How to Successfully Lay a New Roof

A roof is one of the most important parts of your house. It should not only last ten to twenty years but also withstand the elements and seasons. How to get this ? Buy good shingles and install them yourself. It's a relatively simple DIY project that just requires conscientiousness' and concentration. Do it correctly and you'll have a professional looking job that will last for decades.

The first step is to decide what shingles you want on your roof. Surprisingly there are many choices. Asphalt is the most common as well as being the most preferred. They're reinforced with fiberglass and paper with a durability that can last anywhere from twenty to thirty years. Asphalt shingles usually have three sections or what's known as tabs per shingle. Their overall length is three inches. Most have dabs of tar or roofing cement on their fronts to hold down the overlaying shingle. Another choice are laminated shingles. These are becoming popular with both builders and homeowners because of their modern, textured look. Laminated shingles are made from multiple staggered layers of material, usually asphalt. From a distance these look like slate thanks to angled or rounded tabs and shadowed lines. Unfortunately these are also thicker than the regular asphalt ones and thus require linger nails or staples.

You can also spring for real slate tiles. Not only do they add to a home's look but also to its' resale price. They lend a charming Old World air even to the most American looking homes. Slate shingles are also highly durable., lasting a century and then some.. However be warned that slate is hard to work with and easily breakable. It also requires a special pressure cutter pr a pick to hammer that splits it into sizable shingles. You have to be careful when repairing it. It tends to break if you walk on it and you may have to call in a pro for any kind of major or minor fix it job.

Another "luxe" shingle is wood. Wood shingles are called shakes and are typically made from, cedar, spruce or treated pine. Hand split shakes have a rough textured look on their fronts and often a smooth finish to their backs. Your best bet here is the cedar ones. They're durable and less prone to damage. The second choice is pine with spruce as the last possible choice. Wood shakes are red and brown colored when they're first installed but then weather to a grayish color after their first year. You do have to install wood shingles with a slight gap between them. This is to allow for expansion. The gap should be about ¼ of an inch wide to allow for any fiber growth.

Once you've decided on your shingles then you can decide on how many you're going to need. Remember that the surface area of any roof is measured in squares. Each square covers about roughly 100 feet. However, when bought, they're usually priced per bundle. Calculate the number of needed bundles by measuring your roof's square footage. (length times width.). Divide this number by 100 to get the number of squares needed. Now multiply your number of squares by three (in most case or by the number of bundles it takes to equal one square. Again three bundles equals one square).

Once this is done you can start laying down your shingles. Always keep your lines pitch perfect straight You're going to have to snap chalk lines the way pros do for this. Any experienced roofer may be able to simply just butt the next shingle square with the previous one. Getting them all aligned takes some practice . Even experience never really guarantees a straight line .In this case you have to rely on chalk lines. Use a horizontal line across the starter strip or the first line of shingles to guide the top of the first row. After this course has been laid, snap a vertical line the height of the roof to indicate the outside edge of the first shingle. This will be the guideline for the first shingles in the odd rows (3^rd, 5^th 7^th, etc.)

Once these are up you can start.. First of all lay a starter strip. This consists of only tabless shingles that you can make by cutting off your shingles' tabs. To discourage any kind of water penetration,, stagger the starter joints from the first course joints. Measure your shingles when laying out these lines. Use the length (three inches) and divide that into the length of your roof. That way you won't have an inch or two (or three) of roofing exposed. If you want your shingles to overhang then factor that extra length overage into the length as well. You may have to precut the end shingles before laying them. In other cases you may let the first shingle to run wild, cutting it flush and using the end piece on the opposing end. This is to complete the row. Remember how you start your rows depends on the shingles and the roof 's lengths. Now nail the first course of shingles at each end and middle tabs about ½ to 5/8 of an inch above the tabs. Stagger the first shingle of the second course about six inches short of the first course so their tabs don't set directly above the first row tabs.

You now come to the part when you can rack your shingles. Professional roofers .use this style; its' purpose being to have as many shingles laid as possible without having to move back and forth across the roof's surface. Nail down the first row as far as you can comfortably reach (figure three to six shingles across). Then do a second row but leave the end tab unfastened. This is done when you do move, the next first row shingle can slide into position neatly under the loose end. Work each row up this way., always leaving the end tabs unfastened where a lower shingle goes. Rack the rows as far as you can comfortably can reach, then move over. Now slide the next section of shingles under the unfastened ends. You can staple or nail both shingles and continue racking your rows. This method is always the fastest way to shingle yet it does have some drawbacks. If your shingle bundles vary in color, then you may end up with a strangely patterned roof. It's also easy to forget to fasten shingle ends that get covered up. Always double check this before you start on the next section of roofing.

After you've completed three to five rows from scaffolding or ladder you have to attach roof jacks to access the upper rows. These are typically thick gauged steel brackets that hold wooden planks in position. To attach them, first , start a nail through the decking and rafter underneath a completed row . Hook the jack onto the nail and then hammer it down completely. Then fasten a second nail in the lower hook slot. Line up and fasten the opposing jack the same way and set up a sturdy wood plank on them. Remember to put all your jacks and boards across the eaves in case you slip or something falls down the roof. Try to avoid excessive walking on the felt and shingles during hot days. Both can become gooey and sticky. Don't roof during the sun's hottest times which are between twelve noon and two PM.

A good, solid roof begins with good solid workmanship. Lay your courses with the right shingles and you'll achieve this. Not only that but you'll have good solid protection for your house for many years to come.