Fixing Damaged Roof Shingles

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.