How to Install Composition on a Hip Roof

A hip roof has four slopes and six ridges or peaks with common eaves on all four sides. Hip roofs often are topped with composition shingles, so named because they're made of several materials. They're often called asphalt shingles because that is a common component. Some composite shingles blend in felts, fiberglass or other components to add strength. All are topped with fine granules such as gravel to help hold them to the roof. The most common shingle is a three-tab, with a solid top and three tabs to resemble individual shingles when installed.

Metal flashing, drip edge and peak
Galvanized shingle nails
Hammer
Tin snips
Roofing paper
Construction stapler
Utility knife

Instructions

- 1
  Figure the square footage of the roof by multiplying the width of the four sections times the height. Divide that total by 100 to determine the number of squares or bundles of roofing needed. Add at least 10 percent for cutting and waste. Get special ridge shingles to match the basic shingles.
- 2
  Install metal drip edge flashing -- bent at 90 degrees to go over the roof decking and down the facing on the roof side -- on all four eaves. Fasten the flashing with galvanized roofing nails on the roof side. Use tin snips to cut the width of the top element out and bend the side around the adjoining flashing at the four corners. Nail peak flashing with at least 4-inch sides over all 5 ridges: the center and the two on each end.
- 3
  Lay roofing paper on the decking and over the drip edge. Fold it across each peak. Overlap strips from the top by at least 6 inches. Fasten it with a construction stapler.
- 4
  Cut the tabs off enough shingles to make one row around the bottom of the roof. Nail these upside down, with the cut edge up and the bottom just over the edge of the flashing. Trim the edges along the ridge with a utility knife so the shingles meet from each side. Use special starter shingles or strips that some manufacturers provide to create a bottom layer without cutting any shingles.
- 5
  Start full shingles at the eaves and work up to the ridges. Cut 4 inches up a tab where the hip intersects a ridge. Nail the uncut portion to the roof, overlap the slit portion over the ridge and nail it to the hip on the other side. Alternate sides as you work up, so the slit portion on a lower shingle is covered by a full section of another shingle. Cover all four sides of the roof with shingles.
- 6
  Install special ridge shingles on all tops. Nail these on the four corners, starting at the bottom and overlapping to the top. Put ridge shingles along the center peak, working in the direction of any prevailing wind. Install ridge shingles with either two or four nails at one end, to be covered by the next ridge shingle. Cover the nail heads on the last ridge shingle with roofing cement.

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