Did The Wind Rip Off An Asphalt Shingle? Follow These Tips For Replacing It

Do you have an asphalt shingle that has ripped off your roof due to the wind, and you want to know how to fix it on your own? It will help to know these tips for replacing the damaged shingle.

Get The Right Tools For The Job

Asphalt shingle repairs do not require many special tools in order to get the job done. The main thing that you'll need is a flat pry bar to help remove the nails that are underneath the other shingles. It has a side that is long and thin, with a notched-out portion designed to grip around a nail. You can slide it under the shingles until you feel it catch onto a nail and then press down to pull the nail out. 

Know How Many Nails To Remove

It's hard to know how many nails you need to remove without being able to see them. You can expect four nails to be holding each three-tab shingle in place, with a fifth nail if it is a starter row of shingles. Of course, every roofer is different, and they may have placed more or less into each shingle. 

Slide The New Shingle In Place

With the old nails gone and the old shingle removed, you should be able to slide the new shingle right into the spot where the old one was located. If the shingle is having trouble sliding in, it's because you likely ripped out the shingle from the roof without removing all the nails, and now the new shingle is being caught on a nail. 

Follow Building Codes For How Many Nails To Use

No matter how many nails you pull out of a shingle, it's worth looking into the local building codes to find out how many nails are required to secure each shingle in place. It may be different than what the original roofer did when installing your roof.

Create A Seal With Roofing Cement

Once the new shingle is secured in place, you'll need to create a seal above the new shingle with roofing cement. This is because the old tar strip seal has been broken on the shingle located above the replacement shingle, and it won't stick to it. A little bit of roofing cement is all you need to get the seal to form again.

Don't feel like you can do this repair on your own? Reach out to a roofing contractor for their assistance. 

Contact a roofing contractor to learn more about shingle roof repair.