Step by Step Guide to Roofing

A well-maintained roof keeps water from entering a house. It also gives the house a finished look. Most home-builders use asphalt shingles to cover roofs because shingles are relatively inexpensive and durable. Under normal conditions, shingles should last for about 25 years before they need replacing. Roofing a house is labor-intensive and working on a slanted roof can be dangerous, but it can be done by a competent, careful do-it-yourselfer who has basic carpentry skills and the correct tools.

Ladder
Shingle remover
Roofing felt
Utility knife
Metal flashing
Shingles
Nail gun or hammer
Roofing nails

Instructions

- 1
  Remove any old shingles and felt with a shingle remover, if you are re-roofing a house. Hammer in any remaining screws and replace any damaged decking.
- 2
  Roll a strip of felt the length of the roof; drive a row of three nails every 3 feet. Cut the strip from the roll with the utility knife when you have reached the opposite end of the roof. Cover the entire roof with felt strips; overlap each strip by several inches when laying the next one.
- 3
  Nail flashing the length of all valleys and around any protrusions.
- 4
  Start at one end and lay shingles, side-by-side, the length of the roof. Drive three nails into each shingle. Place the first and last shingles so that they extend 2 inches beyond the edge of the decking.
- 5
  Overlap each subsequent row halfway over the previous one, always leaving a 2-inch overhang at each end. Continue with each subsequent row until you reach the bottom edge of the roof, again leaving a 2-inch overhang. Repeat on each side of the roof.
- 6
  Roll the ridge vent the length of the ridge and nail it into place.

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