Installing shingles can be easy, yet dangerous. Being on a roof brings potential risk of injury and does not guarantee that the job will be done. If you still decide to tackle the job on your own, here are some tips on installing shingles.

Work with Others

Have at least one person working with you on the roof. If an injury occurs, they help you immediately. Another person also speeds up the process of repairing shingles such as preparing the shingles for the roof. Try to have two people to work with you, one on the roof and one on the ground. The one on the roof can stop potential injury and speed up installation, while the ground person does the preparation.

Use Felt

Felt is the layer before the shingles are being installed.  Some people believe felt is unnecessary because proper installation of shingles is enough to stop water leakage. Others say felt will help you with roof leakage down the road. Mistakes can occur during installation and more protection does not hurt, so using felt is a precaution.

Install Flashing

Flashing is where a roof connects to something that is non-roof, like a chimney. These sections are where the roof leaks most of the time from improper installation of flashing. Flashing is usually a thin piece of aluminum which is installed before the shingle installation. To install flashing:

1. Measure and cut the flashing to appropriate length for needed section.

2. Apply flashing to the section with the middle of the flashing in the groove of the valley.

3. Staple one inch from the edge of the flashing.

4. Begin roofing and applying fascia board.

5. Use tar for extra protection.

Measure Carefully

1. Put the end of the measuring tape on the bottom edge of the roof.

2. Walk straight up to the roof’s peak. Record the distance.

3. Measure the roof from side to side in the same way. For triangular section, measure the distance along the edge of the roof and the distance to the peak of the triangle from the center of the bottom edge.

4. Multiply length and width measurements to find square footage.

5. Add ten percent to the total square footage.

6. Divide the total square footage by 100 for the total squares of shingles needed.

These tips should help you into the right direction in installing shingles correctly and saving your home from water damage. If you want a home improvement professional for the inspection of your roof, use TalkLocal. TalkLocal can connect you with high quality professional in your area for free.

This entry was updated on Wednesday, June 17th, 2015 at 3:59 pm. This entry was originally posted on Tuesday, November 27th, 2012 at 6:00 am and is filed under Roofers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.