Replacement of Composite Shingles (Asphalt)

Your roof shingles are an important component of your home. However, most of us don’t think about them until something goes wrong. Composition shingles are made from a combination of materials, including a core of felt or fiberglass mat impregnated with asphalt and then covered with mineral particles. These types of shingles are designed to last 15 to 25 years (sometimes 30 years), after which they must be replaced. A new layer of composition shingles can usually be applied over the existing layer, saving you the time of removing the old roof.

Before deciding to install new shingles over existing shingles, you should consider the following:

How steep or complicated is your roof? Laying shingles on a simple gabled roof on a one-story home is fairly straightforward. However, if the roof is steep, has multiple planes, needs complicated valley work and flashing, consider the job carefully before committing to start.

Is the roof sheathing in good condition? Go through the attic and look for voids, separating plywood and broken boards. You may also want to inspect the joists. Check for rot by pricking with a screwdriver. All rotten or damaged boards under the old roof must be replaced. If this is the case, hire a professional to do this job.

How many layers of tiles already exist? Most building codes allow a maximum of three layers of asphalt shingles (the original layer plus two waterproofing layers). Check the number of plies on your roof by examining the sloped (sloped) edge of the roof.

What is the condition of the old (existing) shingles? Bulges or depressions in the old layer of shingles cannot be hidden with a new roof. If the old surface is not evenly flat then it should be removed.

As you prepare to re-roof your home, you should keep the following in mind:

Eaves and rakes. Look for rot along the edges. Make sure the fascia boards are firm and solidly connected to the rafter tails.

Valleys. It’s always a good idea to check the condition of your metal valley flashing.

Shiny. Take a look at the flashing around chimneys, chimneys, and skylights.

One of the most difficult jobs is putting new shingles on the roof. For an additional fee, many vendors can “lift” the roof for you, using a crane or conveyor belt. Otherwise, you will need to carry the shingles with you up a ladder. Full packages typically weigh around 75 pounds. You can of course open the packages and carry smaller loads.

While on the roof, be sure to form a level base for stacking the shingles. After all, the last thing you want is to have to retrieve shingles that slide from the ceiling to the floor. A good strategy is to place a pack on each side of the ridge. This allows you to set up an open work area.

Curve cutting in wood

Much of the finish carpentry on a home involves curves, quite a tricky job for the do-it-yourself weekend carpenter. Some of the curved cuts are out of necessity. For example, holes through walls, doors, floors, and ceilings (for pipes or ducts). Others, however, are a bit more decorative: an arch or the curve of a circular window.

Whatever the purpose of the curve, it requires different tools and techniques than those used for straight cuts. For most curves, the best tool is an electric saber saw, ideally one with variable speed control. ¼-inch-wide blades with 8 to 10 points per inch are adequate for most jobs, but other blades are available for special uses: a hollow ground blade, for example, will make splinter-free cuts in plywood; a blade with 12 or 14 points per inch is recommended for scrolls.

When power is not available, or when the work space is too tight for a saber saw, you can turn to any of several handsaws designed specifically for cutting curves. A scroll saw has a delicate blade and a limited cutting range; it is best suited for finishing joints in joinery and for fine, intricate scrollwork. The jigsaw can handle heavier tasks, while the jigsaw is for even tougher jobs. They both come with a variety of blades designed for different materials. Blades are tapered, with narrow tips for twists and cuts initiated from small drilled holes; And because the blades can be reversed, jigsaws and jigsaws are ideal for use on jobs with tight spaces and difficult notches.

Since you must guide the aforementioned saws freehand, it is very important to mark a guide line before cutting any curves. Most of the time, you can simply hold an object to be duplicated (for example, a section of decorative molding) in place and trace its outline. However, some situations require more complex calculations and marking techniques. For example, to mark an elliptical hole for a round pipe running through the roof, you would trace the pitch of the roof and the size of the pipe on cardboard, then cut out the marked cardboard, and then cut out the marked cardboard as a template. to translate the ellipse to the roof.

In other situations, you must resort to tracing, a scoring technique to fit the material to an existing curve. It usually involves laying the wood, for example floor boards in a semi-circular niche, against the curve and running a simple school compass around the curve to duplicate, or trace, the arch in the boards.

When cutting a curve, be especially careful about the pressure you apply; under excess pressure, a hand saw blade will buckle and a saber saw blade can be thrown out of the cut or snapped in two. Mark the guides for a saber saw on the rough side of the board if possible, because the upward cut of the blade splinters the wood; If you must work on the finished side, cover the guides with clear tape to minimize damage. Stabilize the board

This article may be copied as long as full credit is given and our signature link below to Kris Koonar.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *