Roofing – Installing Asphalt Shingles

The installation of asphalt roof shingles is a professional skill which takes time and practice in order to perfect. If you are considering the possibility of roofing your own home, you may be looking for a few tips to help you along the way. In this article, we'll outline a few tips to help the install process go smoothly along with a few common mistakes you'll want to avoid.

An improperly shingled roof will not only prove ineffective in providing adequate leak protection, but will typically look pretty awful. Before attempting this process, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with the proper procedures. Employing the help of a friend or two is never a bad idea either. Once you've laid out the tar paper, it's time to install the shingles.

Step 1 – Pre-Mark the Roof Face

Start the process by finding the center of the roof face along the eave edge. Make your mark and extend a line up to the center of the ridge. Once there, mark a line indicating the center line of the root. Next, make a series of chalk lines running perpendicular to the center line every 5 inches up to the ridge. The lines drawn will help to guide you when laying out each row of shingles.

Step 2 – Place Starter Strip from Center Out

The starter strip is a row a shingles with cut off tabs, which are placed along the bottom edge of the roof face or gable. Cut the tags at each cutout's top. Make sure to hang the strip at roughly ½ inch over the eaves edge. Place one edge of the starter strip against the center line, and install the strips to the side edges of the roof going in both directions. Remember to always coat the bottom of each shingle with a dab of roofing cement prior to nailing it into place.

Step 3 - Lay First Row of Shingles

Place the first shingle row directly on top of the starter row, starting from the center line. Position the first shingle with the first chalk line of the starter row and place the center of the middle tab over the center chalk line prior to fastening. Use 4 galvanized nails per shingle. Place one nail toward each end and one over each cutout.

Proceed in this fashion from the center out. Be sure to continue following the chalk-marked grid for even roofing.