How Roof Shingles Are Installed

To start installing shingles line up aluminum drip edge flush with the edge of the roof and make a pencil line at the top on each end of the house.

How roof shingles are installed.

Using your staple gun secure the felt to the roof. Known in the trade as vertical racking or staggering this how to lay shingles method enables the roofer to install a single column of shingles all the way to the peak without the wasted back and forth motion necessary to fill several rows of stair steps. Pull the drip edge down about a half inch from that line to create a gap between the drip edge and the fascia board. Center a minimum 610 mm 24 wide minimum 28 gauge pre finished galvanized metal valley liner in the valley and fasten with only enough nails to hold it in place nailing at the edges only.

Before you begin make sure you re comfortable measuring laying out a job driving nails and cutting with a knife. With one or two helpers you ll be able to shingle a 1 500 square foot roof in about two days. Arrange the shingles so the ends and the tab notches do not lie directly above gaps in the shingle below. You can install shingles by hand using a roofing hatchet but the work will go more slowly.

Start by laying asphalt felt or other underlayment over the roof. Using the chalk line snap a line between the two marks to get a straight edge. If the gaps lined up water could get directly onto the roof sheathing and then seep in through a nail hole. Overlap each metal piece by at least 150 mm 6 and use asphalt plastic cement under each section of overlap.

Install new flashing metal. Many pros shingle in a vertical line up the roof because it s much faster.