How to Install Fiber Cement Roof Shingles

Cover both sides of the roof with roofing felt prior to installing fiber cement roof shingles. Start at the bottom of each side, cutting the first strip of roofing felt 1 inch longer than the width of the roof and laying the first strip so that ½ inch hangs over each side. Move up each side of the roof, laying each felt strip so that it overlaps the strip before by at least 4 inches, and use a staple every 6 inches around the edges of the felt to hold the pieces in place.

Measure every valley of the roof, as well as any corner where the flat plane of the roof meets a protrusion, such as a chimney. Cut a piece of V-shaped flashing down to the size of each of these sections with tin snips. Measure along the eaves of the roof as well and cut straight flashing down for each of these sections.

Apply waterproof adhesive to the back of each piece of flashing and press it into its proper place on the roof. Further secure the flashing with galvanized nails placed every 6 inches across the top edge of the flashing for straight flashing along the eaves or every 6 inches around the perimeter for V-shaped flashing pieces.

Line the first row of fiber cement roof shingles up along one eave of the roof, allowing the bottom of all shingles to hang off the edge by 1 inch and the outer edges of the shingles at each end of the row to hang off the roof by ½ inch. Use four nails through the tops of all shingles to affix them to the roof.

Measure across a fiber cement roof shingle at both the top and the bottom. Mark the center of the shingle and draw a straight line between the two marks with a straightedge. Cut the shingle in half vertically with a circular saw.

Place the cut shingle at the start of the second row and lay the next shingle directly against it to ensure that the seams in the second row of shingles don’t line up with the seams in the first row. Position the shingles of the second row so that they overlap the shingles of the first row by 6 inches, and secure them with nails.

Use a full shingle to start the third row to again ensure that the seams don’t line up, and continue the pattern up the roof to the peak, alternating between a full and half shingle to start each row. When you get to the top of the first side of the roof, go up the opposite side of the roof and repeat the pattern. Cover the roof peak with fiber cement roof caps laid side-by-side and secure the roof caps with nails.