How to Shingle a Roof

There are many reasons why your roof may need to be re-shingled.  Missing and damaged shingles on a roof can cause severe roof leaks and roof damages, and when you try to repair your roof with a shingle “patch job,” it looks terrible to guests and neighbors, and devalues your home.  In addition to how bad mix-and-match shingles look, it is nearly impossible to remove damaged shingles without damaging the shingles surrounding it.

“Almost every roofer in Pennsylvania and New Jersey knows that you can’t just remove and replace one shingle and expect there to be no problems,” says Peter Guzzi, President of ACI Adjustment Group, the United Public Adjusters Association’s #1 ranked Public Adjusting firm in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for customer satisfaction.  Mr. Guzzi continues, “When we negotiate with the insurance companies to get a homeowner full coverage for roof damage, we argue that a “patch job” just won’t cut it, and the homeowner deserves to have all of their shingles match and function properly to prevent devaluation and further damage.”

If you do have a leaky roof, before you try to fix the damages, you should hire a Public Adjuster.  Public Adjusters like ACI Adjustment Group will fight for full coverage and maximum compensation.  ACI Adjustment Group performs free property inspections and offers 24/7 emergency service consultations that provide homeowners with an advocate and an education.  Call 1-800-809-4302 or visit www.aciadjustment.com to schedule a free property inspection.

After receiving settlement, who you choose to hire to replace your damages is up to you.  “One homeowner put a claim in through us for cedar shake shingles,” says Peter Guzzi of ACI Adjustment Group.  “We recovered over $40,000 for her damages, and she decided to hire a known contractor in her area to replace just one of the two damaged slopes, and that’s absolutely fine.  Insurance covers for reimbursement.  How you choose to use that reimbursement to fix your damages is up to you.  Many people do it themselves.”

For the do-it-yourselfers out there, here is a simple guide for how to replace shingles on a roof.

1. Know your local building codes and regulations and obtain the necessary permits.  You don’t want to have to re-do a whole job because you have too many layers of shingles or the wrong materials.
2. Figure out how many bundles of shingles you’ll need for the job.  Shingles are measured in squares of 100 square feet and are sold in bundles.  3 bundles usually equals 1 square of shingles.  Take measurements of each slope of your roof’s length and width.
3. Prepare the job for safety.  Roofs are often high and steep.  If your roof is a dangerous height, use a pump jack, ladder jack, ladder hook, scaffolding, toe board, or other pieces of equipment to prevent you from slipping and falling.
4. Measure the length of your shingles.  Lay them across your roof and figure out how much overhang you’ll have, if any.  There should be some overhang on the bottom row of shingles on your roof.
5. Remove old shingles and lay down a layer of whatever material best suits your material of shingle.
6. Lay a starting row at the bottom along the roof edge.  Cut six inches off of the first shingle if your set of shingles does not come with a starter shingle that has been pre-cut.  This allows you to overlap your shingles properly with each layer.  Draw a chalk line across this row for where the bottoms of the next layer of shingles should overlap.
7. Lay the next row of shingles and cut the overlapping piece of shingle at the roof edge.  There is a plastic strip on the back of each shingle.  Removing this strip will allow the shingles to stick together.  When it gets hot, the shingles will seal, preventing water from getting in.
8. Nail the shingles into place.  Place nails about ¾ inch above the slots in between the tabs near where the tab meets the upper part of the shingle, and another nail 2 inches from each end of each shingle.  You should use 4 nails per 3-tab shingle.  A nail or staple gun is ideal.
9. Shingle the rest of the roof properly around vents, chimneys, etc.  If you see any holes in your roofing, place aluminum sheeting over the holes before you shingle that area.  You should continue to lay alternating, overlapping rows of shingles until you reach the top of the roof.
10. Top off the roof with the ridge-cap layer.  You may need longer nails for this part because you will be nailing through more layers of shingles.
11. Get off your roof safely and admire your work.