Asphalt Shingle Installation Mistakes That You Can Easily Avoid
Some people like to take on major home projects by themselves. If you feel confident about your skills, then you may decide that you can install a new roof on your own. If this is something that you want to do, then you need to be careful about placing your shingles. There are many mistakes that you can make when securing your shingles to your deck. Keep reading to learn about a few.
Adding Too Many Nails Or Nailing Poorly
Most people purchase and install three-tab shingles. These shingles are 12 inches wide and 36 inches long. The shingles are rectangular in shape and have three tabs, or three distinctive shingles, that remain exposed when your roofing work is done. While the lower part of the shingle has the three tabs, the upper section is a solid piece of asphalt. This solid section is where you nail the shingle to the roof. Almost every shingle has a nail line printed on it. This is where you should drive the nails through each shingle. If nails are placed above the line, then the shingles can rip away from the nails. If you place them below, the shingle can leak or bulge.
When you start nailing the shingles down, you should use four nails. You can use six nails as well, but this is only necessary if your home is exposed to high winds. For example, if you live in a coastal area that is exposed to hurricane-force winds, then six nails should be added. However, you should never add more than six nails in high wind areas, and you absolutely should use four if winds are not an issue. If you use too many nails, then the shingles can wrinkle or rip. This is due to the movement of the roof deck. When the wood deck expands, it pulls on the shingles, and they can rip. When the deck shrinks, the shingles are forced closer together, and they can wrinkle. If only four nails are placed in each shingle, then the shingles are able to shift with the deck better, and damage concerns can be reduced.
When you go to place your nails in the shingle, you also need to make sure they are placed straight down and perpendicular to the deck. This is best so the nail heads sit flat against the deck. If they do not, then leaks can develop around each nail.
Securing Shingles From The Peak Down
It may make sense to secure shingles from the peak of the roof down to the bottom ledge. After all, you likely removed your shingles in this fashion. However, this is a mistake, and you can understand this better by looking at the way the shingles need to sit in relation to one another. Each shingle has the solid strip on top that is nailed to the deck. This strip is covered by the three tabs of the shingle sitting just above it. In other words, each subsequent row of shingles moving up towards the peak will protect the nail strip of the shingle sitting below it. You naturally want to cover the nail strip after you secure nails in it.
If you decide to shingle in the opposite direction, from the top down, then you will need to lift the shingles from the previous row to slip the shingles into place. You also will need to use your hand to keep the tabs elevated while you secure the nails. This can make the job difficult and lead to poorly placed nails. Also, you can damage each shingle as you lift it up. The lifting will often create a crease in the shingle. This creases can knock the granules from the fold. The granule loss as well as the actual crease in each shingle can be quite noticeable when looking at your roof from the ground.
Also, each crease will be a weak point that can lead to premature shingle tears and deeper cracks. Your roof may then fail sooner than expected. It is a much better idea to install shingles from the bottom up the first time around.
For professional help with your roofing project, contact a roofing company like Drey Roofing.
