DIY Tar and Gravel Roof Repair for Homeowners

While tar and gravel roofs are very durable, there will likely come a time when even this type of roof needs repair. Repairing a tar and gravel roof is not very difficult it simply takes a little bit of roofing understanding to get started. You can save hundreds if not thousands of dollars by repairing your tar and gravel roof rather than paying a roofing company to make the repairs for you or to replace the entire roof. Here are some DIY tips for repairing a tar and gravel roof. This entire roof repair can be completed in about half a day depending on the size of the repair or patch being made.

DIY Tar and Gravel Roof Repair Materials:

Felt Paper

Shanks

Flexbond Adhesive

Bull

Gravel

DIY Tar and Gravel Roof Repair Step 1: Begin by removing all of the old tar and gravel from the roof surface. Take off damaged felt paper as well. The tar paper or felt paper cannot have any rips or holes in it or else it leaves the roof open to leaks and could result in damage to the underlying wood surface that the roof is built up on.

DIY Tar and Gravel Roof Repair Step 2: Once you have removed the damaged area of the roof you may begin drying in the area. Drying in means rolling out the tar or felt paper onto the roof surface and using roofers nails to nail down the felt paper every 2 feet. Use a staggered nail technique to allow for maximum strength and bond.

DIY Tar and Gravel Roof Repair Step 3: Once you have dried in the roof, you can use bull which is essentially a caulk tube of tar to cover any areas where you placed nails in the tar paper.

DIY Tar and Gravel Roof Repair Step 4: Using the Flexbond adhesive, pour a thick coat over the entire area of the roof that is being repaired. You can use a trowel to smooth out the adhesive over a larger area of the roof.

DIY Tar and Gravel Roof Repair Step 5: Once you have placed the Flexbond on the area of the tar and gravel roof that you are repairing you can place gravel on top of the Flexbonded surface.

Flexbond is an adhesive that goes on like tar except it is very easy to apply (it's like a thick glue that you can just pour onto the roof). Once the Flexbond dries it acts just like tar.

DIY Tar and Gravel Roof Repair Step 6: Make sure that you place enough gravel on the roof to completely cover the Flexbond material with a semi thick layer of gravel. This is what prevents the roof surface from being open to damaging elements such as sleet and rough winds.