How to Put on New Roof Decking

Use a pry bar to lift up the old pieces of roof decking, then discard them. Use a hammer to remove any leftover nails.

Measure the deck space to ensure the new decking will fit nicely. Replace the old roof decking with plywood that is at least 1/2-inch thick. Use sheets of plywood that are about 4-feet wide and 8-feet long. These sizes prevent common roof decking problems, such as structural issues.

Cut the plywood to fit on the deck, if necessary, using a miter saw.

Install H-clips, or wood structural panel edge clips, along the edges of the plywood where it meets your home, joists, roof rafters or other structural elements. These clips have two openings, one where you can slide the plywood into, and another that slides over the other element. The area in the middle of the clip will stay in place on its own, due to the weight from both sides.

Space each piece of plywood decking about 1/8 inch apart from the next one on all sides. This spacing is necessary because the plywood will expand over time. To accomplish this gap, add 16d sinker nails every few feet between all plywood surfaces. The nails will create the gap and help hold the plywood in place.

Nail down all edges of the plywood, and space them no less than 6 inches from each other and at least 3/8 inch from the edge. Strong winds can rip up plywood from your roof decking, so it's extremely important to nail each piece along all edges.