How To Replace Damaged Shingles

Climb to the damaged area of roof

• Tie a length of climbing rope to a sturdy object on the side of your house opposite the one you’re working on. Trees or vehicles work well.
• Route the climbing rope over the peak of your roof so it’s hanging down on the side you’ll be climbing.
• Put on your climbing harness, attach it to the climbing rope, then carefully climb onto your roof using a ladder.
• Approach the damaged area.

Pry out the roofing nails

• Test the shingles surrounding the damaged area to see which ones detached from the roof sheathing. Chances are, several shingles near the torn one will be loose.
• Carefully peel back the layer of shingle immediately above the damaged area, taking care not to bend it too sharply.
• Reach underneath the shingle layer you’re lifting with your catspaw prybar and pry loose the roofing nails holding the damaged shingle in place.

Cut away the damaged shingle edge

• Use a carpenter’s square and permanent marker to draw a vertical line on the damaged shingle just over from the torn section.
• Cut along this line using tinsnips, then carefully remove the torn piece of shingle. You should now have a neat, rectangular space in your shingles, rather than a rough, torn one.

Prepare and install replacement shingle

• Place a fresh shingle over the vulnerable section of roof, using the edges of the adjacent shingles as a guide for cutting it to length.
• Cut the new shingle to the precise length needed with your tinsnips.
• Lift the row of shingles above the area where you’re working and slide the freshly cut shingle into place where the damaged one used to be.
• Fasten the new shingle down with roofing nails if you have room to swing your hammer. If you can’t, secure it with a caulking gun loaded with a tube of roofing tar.

Secure loose shingles

• Test all shingles around the area of your repair to determine which may be loose and which are still fastened down.
• Inject roofing tar beneath all loose shingles to re-secure them to the roof.
• Repeat the process for any other area of damaged shingles.