Repairing Your Roof Shingle

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Maintaining your roof is critical to the upkeep of your home. A damaged roof can allow in water which leads to the rotting of the decking or base of the roof. Ignoring a small problem can lead to a much bigger and costlier one later on, so it's critical to keep your roof in tip top shape.

A typical roof will have thousands of shingles, so it's inevitable that some will become damaged over the years. Heavy rains, cold winters followed by hot summers can all damage shingles over time. Meanwhile, high winds can literally rip out shingles. Even if you don't think there is a problem, if the roof is more than twenty years old it's probably time to replace it.

Often you will need a professional to do roof repair or roof replacement. But if the roof is relatively flat and low you can probably repair your roof shingles yourself. The best time to make your own roof repairs is during a warm, dry day. Make sure you never go up on a roof when it's wet or icy!

The first step is to remove the damaged shingle. Shingles are nailed down to hold them in place. They are also layered, one on top of the other, so to get to the damaged shingle you are going to have to loosen the gluey material of the shingle a row above the damaged one.  This will expose the nails keeping the shingle in place. Pull the nails out. Then remove the shingle by pulling it out via its tabs. Take a brand new shingle and place it in the exact same position as the old damaged one. Nail it in place and then then apply shingle cement to its top edge and press down on the shingle above it to secure it. If your roof uses three tabbed shingles and only one of the tabs is damaged, it is not necessary to remove the entire shingle in order to fix the damage. Three are special one third or even two third shingles you can buy which can be used in this instance.

If you prefer, you can hire a professional to do the job for you. The cost will differ widely depending on who you choose, so shop around. If you wish you can ask for an estimate first. Generally speaking, if the majority of the shingles on your roof are undamaged,it should not be too expensive.

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