Reroofing a Shingle Roof

Cover with a tarp any landscape plants or ornamental items under the eaves of the home. Position a truck or trailer in a convenient location to accumulate the removed shingles.

Remove the old shingles using a shingle tool or a garden fork. The shingle tool looks similar to a flat-bladed shovel with a toothed leading edge. Work the tool under the shingles and lift the handle to pry the shingles off the roof deck. Throw the removed shingles into the truck or trailer.

Clear the roof deck of any remaining shingle or tarpaper pieces. Pull any nails that remain in the roof deck. This allows you to start with a clear deck during the shingling process.

Cover the roof with roofing felt, sometimes called tarpaper. Start by placing a roll of the paper along the edge of the roof. Add additional courses of roofing paper, working up the roof with each course overlapping the lower course by about 3 inches. Staple in place with 1/2-inch staples.

Place a roll of starter strip along the edge of the roof. Nail this in place with 1-inch shingle nails. This starter strip extends all the way along the eave edge of the roof.

Place a shingle with one edge at the center of the roof and the bottom edge flush with the starter strip at the eave of the roof. Nail in place with shingle nails. Add additional shingles to each side of the first shingle to complete the first course of shingles along the edge of the roof.

Start the second course of shingles by placing a shingle centered at the seam between two shingles. The bottom edge of the shingle lines up with the small notches of the shingles of the previous course.

Continue adding courses of shingles up the roof in a similar manner until the peak is reached. The final course of shingles from each side should overlap the peak of the roof.

Place a ridge cap shingle across the top of the ridge. Nail in place with 1 1/2-inch shingle nails. Continue to place ridge cap shingles along the entire ridgeline of the home.