How to Restore Roofing

Remove the old shingles from the roof by prying them off with a pitchfork.

Inspect the roof sheathing for signs of damage, such as holes, water stains, cracks or mold. Replace any damaged sheathing and nail down any boards you loosened when you were removing the shingles.

Inspect the flashing, and replace any damaged pieces. The flashing is the metal strips found along the edges of the roof, around the chimney and in the valley where two roof sections meet that help prevent leaks.

Cover the roof sheathing with 30-pound roofing felt, starting at the bottom edge of the roof and working toward the peak. Lay the felt horizontally on the roof, and overlap the edges of adjoining pieces by an inch. Staple it to the sheathing every 6 to 8 inches with a hammer stapler.

Measure the length of the bottom edge of the roof, and divide that by the length of a shingle to calculate how many shingles you need to cover the bottom edge of the roof. Cut the tabs off of enough shingles with a utility knife to cover the bottom edge.

Lay a starter course of shingles on the roof, using the shingles you cut the tabs from. Position the shingles so that the bottom hangs over the edge of the roof by a quarter-inch, and drive three nails into the shingles, one in the center, and one 4 inches in from each side.

Lay the first course of shingles over the starter course. Hang the edge of the shingles a quarter-inch past the edge of the starter course, and drive four evenly spaced nails into the shingles an inch above the tabs.

Lay the second row of shingles, staggering them so that they are centered over the shingles in the first row, and covering the top half of the shingles in the first row. Drive two nails through the shingle, 1 inch above the tabs and 4 inches in from the ends.

Keep installing shingles until you reach the peak of the roof.

Cut tabs off of shingles so you can use them as the ridge cap for the roof. Fold the shingle over the peak of the roof, and drive a nail through each side.