You need to know a few things before you can start repairing a damaged roof. After all, you can never know when you’ll need these tips in the future. Life is unpredictable. A storm could literally happen tomorrow and damage the very structure of your home. Or a tree might even fall and ruin the top half of your house. To better prepare for these damages, you need to learn a few basic things to repair a damaged roof. And if you can’t do these things yourself, you can always hire a professional to do it for you!
Here are a few helpful tips before you get started:
Make sure that when you’re installing the shingles to the roof, the nails are securely embedded into the sheathing and felt. This prevents the shingles from expanding due to exposure to the sun. If the nails aren’t secured, then there’s a possibility they might pop out of place. When this happens, the risk of a leak increases greatly.
When installing the shingles, make sure that the shingles are layered from top to bottom. Ensure that the top set overlaps the bottom one. In doing so, it’s guaranteed that your roof is protected from damages inflicted by certain weather elements.
A rent gun is handy when you’re doing repairs on your roof. They can be rented for an estimated $20 per day. You can measure the standard width of five inches between each row with relative ease with a rent gun.
Necessary steps to take in repairing a damaged roof:
The following steps are crucial points in doing repairs for your roof:
Repair sheathing
The first thing you need to do in repairing your sheathing is to clean out the debris and reframe the roof. Once this is finished, you need to lay down the base or the sheathing, as it is normally called. The standard dimension for sheathing material is of eight-foot and one-half-thick plywood.
The next step is to measure the roof’s opening’s size, where it needs to be shingled. Then cut the plywood to the aforementioned size and nail it to the roof rafters. For the best result, make sure to stagger the sheathing in a brick pattern as this will improve overall strength.
Lay felt paper
To start laying felt paper on your roof, you can start by stapling the six-inch starter strip at your roof’s bottom. Make sure to leave an inch overhang on the eave as this will help drain the water straight into the gutters. Then following a bottom-top pattern, you need to lay and nail the remaining felt paper. Make sure there is a two-inch overlap.
Install shingles
Installing shingles is a vital process that can make or break your roof. The first thing you need to do is lay the first row of shingles at your roof’s bottom corner. Then follow the chalk lines on the felt paper and apply the base row of shingles over them. It’s best to move upward in a pyramid formation. To ensure maximum hold and security, you need to use six nails per shingle.
To replace a damaged section of your roof, you need to layer the current shingles on top of the brand new ones. This helps create a seamless curb look for your roof.