How to Redo a Rotten Porch Roof

Many homes have covered porches that provide a place for the homeowner to sit and relax on a sunny day or to provide retreat on rainy days. Porch roofs, like house roofs, are prone to deterioration over time. Water and ice get under the roofing material and cause rot and decay that is undetectable until it is too late. The roof must be redone in order for the porch to be safe for use. Homeowners with building experience can replace the porch roof themselves, but hiring a roofing contractor may be the best option for those with limited skills.

Shingle shovel
Hammer
Demolition bar
Measuring tape
Chalk box
Roofing nails
Pneumatic nail gun
Drip edge
Tin snips
Flashing metal
Silicone caulk

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the damaged roof, including the old roofing materials and the plywood substructure; different removal methods are required for different roof materials. Use a shingle shovel when removing asphalt shingles and a hammer and demolition bar when removing terracotta, standing seam metal and stone slate.
- 2
  Remove the house siding that surrounds the porch roof to gain access to the roof flashing metal. The flashing metal is a strip of metal that closes the gap between the house and the porch roof to prevent water from leaking.
- 3
  Remove the roof flashing metal with a hammer and demolition bar.
- 4
  Remove the roof substructure with a hammer and demolition bar. Older homes used wooden slats while newer homes use some type of plywood.
- 5
  Measure the new substructure and mark the roof truss center lines with a chalk box. This will keep the substructure straight and will provide a nailing guideline.
- 6
  Nail the new substructure in place on the porch roof trusses using roofing nails and a hammer or a compressed air nail gun.
- 7
  Cut and install new drip edge around the perimeter of the roof. Cut the drip edge with tin snips then nail it in place with a hammer and roofing nails.
- 8
  Cut and install new flashing metal where the house meets the roof; cut the metal with tin snips and apply a bead of silicone caulk to the back of the flashing. Nail the flashing down with a hammer and roofing nails.
- 9
  Install the house siding around the porch roof.
- 10
  Install the new roof materials; installation methods vary depending on the type of roofing material used. Use a hammer and roofing nails or a compressed air-powered nail gun to install shingles, a hammer and nails for installing terracotta and slate stone, or a hammer, nails and crimpers when installing standing seam metal.

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