else should be done when redoing a roof?

Y'all tin leave on the old shingles, only actually shouldn't. Every layer of shingles adds weight, which your rafters must now concur upward. It'southward code in most places to not have more than ii layers of roofing materials. If you have to redo your roof, you should also inspect the soffit and gable flashing, eve troughs, and flashing around any chimney, plumbing vent, cranium vent, etc and consider replacing those likewise. Specially if they are the plastic type, every bit they may await okay but be rust-covered by the dominicus to the point of being breakable.
Question

How do I supervene upon the shingles at the top where the roof peaks?

The ridge cap shingles are but regular three tab shingles that are cut and turned sideways. They are nailed down so that the nails are not exposed. Have a stack of regular 3 tab shingles and cut little v notches at the peak edge of the shingles between the tabs. This also keeps the ridge shingles from being completely foursquare and the corners tuck in nicely.
Question

Can I reuse the shingles on my roof after replacing some plywood?

Information technology depends. Nigh shingles have a 15-25 year lifetime guarantee, then it depends on the historic period and condition of the shingles if they tin can be used again.

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In common cold weather, avoid excessive angle of the shingles as it could cause keen
If you are unsure about annihilation, don't risk your well-being; please consult a roofing professional.
In hot weather, cool shingles with a h2o hose to let easy separation of the shingle tabs

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Article Summary X

In social club to replace damaged roof shingles, you demand to remove the damaged shingle, install the new one, and seal the edges. Utilise the hook of a hammer to loosen the agglutinative under the tabs ii rows above the damaged shingles, and then loosen whatsoever exposed nails with the claw. Piece of work your way down to the damaged shingles, loosening adhesive and nails so you can pull the damaged shingles complimentary. After that, identify the new shingle in the same position and use shingle cement to reseal the edges of all of the shingles. Hammer in whatsoever exposed nails that you loosened then the shingles are secure. To learn how to ready croaky or dissever shingles instead of replacing them, continue reading!

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