Instructions On How To Put a Roof On a House
Although a roof generally has a lifespan of twenty to thirty years, eventually they wear out. To have a roof replaced professionally can cost thousands of dollars, but with the right materials, proper planning, and precautions, it is possible to do it yourself safely and cheaply.
Compliance
Before you start find out what the local building codes are that regulate the number of shingle layers on a roof as well as acceptable shingling materials. Obtain any building permits if necessary.
Determine the amount of shingles you will need. The supplier of roof shingles will be able to assist you with this
Preparing the Roof
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Rent a trash container for the old shingles, nails, and other debris. Cover porches, AC units, and anything else that can dent or get littered with debris.
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Start removing the old shingles at a peak that is farthest away from the trash container. You can use a special roofing shovel, a garden fork, or a hammer to get under the shingles. Pry the roofing nails up by first loosening the ridge caps, then the shingles and shovel them towards the roof jacks. From there you can periodically shovel them into the trash container.
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Next remove the metal flashing around vents, chimneys, and valleys. If the flashing is in good shape you may want to reuse it so be careful when removing it.
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Clean the roof by sweeping up all the debris and remove any nails that remained. Examine the sheathing and replace damaged or rotted boards and reattach any loose boards.
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Take proper safety precautions. High pitched roofs require roofing jacks and toe boards and scaffolding to help secure the area. Set up 2 x 10 jacks 3 feet up from the roof edge and wear rubber-soled boots, gloves, safety glasses, and a safety harness.
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Install the ice and water barrier and the asphalt felt under layer. Cover all gutter flashing and tack it the entire section with staples every few feet to hold it in place. Lift the bottom part and peel off the backing, letting it fall into place. It will immediately stick to the roof.
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Unroll and staple 30-lb felt over the roof using plenty of staples and a hammer-type stapler. Complete this weathering in method with asphalt roofing paper. To prevent wind from blowing it away, use tin caps every two inches under roofing nails to prevent the felt from tearing. Use chalk lines on the roof deck to keep the asphalt paper lined up and straight measuring from the bottom up. Allow the felt to extend a quarter inch at the bottom edge of the roof.
Putting on the New Roof
1. Mount drip-molding around the entire perimeter of the roof. Space roofing nails 12 inches apart and extending a quarter of an inch beyond the roof edge over the felt paper.
2. Place pre-made flashings where 2 roof sections create a valley and nail it down the same way as the drip molding.
3. Apply chalk lines spaced 6 inches apart to maintain a straight course for the lines of shingles.
4. Follow the chalk lines and lay the starter course. Nail the shingles down at intervals of six inches spacing each nail 3 inches from the top edge of each shingle. Some shingles will have a starter-row of shingles or a roll of strip material that can be cut to the length of the roof. For 3-tab shingles hammer the nails in three quarters of an inch above the cut-outs near the place where the tab meets the upper part. Place another nail two inches from each end in line with the others. Each shingle will need four nails to keep them secure.
5. Lay the first course by putting a horizontal chalk-line as a guide over the starting row. Remove the strips from the back of the shingles. Cut off 6 inches from the length of the first one nailed on. Use the rest full size shifting the shingles to join the ends of the first row placed over the starter ones. Alternatively use a starter row of full sized shingles but turn them around with the tabs pointing up.
6. Lay the second course by setting the first one of the second row of shingles back a half tab or 6 inches from the first shingle’s edge on the first row. This will ensure that the bottom of the tab touches the top of the cut-out slots of the next shingle below. The half tab needs to be cut off where it protrudes at the left edge of the gable.
7. Continue laying the rest of the shingles in this manner, trimming them to fit space left at the end of each row. Take extra time around chimneys, flashings, and vents and leave space around them.
8. To shingle around vents, cut a square piece of flashing that will extend about six inches from the pipe. Make a hole big enough to fit the pipe through and shingle over it. Use adhesive to stick it down and cut a special piece of shingle that fits over the pipe to finish it off. Vent pipe boots can be used to slide over the pipe for extra protection with a rubber gasket that fits snugly and prevents leaking.
9. For chimneys, cut strips of flashing that can be bent to create a joint between the roof and the outside edge of the chimney. Put them into place and shingle up to the edge. Use roofing adhesive to stick it down then shingle over the flashing.
10. Install ridge shingles at exposed nails using adhesive cement to connect the courses on the side and the next side. This will finish the peaks off with a uniform look.
11. Pre-formed ridge caps are recommended, but they can also be cut to size from regular 3-tab shingles. Fold over the peaks and install as normal.
