How To Repair Broken Roof Shingles

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Damaged shingles can seriously cut into the life of a roof. To keep your house secure, information technology'due south of import to regularly evaluate and replace damaged shingles to brand sure your domicile is safety and dry.^[one] Yous tin can larn to properly evaluate, remove, and supervene upon damaged shingles efficiently.

1. 1

   Use the proper rubber precautions. Any time you're getting up on the roof you need to do roof safety. Wear protective eyewear, heavy-duty gloves, and gripping boots appropriate for walking on the roof. Preferably, you'll besides install roof jacks to accept something to stand up on, and harnesses to protect yourself. Never do roof piece of work lone.^[ii]

   • How you admission the roof volition depend upon the roof itself and the location of the damage. Always use a secure, sturdy ladder when y'all're climbing up on the roof, and have a helper to secure information technology at the base. When walking on the roof, always walk slowly and secure your footing earlier taking another step.
   • If you're just trying to assess the damage and supercede a few damaged shingles, it might seem like overkill to install roof jacks and harnesses, only depending on the complexity and the height of your roof, it might be the safest option. Roof piece of work isn't something to rush.^[three]

2. ii

   Assess the damage. Find the damaged surface area of shingles and determine how many new shingles you lot'll need and the extent of the damage underneath. Look at the corners on the shingles surrounding the damage. Are they curled and pulled up from the roof?

   • Check the damaged surface area for damage to the moisture barrier or flashing, and bank check the damaged area for signs of seepage. If the surrounding shingles aren't doing the piece of work of keeping moisture out, you'll need to supersede everything in the square effectually the damaged surface area.^[four]
   • In some cases, it might exist ameliorate to remove all the shingles from a roof in urgent demand of repairs and re-roof the house instead. If the shingles in the area surrounding the impairment are old, breakable, and dry, it'due 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 still in good condition. You tin larn more about securing the shingles in the post-obit section.

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3. 3

   Remove shingles in absurd weather. Asphalt and asphalt sealant will heat upward in hot weather, making information technology moldable and much more than difficult to remove. Information technology's a lot easier to remove shingles that are cooled down and slightly more brittle than the moldable, and so practice the work of removing them first thing in the forenoon, before the lord's day has browbeaten downward upon them considerably.

   • Wet shingles to absurd them down before removal, if y'all must work in the heat. Wetting them downwardly with a small amount of water will help them to tighten and firm upwardly, making them much easier to remove, if necessary.

4. 4

   Loosen the adhesive nether the tabs two rows higher up the damage. Removing all the shingles on the roof is usually done with a large hayfork , or rake-sized scraper used for removing shingles. Since you're just removing a portion of shingles, though, it'south usually ameliorate to utilise a smaller tool. A pry bar, crow-bar, or the claw of a hammer works perfectly at getting nether and carefully prying up shingles, separating the adhesive and revealing the nails of the shingles underneath.

   • A proficient dominion of thumb is to remove at to the lowest degree five tabs in the 2d row higher up the damaged "3-tab" shingle. Pull up enough shingles to reveal the nails of all the damaged shingles that demand removed below.
   • The cease seams should be lined-up nigh a foot off to one side of the damaged one. In other words, you'll want to brand certain that y'all pull off shingles in a radius around the damaged portion, to make certain you get everything.

5. 5

   Loosen the exposed nails. Slide your flat pry-bar nether the shingles around the damaged portion. Work around the blast, pulling information technology upwards. Carefully lift each surrounding tab about 45 to 60 degrees. Go very slowly, merely pry firmly, and try non to fissure or break them. If the surrounding shingles are in good shape, you can reattach them when you lot're finished replacing the damaged shingles, saving you money and endeavor.^[5]

6. 6

   Go along loosening the adhesive and nails closer to the damaged shingles. Work your style progressively closer to the impairment. Elevator the tabs in the first row above the damaged shingle and withdraw the loosened nails from that shingle with the pry-bar by using the same process.

7. 7

   Loosen and remove the damaged shingles. Loosen the agglutinative underneath the tabs of the damaged shingle, then pull them complimentary and discard. If the shingles are severely damaged, don't try to salvage them. But remove them and replace them with new shingles of a similar style to the rest of the shingles on the roof.

   • Go along removing the damaged shingles until you lot've cleared out the shingles that will need replacing. Information technology'll be easier to remove everything before y'all get started replacing them.

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1. 1

   Go the necessary replacement materials. To supercede shingles, yous'll plain need shingles to supervene upon the ones yous remove and the materials necessary to secure. Almost shingles that are in demand of replacement are three-tab asphalt shingles. If your roof involves some other diverseness of shingles, y'all'll need to match your new shingles to the old. To complete the chore properly, you'll need:

   • Replacement shingles. Purchase more than you'll need at the home repair store. Yous should be able to count up how many damaged shingles will need replacement and buy accordingly. It'due south good to have replacements on hand.
   • Shingle cement or adhesive. Some shingles come with agglutinative strips pre-installed,^{[half dozen]} making this unnecessary. If you buy unbacked shingles, though, you might need to buy additional adhesive to secure them to the roof earlier nailing them. It'southward a good idea to buy it to secure other loose shingles anyway.
   • Covering nails. Nigh three-tab shingles will exist pre-cut with guide holes that will make the installation process very simple. To secure them, you'll need roofing nails, which are heavy-duty, and near two or three inches long.

2. 2

   Install the new shingle. Place 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, so nail them to secure them. Virtually shingles have pre-cut holes for nails, usually three per shingle. Follow the directions of the shingles that you purchase, or utilise the other shingles on the roof every bit a guide.

3. 3

   Reseal under edges of all three shingles. Lift each tab slightly on the shingles as you install them, and utilize a 1" (two.5 cm) bore spot of shingle cement under each tab. Printing tabs down into the cement firmly and secures the shingle into place. Go along installing shingles and securing them with agglutinative accordingly, until you lot've installed all the damaged shingles along the row.

   • After yous've finished the damage portion, you tin start working your way back upwards the roof, retailing the loose shingles into place, every bit long as they're in skillful shape, and using the adhesive to secure them dorsum onto the roof.

4. 4

   Secure other loose shingles while you lot're at it. While you're up there working, it'due south a good idea to keep an eye out for other areas that look like they may go problematic in the futurity. Keep an eye out for curled or weathered-looking shingles that might permit water to seep in underneath. Using your adhesive, elevator the tabs gently and re-secure them.

   • Shingles go damaged when h2o gets in underneath and starts rotting from beneath. If you rescuer loose or weathered shingles on a regular ground, you'll get a considerable amount more life out of them. Regular bear on-ups tin can extend the life of a roof immensely.

5. 5

   Prepare cracked or dissever shingles instead of replacing them. If shingles become cracked or otherwise split, because of falling branches or other types of damage, consider using adhesive to repair them as all-time you tin, instead of removing them completely. Line the crack with a liberal amount of adhesive and stick it dorsum together to repair information technology. Hold it in place for several seconds and let it seal.</ref>

   • Shingles volition ever need to remove when they're brittle, curled, and difficult to pin back downwardly. If the shingle is crumbling as you work on it, that'southward a sign that the shingle, almost of the shingles in that expanse, and possibly the balance of the roof may need to exist redone.^[7]

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Add New Question

• Question

  How tin can I preclude shingles from becoming damaged?

  

  David Bitan
  Covering Contractor & Maintenance Professional

  David Bitan is a roofing professional, licensed contractor, and the possessor and founder of Bumble Roofing based in Southern California. With over 12 years of construction industry experience, David specializes in restoring, repairing, and maintaining residential, commercial, and industrial roofs. With over threescore years of combined experience, Bumble Roofing provides easy, friendly services to structures including residential, commercial, industrial, multi-family, and government buildings along with hospitals, hotels, and churches.

  

  Roofing Contractor & Maintenance Professional

  Skilful Answer

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

• Question

  Can I reuse shingles that have been carefully removed?

  

  It is hard to re-install onetime used shingles once they are removed. They are usually damaged and the nails have pulled through them. If zero else, yous take to utilise NP1 or equivalent sealant to re-seal the tabs since the sealant volition no longer exist any good on used shingles. Y'all have to re-seal the tabs so the wind does non accident them upwards and cause farther damage.

• Question

  Can I re-shingle a roof without taking off the old ones? And if all shingles are to be replaced, what else should exist washed when redoing a roof?

  

  You can leave on the onetime shingles, but really shouldn't. Every layer of shingles adds weight, which your rafters must now hold upwardly. It'southward code in almost places to not have more than two layers of covering materials. If yous take to redo your roof, you should also inspect the soffit and gable flashing, eve troughs, and flashing around any chimney, plumbing vent, attic vent, etc and consider replacing those equally well. Especially if they are the plastic blazon, as they may await okay but be rust-covered by the sun to the point of being brittle.

• Question

  How practice I replace the shingles at the top where the roof peaks?

  

  The ridge cap shingles are merely regular iii tab shingles that are cut and turned sideways. They are nailed downward so that the nails are non exposed. Have a stack of regular 3 tab shingles and cut niggling v notches at the top edge of the shingles between the tabs. This also keeps the ridge shingles from being completely square and the corners tuck in nicely.

• Question

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

  

  It depends. Most shingles have a 15-25 yr lifetime guarantee, so it depends on the age and condition of the shingles if they tin can be used once again.

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• In common cold weather, avoid excessive bending of the shingles equally information technology could cause slap-up

• If you are unsure about annihilation, don't hazard your well-being; please consult a roofing professional person.

• In hot weather, cool shingles with a water hose to allow like shooting fish in a barrel separation of the shingle tabs

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About This Article

Article Summary Ten

In club to supercede damaged roof shingles, you lot demand to remove the damaged shingle, install the new i, and seal the edges. Use the claw of a hammer to loosen the adhesive under the tabs ii rows higher up the damaged shingles, and then loosen whatsoever exposed nails with the hook. Work your way down to the damaged shingles, loosening adhesive and nails so you can pull the damaged shingles free. Later that, place the new shingle in the same position and use shingle cement to reseal the edges of all of the shingles. Hammer in any exposed nails that you lot loosened so the shingles are secure. To learn how to gear up croaky or split shingles instead of replacing them, keep reading!

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