When you repair asphalt shingles, make sure the roof is dry and the air warm enough to make the shingles pliable and have the roofing cement at room temperature so it will spread more easily.
For small tears on asphalt shingles, use a putty knife to apply roofing cement under the tear and press the shingle back into place.
Seal some cracks with asphalt paint. For large tears on asphalt shingles, apply plastic cement liberally underneath the damaged area, press the shingle back into place and secure the shingle with a nail on both sides of the tear. Finish by applying cement over the nail heads. To flatten a curled shingle, apply cement under the curled portions, press the curled portions back down in place and secure with roofing nails. Apply cement over the nail heads.
If you have to replace an asphalt shingle, lift the shingle tab above and using a pry bar, remove the lower row of nails from the defective shingle and the second row of nails under the tab of the shingles two courses above to free the defective shingle. Slip the new shingle into place and nail down with two new sets of nails in the old locations Apply cement over the nail heads.
It’s best to replace asphalt shingles with some shingles that remain from when the roof was originally installed. If you don’t have leftover shingles on hand, buy a bundle of new shingles as close as possible to the brand, color and size of the existing shingles to use as replacements.
Repair for Wooden Shingles
You notice a few of your wooden shingles have become split and need replacing. Since your house is covered with hundreds of individual shingles, it is inevitable that some will become damaged over time.
To replace one single shingle, use a hammer and chisel to split the shingle into several narrow pieces then pull them out with a pair of pliers. Using a hacksaw blade, slip the blade under the shingle directly above the old shingle and cut through the nails that held the old shingle in place. Use a utility knife to trim a new shingle to match the size of the space. Slide the new shingle in place and tap it into position. Lastly, hammer two galvanized cedar shingle nails directly into the new shingle below the edge of the shingle above.
If you’re removing more than one shingle, treat the new shingles as if you were laying whole courses and work from the eave to the ridge of the roof.
Remember, never work on a roof in icy conditions. Dark colored shingles can hide icy patches and use a high-quality extension ladder secured to the house in a least two places or rent a roofer’s ladder with a bracket that bridges the ridge of the roof and wear secure footwear.
- 'No new videos.'
home-inspection
