How to Replace Your Roof Shingles 

by | Jan 22, 2018 | Roofing Services

All roofing shingles can actually give any home a dramatic and impressive appearance, not to mention they are also a durable roofing option. This is the reason why a lot of homeowners choose to use shingle roofs instead despite of the fact that there is a vast selection of roofing materials in the market. However, just like any other roofing material, shingles can also get damaged through time. If this is the case, it is best that you hire a professional roofing contractor to make sure that your roofing shingles are well taken care of.  

On the other hand, if you are knowledgeable and experienced enough about the proper way to repair or replace shingle roofing, we have listed here the steps to guide you. But if it’s not working well for you or if you want to avoid creating further damage to your roof, it’s best that you hire a professional and experienced roofing contractor. Click here if you want to contact a professional roofing Tampa contractor. 

If shingles are rotten, torn, or missing, the pieces must be replaced with new ones. In addition to that, roof shingles that lift right off the roof’s structure without effort is already rotten and must be replaced as well. Furthermore, if you find that a large area of your roof has rotten shingles, it is highly recommended that you replace your whole roof with a new one.  

If you are in this situation, it is best to consider hiring the professional services of a reputable residential roofing company. Otherwise, you can replace the damaged or rotten shingles with pieces that are left over from your previous roofing installation.  

However, if you do this, tendency is that the color, surface and texture of the shingles will not match anymore since currently installed shingles already show signs of wear and tear. If this doesn’t matter to you, then you can proceed to the replacement process.  

Replacing Rotten Shingles Properly 

To remove damaged shingles, lift the edges of surrounding shingles while carefully removing the nails using a pry bar. After that, slide out the old shingle and if you see any brittle or loose roof cement underneath, scrape it. When shingles are removed due to a storm, look for any protruding nails left and carefully remove it from the roof. You can leave any nails that do not stick up in place. 

And, for a much easier way to slide a new shingle replacement, slightly round the back corners of the shingle using a sharp utility knife. Simply slide the new replacement shingle into the gap, making sure that its front edge is carefully aligned with other shingles on both side as well as its back edge should be under the shingles above it. 

After that, lift overlapping shingles’ corners and then fasten the top of new replacement shingle using a 6D galvanized nails for roofing through every corner. You should then cover all nail heads with roof cement and smooth down the edges of overlapping shingles.