Fixing Damaged Roof Shingles

By: Merle Henkenius (Page 1 of 3)

1. Slip a flat pry bar under the damaged shingle and press down to pop out the roofing nails.

2. Slide the new shingle up into place. Be sure to align with the shingles of either side.

3. Carefully lift the upper shingle and secure the new shingle with roofing nails.

4. Fix a curled shingle by applying a dab of roofing sealant under the corner with a caulking gun.

5. Weigh down the curled shingle with a brick or concrete patio block. Be careful not to get sealant under the brick.

6. Fix a cracked shingle by gently lifting it and applying a think bead of roofing sealant beneath it.

7. Apply another bead of sealant along the top of the crack and evenly spread it with a putty knife.

8. Hide the repair by sprinkling the sealant with colored shingle granules gathered from the rain gutter.

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What You'll Learn:

Maintaining a sound roof literally tops the list of crucial home repairs: It keeps you and your family warm and dry, along with everything in your house. Any damage or signs of wear call for immediate action to keep water from seeping under the shingles and rotting the wood sheathing beneath. Ignoring a problem—even what appears to be a small one—will accelerate the need to reroof and can add hundreds of dollars to the cost of a new roof.

If your roof is more than 20 years old and most of the shingles are damaged or badly worn, it's time to replace it. But if your roof is basically sound and is at a relatively shallow pitch that you're comfortable working on, you can probably handle most repairs yourself. Here, we'll take you through the three most-common ones: replacing damaged shingles; gluing down a badly curled shingle; and repairing shingles that have cracked. Always make roof repairs on a warm, dry afternoon; the shingles will be more supple and less likely to crack. And never climb onto a roof that's wet, icy or covered with morning dew.