Roof Shingles Repair

A lot of people face roof problems such as leakage, damaged shingles, or even problems with the chimney or roof vents. Roofing shingles are a type of roof covering which have numerous single components overlapping with each other.

These components are generally rectangular in shape, and are placed from the bottom edge of the roofing through to the top. Various types of shingles are available in materials like asphalt, ceramic, wood, and cement.

As these coverings are constantly exposed to various weather conditions like heat, rainfall, and cold, it is natural for them to get eroded over a period of time. Weak ones can also get blown away whenever heavy winds or storms blow over. The damaged or broken ones need replacement, as they cause water leakage problems and also weaken the total roof structure.

First, you will need to gather all the materials that are required for the repair job. These materials include roofing nails, tar paper, adhesive, new roof shingles, and a hammer.

Figure out which shingles need replacement. Then, start removing the damaged ones along with a few around the concerned area as well. You will have to loosen any adhesive that is present beneath the tabs around the broken ones. Just lift them out, and also remove all the visible nails from underneath them. In case you notice any signs of wear and tear on the tar paper, take that off as well.

Prepare the roof for laying down the new shingles. For this, spread new tar paper along areas where new ones need to be installed. Use an adhesive to glue down the tar paper, and also close out any other openings that you notice. Hammer roofing nails through the tar paper to fix it permanently, and apply adhesive on all the nail heads to avoid any roof leakage problems.

Start scraping the shingle that you are going to lay from its corners with the help of a utility knife. This makes it possible to easily fit it into the vacant area, in tandem with the already existing ones. Start placing the new ones wherever necessary by simply sliding them below the existing ones. Hammer roofing nails at each of their four corners and apply adhesive on top of all nails to reduce chances of leakage in future.

If your repair job involves replacing the shingles along the ridge cap, just take out the old ones and replace them with the new ones. Hammer all the new ones with nails and coat the nail heads with adhesive or cement to prevent leakage.

• If the weather outside is extremely hot, you should spray some water on the shingles with a water hose. This will cool them down a little bit, and you can work with them safely.
• In case you are staying in a very cold place, try not to bend them as they have a tendency to break easily.

• When you climb onto the roof top, wear flat rubber slippers. This will eliminate chances of you slipping while working.

Repairing shingles is an easy task and you can do it yourself. However, if you are not comfortable working on the roof top, you can always call for professional help and get the work done.