The roof of your home is one of its most important components, so it’s important to keep it in good shape so you don’t wind up with damage on the interior of your home.
That said, unless you are experienced with asphalt roof repair we highly recommend having an experienced, insured roofing contractor do the work.
The reasons for this are simple:
- First and foremost, your safety.
- If you’re inexperienced with this type of work, an attempt to repair may make matters worse and more costly.
If you choose to have a roofing company come out to take a look, there are a few things we recommend:
- Make sure they are a reputable company.
- Make sure they are insured.
- Make sure to get a written estimate on all proposed work, which should include actual photos of damaged shingles.
- You should never have to pay for a roof inspection, so if a roofer wants to charge you for inspecting your home — find someone else.
- Get at least two estimates.
These recommendations are important, no matter who you’re working with. One way to ensure that you are hiring a reputable company is to see if they have been awarded by someone like Top 500 Remodeler, the GAF President’s Club (as well as other GAF awards like Triple Excellence or Master Elite status).
TYPES OF ASPHALT SHINGLE DAMAGE
Before we talk through the steps on how to replace damaged shingles, let’s first look quickly at the typical types of asphalt shingle damage you might find …
- Hail damage
- Edge curl
- Wind damage that tears off or lifts up your asphalt shingles.
- Shingle blistering, which is most commonly caused by trapped moisture or excessive heat. Blistering can be identified by the presence of small raised areas on the surface of shingles. These raised areas, or blisters, can pop leading to additional damage or water leaks.
- Shingle cracks and/or splits that are caused over time from weather exposure.
- Loss of granule density, leaving shingles unprotected from ultraviolet rays.
REQUIRED TOOLS
- A Sturdy ladder, on solid/level ground, along with a spotter.
- A utility knife with a new, sharp blade.
- A brick or similarly heavy object to weigh down curled asphalt shingles.
- Flat pry bar
- Hammer
- Putty knife
- Replacement shingles
- Quality roofing cement
- Roofing nails (typically 1¼”)
- Roofing sealant
- Safety gear (gloves, safety glasses, non-slip shoes)
You’ll also need warm, dry weather — to be specific, a minimum of 24 hours of dry conditions for adhesives and sealants to set properly. So check the weather forecast!
THE REPAIR
First, remove the damaged shingle(s):
- Gently lift edges of any surrounding shingles with a pry bar.
- Then remove all nails that are securing the damaged shingle with the pry bar. To do this, simply slip your trusty flat pry bar under the damaged shingle and press down. The roofing nails should pop out.
- Remove the damaged shingle by carefully sliding it out.
Replace the damaged shingle(s):
- Slide new shingle(s) into place. They should be aligned with the surrounding shingles, under- or over-layed in the same manner as the damaged shingle(s) you just removed.
- Secure the new shingle(s) with roofing nails, placing them where the overlapping shingles will cover them.
- Next, apply a small amount of roofing sealant directly under the tabs of the new shingles so they adhere properly.
- You can also use a bit of roofing cement at the edges of new shingles, most importantly if the area you’re repairing is prone to high winds. This is an added layer of protection against leaks.
Want us to handle the project?
Feel free to get in touch with Legacy Exteriors anytime. The first thing we’ll do is stop by and perform a complimentary inspection of your roof — with no strings attached — to see exactly what’s going on before providing a written repair estimate.