When the roof of the house needs replaced due to age or damage, there are a couple of options. The first is to contract the job to a professional, which may be a good idea if the roof is steep and difficult to walk on or if it is high and the homeowner is afraid of heights. Secondly, do it yourself roofing is possible, depending on the type of roofing material you choose to use and how handy you are with tools.
Replacing the roof of a house is not an easy job, but certainly one that can be done by the home handyman, depending on their fear of heights and having enough strength and stamina to carry bundles of shingles onto the roof. However, it must first be determined if the old roof needs to be torn off before the new one is installed. Typically, if there is currently one layer of asphalt shingles on the roof, a second layer can be put on. With do it yourself roofing jobs, it is not advised to add a third layer, mainly due to the weight on the roof structure.
Tearing off the old shingles can be done with a pitch fork or a flat shovel and will leave a mess in the yard around the house. It's a good idea to contract for a dumpster in which to place all the old roofing materials or arrange for someone to clean up the mess when you are done.
Keeping It Straight On Do It Yourself Roofing Projects
Once the old roof is off, insure there are no old roofing nails sticking up and take any errant ones out with a claw hammer or nail puller. Once the roof is cleaned off, including swept with a broom, you will need to lay down a layer of 30-pound roofing felt. Most felt is printed with lines for lining up the new shingles for a do it yourself roofing, provided it is applied straight with the roof edge.
There should also be metal roof edging installed around the perimeter of the roof to give the roof a finished appearance as well as to help prevent leaks from water wrapping around the edge and working its way under the first row of shingles. The first row of shingles on the do it yourself roofing, should be placed inverted, meaning the solid edge should line up against the edge of the metal strip. Subsequent layers are put down with the cut side in the right direction.
