Tips on Roofing Your Home with Asphalt Shingles to Prevent Water Damage
Asphalt shingles are applied on an under-layment of 15 pound tar paper or 30 pound tar paper, depending upon the slope of your roof. Typically, if your roof is on a 5/12 pitch or less it’s covered with 30 pound tar paper. Some roofers use the 30 pound tar paper anyways, as this product is superior to the 15 pound tar paper. What ever your budget consists of, it is best to use the 30 pound paper.
Start by cleaning the roof of all debris. Use a broom or air hose to clean the area. Pound down any nails or protrusions that may poke through the under-layment. First you will have to attach the drip edge around the exterior of the roof. Start from the bottom and center of your roof and attach the drip edge with roofing nails at 10 inch to 6 inch intervals. Overlap each side or the drip edge between 1 ½ inch to 2 inch spacing. Check your local building codes for these steps as they differ in each area. Work your way around the roof from the lowest point to the highest. Use tin snips to cut the pieces to length.
Once the drip edge is in place, you are ready to begin applying the tar paper. Start from the lowest point on the roof and tack one section down with several simplex nails. Unroll the felt and align it with the edge of the roof. Unroll it in 2 to 4 feet sections at a time and tack in place with the simplex nails. Once one section is done, nail off with simplex nails about every 1 ½ to 2 feet in rows of two. Also add a row across the bottom. Do not step on the tar paper until it is nailed properly. It is very slippery and can easily cause you to fall or slide off the roof. Continue in this fashion until you have made your way to the top. Repeat this on all sides and finish it off with a cap of tar paper over the peak of the roof to dry it in.
Now that the tar paper under-layment is complete, you will need to bull the edge. This is simply place roofing tar along the edge of the roof, in a strip around 1 to 2 inches wide along the all the edges of your roof. Be careful not to step in the tar. It will stick to your shoes and cause slipping or tracking tar everywhere, including your newly laid shingles.
Now you will need starter strips. Start by cutting shingles in half lengthwise. In other words remove the part of the shingle that is exposed. Do this to for all the shingles you will need along the bottom course. Once you have a few done, turn them with the tar side facing down. What this does is provide a secure bond between the bottom of the first shingle and the first course of shingles so wind does not flap underneath and pry the shingles loose in the future. Once your starter course is run, begin placing the first row of shingles along the drip edge. It’s a good idea to take a chalk line and snap lines along the roof so as to keep a straight line. The packaging that holds the shingles gives measurements as to the width of the shingles and provides a layout for these lines. Do this for the next few rows.
Begin the next row by cutting the first shingle in half. This ensures that the tabs and seams for the next row, covers the previous row. Again, the specs for this are inside the shingle package and should be done to their specs. Position the shingle so that its bottom comes down over the previous shingles tabs and secure in place with roofing nails. It’s a good idea to add six per shingle, but you should check with local building codes to see how many are required per shingle.
Once you make it to the top, and all sides are completed, you will need to cover with a ridge cap. Use pre-cut ridge caps, or you can cut 12 inch squares from regular shingles. Overlap the ridge caps so that it folds over each side of the roof equally. Make sure that each nail is covered and work your way from one end of the roof to the other. If you followed the instructions correctly and manufacturers specs properly, you should have a roof that will last for years to come.
