
How to Replace a Damaged Shingle
- Get New Shingles. Take your shingle to the store and get a bundle of matching shingles. ...
- Set Up. Plan to fix your shingles on a sunny warm day, not cold because they will crack, and not hot because they will crumble.
- Understand Shingles. Here is a drawing of my shingles (from here on, it will be drawing because a steep roof where everything is sliding down is not the ...
- Remove the Nails. Take out the nails. Determine how many nails you have on your shingle piece. Carefully pry up the shingle until you find the nail.
- Remove the Shingle. Carefully pull the shingle down the slope of the roof, not up and not horizontal. ...
- Add Your New Shingle. Add your new shingle. Make sure it looks right, and lines up properly. ...
- Tar the Crap Out of It. Leave your tar tube in the sun or in front of a heater. ...
- Final. Check your roof a day later. Ensure the tar has held the shingles. Also try walking on it gently to see if it is strong.
How much does it cost to repair roof shingles?
Roof shingle repair costs $200 to $600 on average for replacing a few missing or broken ...
How to get rid of shingles quickly?
Then angle the light towards it. If the lights and music don’t encourage the squirrels to move on, it is possible to get rid of squirrels by trapping them using a one-way cage and bait. Be mindful that you should check local wildlife laws to be sure of the rules that apply to trapping squirrels where you live.
How to replace or repair missing or damaged shingles?
- Replacement shingles. Buy more than you'll need at the home repair store. ...
- Shingle cement or adhesive. Some shingles come with adhesive strips pre-installed, making this unnecessary. ...
- Roofing nails. Most three-tab shingles will be pre-cut with guide holes that will make the installation process very simple. ...
How do you fix loose shingles?
How to Fix Loose Shingles Directions. Gently lift the shingle tabs covering the nails holding the loose shingles. Ease the notched end of the pry bar beneath the damaged shingle and lift each nail slightly. Position the pry bar on top of the loose shingle and grab each lifted nail. Push on the pry bar or hit it with a hammer to pull the nail ...

How to get up on a roof?
Any time you're getting up on the roof you need to practice roof safety. Wear protective eyewear, heavy-duty gloves, and gripping boots appropriate for walking on the roof. Preferably, you'll also install roof jacks to have something to stand on, and harnesses to protect yourself.
Who owns Bumble Roofing?
This article was co-authored by David Bitan. David Bitan is a roofing professional, licensed contractor, and the owner and founder of Bumble Roofing based in Southern California. With over 12 years of construction industry experience, David specializes in restoring, repairing, and maintaining residential, commercial, and industrial roofs. With over 60 years of combined experience, Bumble Roofing provides easy, friendly services to structures including residential, commercial, industrial, multi-family, and government buildings along with hospitals, hotels, and churches. This article has been viewed 323,479 times.
Can shingles cut into a roof?
Damaged shingles can seriously cut into the life of a roof. To keep your house secure, it's important to regularly evaluate and replace damaged shingles to make sure your home is safe and dry. [1] Roofing Contractor & Maintenance Professional Expert Interview. 14 July 2020.
Can you salvage shingles?
If the shingles are severely damaged, don't try to salvage them. Just remove them and replace them with new shingles of a similar style to the rest of the shingles on the roof. Continue removing the damaged shingles until you've cleared out the shingles that will need replaced.
Do you need to buy a shingle before nailing?
If you buy unbacked shingles, though, you might need to purchase additional adhesive to secure them to the roof before nailing them. It's a good idea to buy it to secure other loose shingles anyway. Roofing nails.
How do I get a shingle to stop ripping?
To avoid ripping shingles, gently work the pry bar under both tabs as you push it up. Pop out the nails by prying underneath the shingle instead of trying to dig the nail head out from the top of the shingle; that will wreck the shingle. Then push the shingle down from the nail head and pull out the nail.
Can a broken shingle leak?
A broken shingle is both ugly and a leak waiting to happen. But as long as you can find matching shingles (and you’re not afraid of heights), the repair is straightforward. Pick a day when the weather is moderate to do the repair—too cold and the shingles can crack; too warm and the shingle sealants are tough to break.
What to wear on a steep roof?
Wear a harness and other safety gear when on the roof. A safety belt and harness are essential when working on a steep roof or staying up top for a while. Hook the belt to the harness and an anchor point, such as a manually-installed bracket. Find harness kits online or at home improvement centers.
Can you repair shingles?
Repairing shingles is some of the simplest DIY work you can do. The main concern is staying safe, which you can handle by choosing the right day to work and using safety equipment. Shingles are always placed and repaired with a pry bar and roofing cement.
Is it dangerous to climb on a roof?
Climbing onto a roof is dangerous even for professionals. Rain and ice are hidden threats, especially on dark-colored shingles. Wait for pleasant weather, if possible, to reduce the risk of accidents. Warm weather has the added bonus of making the shingles more pliable, too.
In This Article
As a shingled roof ages, one or more roof shingles are bound to get damaged. Asphalt shingles become brittle as they age, and years of sun and wind exposure and occasional mishaps involving tree limbs are bound to produce a few casualties.
Maybe You Can Fix the Shingles
You don't always have to replace damaged roof shingles. Depending on the damage, you can often fix them with a little roof sealant, which comes in a caulk tube. Examples of damage you can fix this way include:
Matching Existing Roof Shingles
When you're installing a new roof, the conventional wisdom is to keep a few leftover shingles just in case you need them as replacements.
How to Replace a Damaged Roof Shingle
Pick a warm, dry day to replace shingles because the sun will make the shingles more flexible and easier to handle, and the sealant will flow easier and bond better. Don't work on a roof in full sun on a hot day, however.
Step 1: Loosen the Shingle From Those Around It
Lift the bottom edge of the shingle you're replacing. Sometimes, you can do this with your fingers, but if not, slip a flat pry bar (usually called a flat bar) underneath the shingle and move along the width of the entire shingle, gently lifting as you go.
Step 2: Remove Two Rows of Nails
Lift the shingle above the damaged one so you can see the lower row of nails holding the shingle you want to replace. Slip a flat bar under the damaged shingle and use it to lift the shingle, which will force the nails to pop up a bit. Then, use the curved end of the flat bar to pull out each nail from the top side of the shingle.
Step 3: Position the Replacement Shingle
Slip the upper edge of the new shingle under the shingle above it and slide the shingle into place. Line up the exposed edge of the shingle with the other shingles in that row.
How many steps does it take to replace asphalt shingles?
However, there may be the odd occasion where a little fix is needed, and, fortunately, asphalt shingles can easily be removed and replaced in just seven steps.
Why do roof shingles have two rows of nails?
This fact, that each shingle on a roof is actually held in place with TWO rows of nails, is a key factor in the overall roof system’s wind resistance.
Can you break a sealant bond on a shingle?
Once the sealant bond is broken on the target shingle, the same bond will need to be broken on the overlying shingle or shingles, so they can be gently lifted to expose the nails in the target shingle.
Can you remove nails from a shingle?
Sometimes the nails can be removed by direct access, but often trying to pry out the nails from above the shingle can damage the shingle’s granular surface. It is therefore better to lift the shingle AND the nail at the same time, so you’ll need to access the bottom of the target shingle.
