How to Make a Shingle Cap

Replacing the roof cap is the last step in re-shingling. It is extremely important that this step is done correctly because it is the highest point of the roof and the place that leaks will do the most damage. Roofers and roofing companies disagree on the proper method of installing shingle caps. Some prefer a pre-made roof cap unit while others use the traditional method of cutting three tab shingles into three separate pieces to lay across the peak.

Three tab shingles
Utility knife
Extra utility knife blades
Roofing nails
Hammer

Instructions

- 1
  Lay out a single three tab shingle on a flat cutting surface.
- 2
  Cut the shingle into three equal parts with a utility knife. Use the tabs as a reference point and continue the cut. This will leave you with 3 12-inch sections.
- 3
  Cut as many shingles as you need in this fashion. You will need one full shingle (3 cap pieces) for every two feet of roof cap.
- 4
  Lay the first piece of ridge cap at one end of the roof. The shingle cap should hang over each side of the roof equally.
- 5
  Nail the shingle into place with two nails on each end of the shingle cap.
- 6
  Lay the next shingle so it overlaps the first by 4 inches. Nail it in place.
- 7
  The next shingle should be laid underneath the previous shingle so that 4 inches are covered. Nail it down and continue this process until the entire roof cap is covered. You should end up with every other shingle on top so the sections are 12 inches, 4 inches, 12 inches, etc.

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