How To Install Asphalt Shingles

You need to learn how to install asphalt shingles and that installing asphalt shingles using the correct methods does not need to be difficult whatsoever. The trick as with any building job is to follow the instructions and work through the job systematically, taking care of the minor details as you go will ensure you finish without any major problems. This guide is designed to teach you how to install asphalt shingles whether that be simply replacing a few damaged roofing shingles or a complete roofing job.

The application of asphalt shingles is very much the same with regards to new roofs and old roofs. The only major difference between installing on a new roof or an older roof is that with a re-roofing job you will need to take extra care and attention to how you start installing the shingles at the lower edge of the roof you are working on. Copying the exact same pattern of the old roof isn’t necessarily the best way to go as the new roof may develop waves. Before we start learning how to install asphalt shingles lets arm ourselves with some supplemental information that we help us further on.

There are two different types of asphalt shingle which are used, these are the organic and fibreglass variety. The organic type is in general made from felt and saturated with asphalt which makes them waterproof. The top coating consists of a coating of adhesive asphalt with ceramic granules embedded into them. The granules contain some elements of copper or tin which helps to prevent moss from growing on the roof. Organic shingles are produced with 40% more asphalt per 100 square feet than fibreglass shingles making them heavier and provide greater durability and blow off resistance. Shingles are always judged taking into account their weight per square foot.

Fibreglass shingles are manufactured into shape using a glass fibre reinforcing mat which is coated with asphalt containing mineral fillers. The fibreglass mat isn’t the reason the shingle remains watertight and is instead used for reinforcement. This is accomplished using a wet laid fibreglass mat which is bonded with urea-formaldehyde resin. The waterproofing properties are gained through the use of asphalt in the manufacturing process. Older versions made with asbestos offered great durability in the past offering great advantages in heavy storms.

The fibreglass reinforcement was devised to completely replace the paper asbestos version and has a typical range of 1.8 to 2.3 pounds per square foot. Roofing shingles are ranked by the warranted life that they offer which ranges from 25 to 50 years. There is also a newer design of asphalt shingle available which is constructed using two distinct layers making it heavier and more durable than the more traditional designs but also more expensive. These are called laminated shingles, they are great for giving a 3-D effect to the surface of the roof making them look more like traditional roofing tiles.

You need to take great care and attention to the durability of asphalt shingles during installation. They are much more durable and will last long in cooler climates rather than hotter climates. If your climate also has regular and drastic temperature changes then the shingles can become susceptible to thermal shock. Thermal shock is the term used to describe cracking caused by rapid the changing of the ambient temperature.

Another factor that you need to consider is how well ventilated the roofs attic is. It has been proven that a well ventilated attic space can extend the life of the roof. The installation of asphalt shingles should not be attempted during cold weather, it is better to do this job in the sunshine as the heat from the sun will soften the underlying asphalt and is required in the initial phase of a new roof. Each roofing shingle needs to seal the layer below it forming a monolithic structure, staple guns are a bad idea as they can tear the shingles far to easily. Instead you should be using traditional roofing nails as this is the best method for installing shingles.

Roof Safety

Lets face it, working on roofs can be a little dangerous and to be honest I haven’t got much of a head for heights so tackling most roofing jobs isn’t much of a pleasure for me. Your well being is of far more importance than any job that needs doing , you need to take every safety precaution possible to ensure your safety and take the greatest of care whilst on the roof. It is really an occasion for using some old fashioned common sense. If you are going to be working on a roof it is advisable to let somebody know, a much better practice would be to get a buddy to help you out.

Choose a ladder that is adequately long enough for the job and secure it at both the top and the bottom, there are too many cases of people being seriously hurt because of a sliding ladder, don’t let it happen to you, taking that extra 10 minutes to make sure it is secure is time well invested. Take extra special care if there are live power cables, conduits or TV antennas near where you are working, don’t ever touch them or let your ladder touch them or you could become fried chicken.

I wouldn’t advise ever starting a roofing job during cold or wet weather. Also, if you have an early morning dew, rather than risking your neck on a slippery roof wait for it to disappear before you get started. Don’t wear loose baggy clothing as it is easy to get them snagged on things making you lose your balance and with regards to footwear then it is best to wear heavy rubber soled shoes or boots with a non slip tread to help prevent you from slipping.

If the roof you are going to be working on has a slop of more than a 6” rise for every 12” horizontally then you should use roof brackets and boards to give you some extra footing support. Don’t leave loose nails or shingles on the roof, trying and keep the roof free of rubbish and clutter as these can cause you to slip and lastly don’t stand below the area where the work is taking place. Shingles are heavy so don’t try and be super man, make a couple of trips up the ladder instead.

Materials And Tools

There is nothing worse than starting a job only to realise you have forget something that you really need to get the job done. Below is a list of materials and tool that will see you through most asphalt shingles installations.

• #15 Felt Roofing
• Asphalt Roofing Cement
• Carpenter’s apron
• Chalk line
• Clean-up Cloth
• Copper or Aluminium Flashing
• Hammer
• Hand Cleaner
• Knee pads
• Ladder
• Level
• Ridge Shingles
• Roofing felt
• Roofing nails
• Roofing shovel
• Rubber Soled Shoes
• Safety Rope
• Shingles
• Tin Snips
• Waterproof membrane
• Work gloves

Calculating Materials Needed

Before you begin it is a good idea to work out how much shingles you are likely to need, at the same time you be able to gauge how many roofing nails you are going to need. To work this out start off by measuring the length and width of the sections of the roof to be shingled so you can calculate the square footage. Add ten percent onto the total to account for any wastage and divide the final total by 100 hundred. This will tell you how many squares you will need.

You can then use the square footage of the roof that you calculated to work out how much roofing felt you will need for the entire roof which will be laid underneath the shingles and also the amount of waterproof membrane you will need. The waterproof membrane is needed to cover the lower edge of the roof to protect it from any moisture. Calculating how many roofing nails you will need is very simple as each square of shingles will need about 2 ½ ponds of roofing nails. You should use galvanized roofing nails with a 3/8 or ½ inch head.

Prepare The Roof

Preparation will save you a bunch of time later on. Start of by removing all the old or damaged shingles with a roofing shovel. A roofing shovel will save you a hell of a lot of time but if you haven’t got one then a square tipped blade will do a decent job. Then you’ll need to check out the roofing material which will be either plywood or strand board. Make sure it is in good condition checking for any rotten areas that may need replacing. If any of the good roofing material is loose then nail it down. If there are any rotten sections then you will need to replace them before you go any further.

Installing The Asphalt Shingles

Face the roof and look down at the lower left corner. This is where you will be installing the starter course. To install the starter course you’ll need to remove the tabs from the shingles used in the starter course and nail the half shingles with the sides facing outwards. You will need to cut 6 inches from the length of the first shingle which is placed in the bottom left hand corner, from there you can then butt the following shingles in the row working along the lower edge of the roof. You want to overlap the roof by about ½ an inch.

You can then work on installing the first row of roofing shingles again starting at the bottom left hand side as you did with the starter course. Begin with a full shingle in the corner over the starter course, once again overlapping the roof by about ½ inch . Snap a chalk line at the top of the shingle and use the chalk line as a guide for installing the rest of the first row.

Once you have completed the first row you are ready to make a start on the second row. Start the first shingle in the second row by cutting 6 inches off the length and install it over the far left hand shingle in the first row lining up the bottom edge of the shingle with the top tabs in the first row. Carry on with installing the shingles on the very left side of the roof, cutting 6 inches off the first shingle every other row. The first shingle in the seventh row will be a full shingle. Working up the roof before you start working across the roof will prevent moving across the width of the roof with each row.

You can then start working your way across the roof after installing the first shingle six rows up, carry on butting the shingles up to each other and then fix each shingle with four nails. You’ll then want to trim the shingles on the far side of the roof and create a ½ inch overlap as you did on the starting side.
Just continue on with this same process until you reach the top of the roof, you’ll need to trim the shingles to fit nicely along the ridgeline.

When you are ready to start the other side of the roof do it in the exact same way beginning at the far bottom left hand side and working your way up until you reach the top. When you reach the top of the second side you will need to overlap the shingles in the top row of the second side covering the ridge and then nail them into place.

The actual process of installing asphalt shingles is a very tedious process, it is just a case of getting on with it and keep working the course. The most important ant thing obviously is to make sure you keep yourself safe whilst on the roof, accidents happen all the time on roofs so please make sure you take all of the necessary steps to keep yourself safe. Learning how to install asphalt shingles is pretty simple, like I said the worst part is probably the tediousness of the job itself.

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